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Cambridge Pre-U Cambridge Advanced

FAQs

Frequently asked questions about Cambridge Pre-U

• What is Cambridge Pre-U?
• Is Cambridge Pre-U limited to independent schools?
• Are the schools offering Cambridge Pre-U state maintained or independent?
• What is the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma?
• How is Cambridge Pre-U different from other courses?
• How do Cambridge Pre-U grades relate to A Level grades?
• Who marks Cambridge Pre-U examinations?
• How are the Distinction grades arrived at?
• Can CIE guarantee that the marking will be consistent?
• Will mark schemes be less prescriptive and reward ‘flair’ (i.e. creative answers which are not formulaic)?
• Is it possible to study Cambridge Pre-U alongside A Levels?
• Is Cambridge Pre-U widely recognised by universities?
• What happens if a candidate narrowly misses a university conditional offer?
• Are universities going to favour/disfavour people with Cambridge Pre-U?
• What is the deadline for an enquiry about results?
• How many schools were involved in the June 2010 exam session?
• How many candidates were there for Cambridge Pre-U exams?
• How does Cambridge Pre-U fit with a school’s current timetable/curriculum?
• How many subjects do I have to take?
• Are there any compulsory Principal subjects?
• Is it necessary to do Cambridge Pre-U exclusively to qualify for the Diploma?
• Can I take just one Cambridge Pre-U subject, without taking the whole Diploma?
• Do I get more university credit if I do the whole Diploma?
• What is GPR?
• Can I take Global Perspectives and the Independent Research Report separately?
• What is the Global Perspectives component of the Diploma?
• Do I have to prepare a Global Perspectives portfolio?
• What is the Independent Research Report?
• Do I have to do an Independent Research Report?

• What is Cambridge Pre-U?
• Cambridge Pre-U is a post-16 qualification designed to prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful at university. It challenges students to show not only a keen grasp of their subject, but also lateral, critical and contextual thinking. It encourages individual, independent research and promotes learning through innovative approaches to curriculum and assessment.
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• Is Cambridge Pre-U limited to independent schools?
• No. Cambridge Pre-U is available to independent and state maintained schools. The focus of the qualification is on learners, not schools, and Cambridge Pre-U will appeal to university-bound students in a wide range of schools and colleges.
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• Are the schools offering Cambridge Pre-U state maintained or independent?
• Forty per cent of schools currently teaching Pre-U are state maintained. Over half of schools interested in teaching next year are from the state sector.
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• What is the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma?
• Students may take individual Cambridge Pre-U subjects; however, if they successfully study three Principal Subjects in combination with completing an Individual Research Report and compiling a Global Perspectives portfolio over two years, they will be awarded the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma.
  
  

  Cambridge Pre-U Diploma

  Independent Research Report

  Principal
  Subject

  Principal
  Subject

  Principal
  Subject

  Global Perspectives

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• How is Cambridge Pre-U different from other courses?
• Cambridge Pre-U is a two-year programme of study. The structure of each Cambridge Pre-U syllabus is linear, so students take exams at the end of the whole course.
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• How do Cambridge Pre-U grades relate to A Level grades?
• Cambridge Pre-U grades are benchmarked to the A Level standard at two key grade thresholds. This ensures students across the ability range are treated fairly. The extended grade range at the top enables Cambridge Pre-U to recognise and reward outstanding achievers.
  
  

  Distinction	D1		The minimum standard required for a D3 is the same as that required for A grade at A Level
  	D2
  	D3		A/B Boundary
  Merit	M1
  	M2
  	M3
  Pass	P1		The minimum standard required for a P3 is the same as that required for E grade at A Level
  	P2
  	P3		E/U Boundary

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• Who marks Cambridge Pre-U examinations?
• Cambridge Pre-U is marked by highly experienced UK examiners, who know the A Level standard.
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• How are the Distinction grades arrived at?
• Distinction 1 is awarded for outstanding work – a standard set by examiners on the basis of a scrutiny of the work itself. With the Distinction 3 grade set to equal the A Level A grade, and the Distinction 1 top grade set by expert examiner judgement, the Distinction 2 grade was set arithmetically, anchored securely on either side.
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• Can CIE guarantee that the marking will be consistent?
• Yes. CIE works with teachers and examiners to ensure that a common understanding is reached about marking. We put checks in place to monitor the progress of marking and to ensure consistency from year to year.
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• Will mark schemes be less prescriptive and reward ‘flair’ (i.e. creative answers which are not formulaic)?
• Yes. All candidates receive appropriate reward for the answers they give - even if they are unforeseen.
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• Is it possible to study Cambridge Pre-U alongside A Levels?
• Yes. Initially, many schools continue to offer A Levels in some subjects alongside Cambridge Pre-U in others. A Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject has equivalence with an individual A Level subject, although Cambridge Pre-U divides the old A Level A grade into three bands of achievement, with one grade above A*.
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• Is Cambridge Pre-U widely recognised by universities?
• Yes. Universities were involved in the development of Cambridge Pre-U and have made it clear that they like the linear structure, finer grading scale and enhanced content. 111 UK universities have published formal recognition statements.
  
  Cambridge Pre-U is increasingly popular in the USA and Canada, where 59 universities recognise Cambridge Pre-U, including Stanford, Yale and McGill. Check the recognition page for more information about which universities recognise Cambridge Pre-U.
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• What happens if a candidate narrowly misses a university conditional offer?
• CIE has issued additional information on results for this session, giving candidates an indication of how close they came to relevant grade boundaries. They can use this information when contacting universities if they narrowly miss their conditional offer.
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• Are universities going to favour/disfavour people with Cambridge Pre-U?
• Universities are faced each year with candidates applying for admission who have taken a number of different qualifications from around the world. CIE has consulted extensively with universities - both admissions staff and faculty members - who welcome a qualification that prepares students for the type of work they will encounter at university.
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• What is the deadline for an enquiry about results?
• CIE understands that the rapid turnaround of results enquiries is very important to candidates with university offers at stake. CIE provides a priority result enquiry service for Cambridge Pre-U candidates. Requests for priority results enquiry services must reach CIE by 27 August 2010. Candidates should make their request via their school or college.
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• How many schools were involved in the June 2010 exam session?
• 59 schools entered candidates for the very first exam session. 101 schools are preparing to enter candidates in 2011 or 2012. This first group of pathfinder student are part of a rapidly growing phenomenon.
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• How many candidates were there for Cambridge Pre-U exams?
• 1,578 candidates sat the first examinations. There were 2,246 examination entries in total, including Principal Subjects, Short Courses and Global Perspectives and Independent Research.
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• How does Cambridge Pre-U fit in with a school's current timetable/curriculum?
• Cambridge Pre-U is flexible, allowing individual Principal Subjects to be taught in timetable slots allocated to A Level.
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• How many subjects do I have to take?
• The Cambridge Pre-U Diploma recognises and rewards depth in learning. It requires that learners study a minimum of three Principal Subjects freely chosen from across the curriculum, in combination with Global Perspectives and Research (GPR).
  
  However, students do not have to do the full Cambridge Pre-U Diploma. They may study any of the 26 Principal Subjects or the GPR core individually, or in combination with A Level subjects, to gain a Cambridge Pre-U certificate in that subject.
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• Are there any compulsory Principal subjects?
• No. It’s an entirely free choice.
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• Is it necessary to do Cambridge Pre-U exclusively to qualify for the Diploma?
• No. We also expect to credit other qualifications within the full Cambridge Pre-U Diploma, where it is possible to establish a clear equivalence. A student may substitute up to two qualifications, e.g. A Levels, for two of the three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects within the Diploma.
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• Can I take just one Cambridge Pre-U subject, without taking the whole Diploma?
• Yes, absolutely. Many students are interested in taking GPR, the Global Perspectives Portfolio and the Independent Research Report as a stand-alone certificate.
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• Do I get more university credit if I do the whole Diploma?
• The tariff for the full Cambridge Pre-U Diploma is calculated by adding together the tariff scores of the four components: three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects plus GPR. For example, candidates who achieve a Distinction 2 pass for the four components will score a total of 575 points.
  
  UCAS will not decide the tariff points for the full Cambridge Pre-U Diploma until after the first examinations. However, universities have indicated that it would be more impressive if a student applied to them with the Diploma.
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• What is GPR?
• Global Perspectives and Research (GPR) is the Global Perspectives course and the Independent Research Report. These must be completed for the full Cambridge Pre-U Diploma. However, students studying other qualifications may also take GPR separately, as a stand-alone certificate.
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• Can I take Global Perspectives and the Independent Research Report separately?
• Yes. Global Perspectives and the Independent Research Report can be taken as a separate certificate by students who are studying other qualifications. GPR is a popular alternative to Critical Thinking.
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• What is the Global Perspectives component of the Diploma?
• Global Perspectives is a series of seminars that encourages learners to explore real-world challenges that will face them as young people in the modern world - wherever they may live and work. Students will build up a portfolio of work including audiovisual and web-based presentations and will develop detailed research proposals. Topics sit under five headings: Practical Ethics, Economics, Environment, Technology, and Politics and Culture.
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• Do I have to prepare a Global Perspectives portfolio?
• Global Perspectives is a compulsory part of the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma and the portfolio is a requirement of Global Perspectives.
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• What is the Independent Research Report?
• The Independent Research Report is a requirement of the Diploma and comprises a report based on a topic chosen by the student. It gives the student the opportunity to dig deeper in a chosen specialism, cross boundaries with an interdisciplinary enquiry, or make a new departure with a non-school subject, e.g. Anthropology. Universities place much value on a student’s independent learning and research skills.
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• Do I have to do an Independent Research Report?
• The Independent Research Report is a compulsory part of the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma.
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