Overview
Cambridge International A Level is a subject-by-subject school qualification set by Cambridge Assessment International Education, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It is pitched at the same standard as the UK's GCE A Level but is written and examined for schools outside the UK, so the syllabuses, set texts and exam timing fit an international calendar rather than one country's curriculum.
Schools taking Cambridge International A Level are spread across more than 130 countries, with international schools, private schools and some national-curriculum schools entering students for over 530,000 subject papers a year across more than 50 Cambridge International AS & A Level subjects. Many schools run it after Cambridge IGCSE, as the advanced stage of the Cambridge Pathway, though a school can also offer it on its own.
Who can apply
Cambridge International A Level is designed for learners roughly aged 16 to 19 who have finished lower-secondary study (commonly Cambridge IGCSE or an equivalent) and are preparing for university. Students do not register individually with Cambridge; they study at a Cambridge-registered school or college, which enters them for the exams.
Exam pattern
A full Cambridge International A Level normally runs over two years of study. Within that, the course content for most subjects is split into two halves:
AS Level content, usually studied in the first year.
The second half (often called "A2" content), studied in the second year, which combines with AS Level results to give the full A Level.
Schools and students can follow one of three routes:
| Route | What it involves | Result |
|---|---|---|
| AS Level only | Study and sit only the first-year content | A standalone Cambridge International AS Level certificate |
| AS Level then A Level (staged) | Sit AS Level papers at the end of year 1, remaining papers at the end of year 2 | A full Cambridge International A Level |
| A Level in one sitting | Sit all papers for a subject in the same exam series, usually at the end of year 2 | A full Cambridge International A Level |
Most students study three or four subjects at once; a common pattern is four subjects at AS Level in year 1, narrowing to three carried through to full A Level in year 2, since three A Levels is the usual minimum universities ask for.
Marking and results
Cambridge International A Level is graded A* to E. Cambridge International AS Level, taken as a standalone certificate, is graded A to E (no A*). A result below grade E is recorded as ungraded.
Cambridge International AS & A Level exams are held twice a year worldwide, in June and November, with results issued in August and January respectively. In India, Cambridge also runs a March exam series, introduced to line up with the Indian academic admissions cycle; results from the March 2025 series were issued on 20 May 2025, with over 20,000 Cambridge International AS & A Level entries from schools in India that series.
Fees
Cambridge International A Level fees are paid by the school, not booked directly by the student. A Cambridge-registered school pays an annual registration fee to Cambridge International, which covers its status as a Cambridge school, access to syllabuses and support materials, and training; on top of that, the school pays a per-subject, per-student exam entry fee for every candidate it enters in a series. Schools typically pass some or all of this cost on to parents as part of exam fees; exact amounts vary by country and are set out in Cambridge's fee lists for each exams officer, not published as one global price.
How to apply
There is no direct, individual application to Cambridge International for a Cambridge International A Level. A student takes it by enrolling at a school or college that is registered with Cambridge International to offer the AS & A Level programme; the school's exams officer handles subject choice, exam board registration and entry for each series.
After the exam
Cambridge International A Level is widely recognised for university admission. Over 2,100 universities and colleges worldwide accept it, including all UK universities, more than 800 US universities and colleges (including the Ivy League), and leading universities in countries such as Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Nigeria. UK admissions teams generally treat Cambridge International A Level and the UK's own GCE A Level as equivalent grade-for-grade, though Cambridge International A Level is not itself included in the UCAS tariff point table since it sits outside Ofqual's regulation; most universities make offers in terms of grades rather than tariff points. In India, results from the March series arrive alongside national board results, so students sitting that series are considered for domestic college admission on the same timeline as board-exam students.
Preparation tips
Decide subject combinations early: dropping from four AS subjects to three for full A Level is normal, but check each target university's required subjects first.
Plan for the staged route if a school offers it, sitting AS Level papers at the end of year 1 and the remaining papers at the end of year 2, rather than everything at once.
Confirm with the school's exams officer which exam series (June, November, or March where offered) the school enters students for, since this affects the results timeline for university applications.
Keep syllabus set texts, practicals and coursework components (where a subject has them) on track across both years, since some components are assessed well before the final written papers.
FAQs
Is Cambridge International A Level the same as the UK's A Level?
They are set to the same standard and UK universities generally treat the grades as equivalent, but Cambridge International A Level is a separate qualification written by Cambridge Assessment International Education for schools outside the UK, with its own exam series (June and November, plus March in India) rather than the UK's own GCE A Level timetable.
Can I get a Cambridge International AS Level without completing the full A Level?
Yes. A school can enter a student for AS Level only, which results in a standalone Cambridge International AS Level certificate graded A to E. Many students instead carry their AS Level result into a second year of study to complete the full A Level, graded A* to E.
How many subjects do students usually take?
Most students take three or four subjects. A common pattern is four subjects at AS Level in the first year, then continuing three of them into the second year for full A Level, since three A Levels is the usual minimum universities ask for.
Do Cambridge International A Level grades count for UCAS tariff points?
No. Cambridge International A Level sits outside Ofqual's regulation, so it is not listed in the UCAS tariff point table. In practice this rarely matters, because most UK universities make offers based on grades rather than tariff points, and treat Cambridge International A Level grades as equivalent to GCE A Level grades.