January 2021: Special Consideration (Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals)

What happens if a student is unable to sit a Cambridge National or Cambridge Technical exam in the January series?

If a student is certificating in the particular exam series and they miss an exam due to self-isolating, illness, injury or bereavement, they may be eligible for a special consideration absence. If they are not certificating or in a position to certificate i.e. have not completed or been entered for all the required other units, they will have to take the exam at a future opportunity (or if this is not possible due to arrangements still to be announced for this summer, we'll work with the DfE and Ofqual to make sure they are treated fairly).

An absence does not count as an attempt for an examination/unit in Cambridge Nationals or Cambridge Technicals.

It is possible to put a certification entry in for a two unit option in Cambridge Nationals even if the candidate will eventually complete a four unit or more option. In the same way if sufficient units have been completed in Cambridge Technicals, a lower unit certification option can be achieved in January and a student can move up to a higher unit certification option at a later point. The missed examination needs to be the final piece to make certification possible, as the mark/grade calculated for the absence needs to based on the combination of completed other units that lead to certification.

Essential prerequisites to be eligible for a special consideration absence:

• Must have completed sufficient other units to be certificating or in a position to certificate
• The other units already completed must account for a minimum of 25% of the overall assessment towards certification

We encourage you to use the normal special consideration process and to contact us if you have any concerns/complex cases that you need more detailed guidance on.