January 2015

What admissions officers need to know…

What admissions officers need to know about Cambridge International Examinations’ credentials

Presented by:

Val Sismey, Head of Recognitions, Cambridge International Examinations

Greg Roberts, Dean of Admissions, University of Virginia

Christoph Guttentag, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Duke University

Sam Saini, Associate Director, Undergraduate Admissions, The University of British Columbia, Canada

Cambridge O Level and Cambridge IGCSE

• Both are typically taken at age 16 but this does vary depending on the country and school

• Cambridge O Level and Cambridge IGCSE are both aligned in standard to the GCSE

• Cambridge O Level is awarded at Grades A*–E (and Ungraded)

• Cambridge IGCSE is awarded at Grades A*–G – two additional grades for lower ability students

• Now more than 2000 UK schools are teaching Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses

• 22 Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses approved and funded for UK state schools are known as Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificates.

Top 10 countries for Cambridge O Level and Cambridge IGCSE

Cambridge O Level Cambridge IGCSE

Singapore UK

Pakistan Egypt

Mauritius India

Brunei UAE

Maldives China

Bangladesh Zimbabwe

Sri Lanka Malaysia

Nigeria Saudi Arabia

Zimbabwe Argentina

Zambia Indonesia

Cambridge International AS & A Level

• Wide choice of subjects

• Established and well known around the world

• 360 class contact hours, usually over two years

• Six passing grades A*–E, plus Ungraded

• Linear/staged examinations

• Retakes only permitted for whole subjects

• No immediate plans for change (unlike UK).

Top 10 countries for Cambridge International AS & A Level

• Pakistan

• Mauritius

• Malaysia

• USA

• China

• Brunei

• New Zealand

• Zimbabwe

• India

• Nepal

Most popular subjects in the USA

Cambridge IGCSE Cambridge International AS & A Level

First Language English General Paper

Mathematics History

History Thinking Skills

Biology English Language

Literature in English Marine Science

Chemistry Literature in English

Physics Mathematics

Art & Design Art & Design

Coordinated Sciences(Double Award)

Psychology

Economics Biology

Current structure of the Cambridge AICE program

• To gain the Cambridge AICE Diploma students must pass with at least six credits.

Each Cambridge International AS Level passed exam counts as one full credit

Each Cambridge International A Level passed exam counts as a double credit

Each Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject or GPR passed exam counts as a double credit

• Students must pass at least one subject exam from each group: Mathematics & Science, Languages, Arts & Humanities

• On completion of the Cambridge AICE Diploma, students receive either a Distinction, Merit or Pass.

New structure for Cambridge AICE from 2017

• Cambridge International AS Level GPR as compulsory core (with option of Cambridge International A Level GPR for an additional credit)

• Seven credits required rather than six

• Changes reflect our belief in the value of GPR as an interdisciplinary core to the curriculum alongside the depth provided by other Cambridge International AS & A Levels.

Cambridge Pre-U

• Alternative to A Level taken mainly in the UK

• 27 Principal Subjects

• Global Perspectives & Research (GPR)

• Diploma made up of GPR and three Principal Subjects

• Short Courses in Languages, Mathematics and Further Mathematics.

Grading

Distinction

D1

D2

D3

Merit

M1

M2

M3

Pass

P1

P2

P3

A Level

A/B boundary

C/D boundary

E/U boundary

Cambridge Pre-U exists in a defined relationship to A Level. It is accessible to all who currently achieve pass at A Level.

Cambridge Pre-U and Cambridge InternationalA Level Global Perspectives & Research (GPR)

• Cambridge Pre-U Global Perspectives & Research (GPR) constitutes compulsory core of Cambridge Pre-U Diploma

• New Cambridge International A Level in GPR launching this fall

• Taught as two successive one-year courses – Global Perspectives (a taught course) and a Research Report

• Excellent preparation for undergraduate study – gives real evidence of independent, critical thinking

• Excellent alternative to Extended Project, Critical Thinking and General Studies.

Statement of results

• A statement of results is provided for each candidate.

• The statement lists each of the subjects that the candidate was entered for and the syllabus grades that have been achieved in each case. From June 2010 this may include a percentage uniform mark.

• For Group Award candidates the statement will show the result achieved in the Cambridge ICE or AICE (Diploma) Group Award.

Sample certificate for Cambridge International AS & A Level

Watermark

Number of subjects

Signature of VC of University of Cambridge

Upper and lower case reporting of grades achieved

Hologram

Serial number

Other hidden security features are also present on official Cambridge documentation

CIE Direct – verify students’ results online

Email: Info@cie.org.uk to request a ‘University Access to Cambridge Results Online Application Form’

University of British Columbia

• Applicants are assessed on a minimum of five courses: a minimum of three approved academic A Levels (or six AS Levels, or a combination of the two) and two Cambridge IGCSE subjects

• English is a required subject for all applicants (A Level or Cambridge IGCSE)

• Programs with specific pre-requisite subjects require that they form part of the five required subject assessment.

University of British Columbia

• Academic assessment includes grades for the five courses and is adjusted with a ‘performance’ factor

• On average, students presenting Cambridge credentials perform much like domestic students with similar assessment outcomes

• Performance in Further Mathematics is highly correlated to success at UBC.

University of British Columbia

• Applicants come from over 50 different countries – top countries are Pakistan, UK, Singapore, UAE, Kenya, Bangladesh, Malaysia and China.

• Students presenting final results of A*–B will receive credit. Usually six semester credits are granted but in some cases fewer.

• The new Cambridge International A Level GPR course is an acceptable course for admission and suitable grades will also gain advanced credit.

Cambridge schools in the USA

The Cambridge AICE Diploma

The Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma:

is an international post-16 pre-university curriculum and examination system that emphasizes the value of broad and balanced study

is made up of Cambridge International AS & A Levels

demands mastery of subjects from three different groups: Mathematics & Sciences, Languages, Arts & Humanities.

Key benefits of the Cambridge AICE Diploma

International recognition

Flexible, broad and balanced

International relevance

Affordability.

Cambridge International AS & A Levels

• University policy allows students to be awarded advanced standing credit or placement based upon qualifying examination scores and the recommendation of the appropriate Arts & Sciences departments

• This is determined on a case-by-case basis, on the student’s initiative, by:

the Dean’s Office in the College of Arts and Sciences

the Director of Undergraduate Programs in the appropriate departments.

The pre-approved departmental equivalencies for qualifying A Level examination scores

Subject U.Va. equivalents

Accounting A, H2 COMM 2000T (6 credits) 1

Biology A, H2BIOL 2010 (3 credits) and BIOL 2020 (3 credits); No pre-approved lab credit.

Business Studies AS, H1 COMM 1000T (3 credits)

Economics A, H2For grades of A or B only – ECON 2010 (3 credits) and ECON 2020 (3 credits); No credit for grade of C or lower.

Further Math A, H2 MATH 2000T (3 credits).

Government and Politics A, H2

PLAP 1000T (3 credits) and PLCP 1000T (3 credits)

Psychology A, H2 PSYC 2000T (3 credits)

You can find further information at: http://college.artsandsciences.virginia.edu/iclec

Cambridge Global Perspectives & Research (GPR)

• Courses are designed to prepare students for university and welcomed as such

• Academic study in a practical, real-world context

• Focus on skills rather than on specific content

• Interdisciplinary

• Uses a methodology called the critical path.

GPR: The critical path

The Cambridge learner from Duke’s perspective

• Cambridge emphasizes depth, an interdisciplinary approach, flexibility, critical thinking, rigor and a global perspective

• Not unlike Duke’s Bass Connections, which study Brain & Society; Information, Society & Culture; Global Health; Education & Human Development; Energy

• University credit is given for A Level scores of A or B, and Cambridge Pre-U scores of M3 or higher

• Competitive candidates for admission typically have A Level grades of A/A* and Cambridge Pre-U grades of Distinction.

The Cambridge learner from Duke’s perspective

• Cambridge learners apply from around the world, including in the US

• The skills they acquire match the program’s goals

• From a Maryland teacher:

“The AICE [Higher Math] program, although less well known than the AP program, also covers calculus… is very rigorous, and challenges students with questions that apply critical thinking skills. The need to process what information is important, what information is needed, and what skills are needed to find this information stretch even the most able students. Topics are constantly intermingled.”

• Cambridge learners typically receive our top two curriculum ratings (equivalent to 710 AP courses or more).

The Cambridge learner from Duke’s perspective

• It’s no coincidence that AP has launched the AP Capstone

• The need for a curriculum that is rigorous, flexible and integrated has never been higher

• The Cambridge curriculum in its various manifestations meets these needs, particularly with the Global Perspectives & Research sequence.

GPR Statement of Support

Students who have challenged themselves with a rigorous curriculum, developed strong critical thinking skills, and experienced interdisciplinary learning in a global context will be poised to make the most of their college experience. The Cambridge Global Perspectives & Research (GPR) curriculum provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop those skills.

The Cambridge GPR experience not only promotes rigorous curricular content, but also equips students with the independent research, collaborative team work, and twenty-first century knowledge and skills essential to success in college and in today’s interconnected world. The Cambridge GPR A Level combines in-depth subject-matter study with an interdisciplinary seminar-style curriculum based on issues of global importance in which students engage collaboratively and independently on presentations and research projects.

GPR Statement of Support (continued)

The aims of the Cambridge GPR A Level are:

•Engagement with a rigorous college-level curriculum

•Promotion of a critical, questioning approach to information

•Development of disciplined and scholarly research skills applied to topics of global relevance.

Sign up at: www.cie.org.uk/gprstatementofsupport

Recognition database

www.cie.org.uk/recognitionsearch

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Any questions?

Learn more! Getting in touch with Cambridge is easy

Email Val at sismey.v@cie.org.uk

Customer Services: info@cie.org.uk

Drop by and see us at exhibition booth 1417!

www.cie.org.uk/gprstatementofsupport

www.cie.org.uk/recognitionsearch

http://college.artsandsciences.virginia.edu/iclec