Frequently Asked Questions about EDECXEL International Examinations

Q1. What is EDEXCEL? Edexcel, a Pearson company, is one of the UK's largest awarding bodies offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning in the UK and internationally. Edexcel was formed in 1996 by the merger of the Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC), the UKs leading provider of vocational qualifications, and the University of London Examinations & Assessment Council (ULEAC), one of the major exam boards for GCSEs and A levels. Q2. What is the difference between Edexcel International Examinations and Cambridge International Examinations? Both Cambridge International Examinations and Edexcel International Examinations are the most renowned international boards offering different qualifications to students such as IGCSE, GCE O Level, AS level and A Level. The specifications of syllabuses might differ but both of them are recognized by colleges, universities and employers all around the world. Q3. Are Edexcel International Examinations recognised by Bahraini Ministry of Higher Education? Yes. Q4. What & when are Edexcel International Examinations offered by the British Council Bahrain? The British Council Bahrain offers Edexcel IGCSE in May/June and in November, GCSE (Arabic) in May/June and AS Level and A Level exams in May/June and January every year. Q5. What does AS, AL, GCSE, IGCSE stand for? IGCSE stands for International General Certificate of Secondary Education, GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education, AS stands for Advanced Subsidiary and AL stands for Advanced Level. Q6. When should I register? What is registration closing date? Registration period for May/June usually begins in early January. For Edexcel IGCSE November exams, registration usually begins in Mid July and For January session. Registration usually begins in early September. Please check the British Council website to find out the exact registration period. (www.britishcouncil.org/me). Q7. How do I register as a private candidate? As a private candidate, you need to submit the following: 1. IGCSE Registration Form (you can collect it from the customer services team or download it from our website). 2. Registration fees (can be paid by cash or by credit card). 3. A photocopy of your valid passport / CPR. 4. Two recent coloured passport size photographs. Q8. I am a school student; can I register for some exams with the British Council as a private candidate? Yes, you can if your schools principal issue a no - objection letter to the British Council. Q9. What is Edexcel GCE 2008 new specification? What is the difference between Old Syllabus and new syllabus? Edexcel GCE 2008 specification is a new syllabus scheme that will replace GCE 2000 (Legacy) completely by June 2010. Most of the units contents, units codes as well as cash in codes have been changed. To view new features in GCE 2008, please check www.edexcel.com.

Q10. Can I register for AS / A Level without taking IGCSE first? Yes, you can. Q11. How many units should I take to get AS or AL certificate? For many subjects, such as the sciences, you need to take three units to be awarded an AS Level Certificate and six units to be awarded an A Level Certificate. However, for some subjects in GCE 2008 such as Business, Economics and English you need to take two units to get an AS Level Certificate and four units to get an A Level Certificate. To get an AS Level Certificate for Arabic and Accounting, you need to take only one unit and for an A Level Certificate, you should take two units. Q12. What is cash-in? Cashing in is a request for getting an overall qualification grade or a certificate and is in the last stage of creating a grade for a qualification that is made up of a series of units (see question 11 above). Cashing in should have been done at the same time as the entries were made for you for particular units. If you dont enter the cash-in code for a particular subject you wont have a grade for it. Cash in codes for AS Level always begin with number 8 and cash in codes for A Level begin with number 9. To enable EDEXCEL to calculate an overall grade, it is necessary to have the right number of units and the cash-in code. For some subjects, such as mathematics, it is also necessary to have the right combination of units. Q13. How can I prepare for my exams? Does the British Council offer any tuition or support for private candidates? You can use the information available at Edexcel website for students: www.edexcel.com. The British Council doesnt offer any tuition for private candidates. Q14. When will I receive my results? Session IGCSE May/June IGCSE November GCSE May/June GCE AS/A Level May/June GCE AS/A Level January

Online Results 13 January 26 August 26 August 19 August 17 March

Hard Copies 14 January 27 August 27 August 20 August 18 March

Certificates 28 February 31 October 31 October 31 October 31 May

Q15. What can I do if I am not happy with my results? You can apply for Enquiry about Results (EAR) at the reception desk. The deadline for submitting EAR is the 28th of August for May/June session and the 14th of April for January session. Where an EAR leads to a change in grade, fees will be refunded. Q16. What should I do if I require any further assistance or more information? Please contact our customer services team by phone +973 172661555, +973 17266166. Or email at bc.enquiries@britishcouncil.org.bh and they will be happy to help. British Council office is located at 146, Shaikh Salman Highway, Manama 356. Opening Hours: Saturday 0830 to 18:00, Sunday Wednesday 0830 to 19:00, and Thursday 0830 to 15:00. www.britishcouncil.org/me