Submitting candidate work on CD - DVD or USB stick - File saving and recording submission guidelines

Oct 23, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven

Guidance explains how to submit candidates’ work stored on digital media, including coursework evidence such as music, video, and photographs. It covers ensuring files are accessible to moderators or examiners, using the correct CD/DVD/USB specifications from the samples database, choosing standard PAL or NTSC DVDs, and validating playback on a different machine. It also specifies disc-session closing rules, required file naming conventions, and how to handle digital recorders, including file transfer and suitable recording characteristics.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Submitting digital files

Saving files for submission

What not to do when saving files

How to close or finalise a CD or DVD

Using digital recorders

Submitting candidate work on CD, DVD or USB stick We moderate or examine a range of components, for example, coursework, where the evidence you need to submit may include digital files, such as music recordings, video and photographs. If you need to submit digital files you must make sure they can be accessed, viewed or heard by our Moderators or Examiners. Visit the samples database ([www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples](www.cambridgeinternational.org/samples) ) to check how you must submit the work and what file formats to use. When saving and preparing digital files for submission you must follow the instructions below. Saving files for submission • Save all files on good-quality USBs, CDs or DVDs, as specified in the samples database. When saving to DVD make sure you use a standard PAL or NTSC DVD. The terms PAL or NTSC refer to the line count and frame rate of the screen. • Check all the files once you have saved them to make sure they are running correctly. Check them on a different machine from the one on which the recordings were made. If you have any problems, please contact our Customer Services team at [info@cambridgeinternational.org](info@cambridgeinternational.org) for advice. • To prepare your disc(s) for use by the Moderator or Examiner please make sure you close the current disc session. (Further guidance notes are included at the end of the document. ) • Save each candidate’s work/recording as a separate file. • Submit a separate USB, CD or DVD for each component. • Name each file using the naming convention below: Centre number_candidate number_syllabus code_component code.file type suffix For example: • To submit work on DVD make sure the recordings are in a format that will play on a computer (Apple Mac or PC), or on a DVD player without the viewer having to download any additional software. To make it easier to navigate it is helpful if the DVD is chaptered. • Candidates’ work must be organised on the device in a structured way so that candidates can be clearly identified by using the naming convention described above. • For Physical Education work, individual files do not need to be created for each candidate and the file name should include the activity code instead of the candidate number. What not to do when saving files • Do not submit video recordings on video cassettes. • Do not submit audio files on DVD or audio cassettes. Convert any QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Publisher documents to Adobe PDF before they are submitted. How to close or finalise a CD or DVD Our Moderators can only access CDs/DVDs if you close the current disc session. • To close a disc automatically press the eject button on your computer’s disc drive. Windows automatically closes the current session when the disc is ejected. This consumes 20 megabytes (MB) of disc space and can take several minutes. • To close a disc manually right-click the drive icon that represents your writeable drive and then click ‘Close session’. Once the disc is ejected, the session will be closed and the disc can be used in other computers and devices. • After you close a disc session, you can still add additional files to the disc, but you must close each additional session to be able to use the disc on another computer. • If you remove a disc from your computer without closing the disc session, you can close it at a later time. Just return it to the computer’s disc burner and follow the steps above to close the session. • Some programs might finalise your disc instead of closing the current session. You cannot add any additional files to a disc that has been finalised. Using digital recorders If you use a digital recorder, please follow the instructions below. Transfer process • Once the recordings have been made, connect your digital recorder to your computer with the appropriate cable. Transfer the files from the recorder to your computer (this may involve downloading some so

FAQs

How should digital files be prepared so moderators or examiners can access them?

Files must be accessed, viewed, or heard correctly by moderators or examiners. Check the samples database for the required submission method and file formats, then verify playback after saving on a different computer.

What are the key rules for saving files on CD, DVD, or USB?

Save files to good-quality USBs, CDs, or DVDs as specified in the samples database. Ensure DVDs use a standard PAL or NTSC format, save each candidate’s work as separate files, and submit separate devices for each component.

Why must the current disc session be closed, and what happens if it isn’t?

Moderators can only access CDs/DVDs if the current disc session is closed. After closing, additional files can be added only by closing each additional session; if you remove the disc without closing, you can close it later, but cannot use an unclosed session across devices.

Oct 23, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven