What has changed in Pearson Edexcel International GCSE for 2026/27?

By The Learning Mate team · Updated 2 November 2026 · 9 min read

In 2026/27, Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs run in two series only: November 2026 and June 2027. The changes that matter most in the classroom are in English as a Second Language (4XES2), where Reading and Listening at grade 9 now map up to CEFR C1, and English Language A (4EA1), which has a revised Paper 2 reading mark scheme and a fixed list of writing text types. Physics also has its full equation sheet confirmed beyond 2027.

This guide pulls together Pearson's 2026/27 Information Manual, its key dates and recent subject updates, as published by October 2026. If your school also runs Cambridge IGCSE, see our hub of Cambridge IGCSE syllabus changes for 2027–2029.

Is there a January International GCSE series in 2027?

No. Pearson's key dates for 2026/27 list only a November 2026 and a June 2027 series for International GCSE.

Pearson replaced the January series with a November series from 2023 and said January 2023 would be the final January series.

Which subjects are June 2027 only?

Not every subject runs in November. The 2026/27 Information Manual marks these as available in June 2027 only:

Art and Design (Fine Art, Graphic Communication, Photography, Textile Design, Three-dimensional Design)
Bangladesh Studies, Computer Science (4CP0), German, Global Citizenship, Greek (First Language)
Islamic Studies, Pakistan Studies, Religious Studies (linear and modular), Science Single Award
Sinhala, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil

Regional "R" papers are June only too. Every R entry option in the manual is "No" for November 2026. Centres in these countries must use the R option codes: Australia, Azerbaijan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. When Pearson introduced the November series, it said that series would not need R papers.

What has changed in English as a Second Language (4XES2)?

4XES2 replaced the legacy 4ES1 qualification and was first assessed in June 2025. It is modular only, with four compulsory units that are each worth 25%.

Unit	Skill	Assessment	Marks
4WES1	Reading	Written exam, 1 hour	50
4WES2	Listening	Written exam, 45 minutes	50
4WES3	Writing	Written exam, 1 h 15 min	50
4WES4	Speaking	Oral exam, 22–23 minutes	50

Speaking is compulsory in this specification. Pearson flagged that change when it began developing the qualification. The manual says ESL is available only as a modular qualification, to all centres. A centre that wants a linear-style entry enters all four units and the 4XES2 cash-in in the same series.

From Summer 2026, Pearson made these updates (announced 30 January 2026):

CEFR mapping. Reading and Listening map up to C1 at grade 9. Writing and Speaking stay aligned up to B2+. Pearson also says its mapping of the lower grades is now clearer and more accurate.
Vocabulary and grammar lists. A limited set of C1-level terms has been added, so that very able learners meet C1 structures in Reading and Listening extracts aimed at grade 9.
Reading Q1. The images for Q1 (a–c) are now clearer and labelled. The task demands have not changed.
Speaking Task 3. The teacher cards for the picture-based discussion have clearer instructions. The task format and assessment criteria have not changed.

Pearson's own summary is "no changes to question types, mark schemes". It has also published a letter for university admissions officers that sets out the CEFR mapping.

What has changed in English Language A (4EA1)?

Three updates apply from the November 2025 series onwards, set out in Pearson's July 2025 notice and the Issue 7 specification:

Area	What changed
Paper 1, Questions 6 and 7	Only the writing text types listed in the Issue 7 specification will be set. Pearson says it has formalised the list so it is clear which text types students should be ready to write.
Paper 2, Question 1 (AO1)	The bullet-point wording for Levels 1–4 was revised to line up with the AO1 mark scheme for the coursework component (4EA1 03). The Level 4 summary changed from "detailed, sustained" to "detailed, perceptive".
Coursework and SLE	Guidance on the coursework sample and the spoken language endorsement sample was updated. The assessment record sheets now include student and teacher AI declarations.

Pearson calls these minor changes. Issue 4 of the sample assessment materials shows the revised Paper 2 mark scheme.

Which International GCSEs can be sat onscreen?

Section 2.6 of the 2026/27 Information Manual names ten subjects: Business, Economics, English as a Second Language, English Language A, English Literature, Global Citizenship, History, ICT, Islamic Studies and Pakistan Studies. Centres must apply to Pearson for approval to offer the onscreen option.

Pearson's onscreen assessment roadmap also lists Geography, with first onscreen assessment in 2025. The manual's own Geography entry table includes onscreen ("C") options, even though Geography is not in the section 2.6 list. The roadmap lists International GCSE Computer Science for 2027 as "to be confirmed". The manual's Computer Science table, however, includes onscreen entry options for June 2027. If you are planning onscreen entries for Geography or Computer Science, confirm with Pearson first.

Exams officers should also note an entry code detail. The manual says that, because Business, Economics, Geography and History now have so many entry options, their traditional paper-based linear entry (not onscreen or regional) uses the code with "/A", for example 4BS1/A.

Which subjects have a modular route?

The manual lists 14 International GCSEs as modular, for international centres only: Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Commerce, Economics, English as a Second Language, English Language A, English Literature, Geography, History, Mathematics A, Physics, Religious Studies and Science Double Award.

Modular units can be banked across series, but no grade is issued until the cash-in code is entered, for example 4XEA1 for English Language A, 4XHI1 for History and 4XMAF or 4XMAH for Mathematics A. The manual also says that a candidate retaking a linear International GCSE must retake all of the written papers.

What about the Physics equation sheet?

In June 2026, Pearson confirmed that International GCSE Physics exams in 2028 and beyond will keep the full equation sheet. This includes the physics in Double Award and Single Award Science. The sheet was already confirmed for 2026 and 2027.

Pearson says candidates will not need to memorise physics equations, at least for the lifetime of the current specifications. A new sheet is published each year with the same format and the same equations.

Key dates for 2026/27

Date	What happens
5 Nov 2026	November 2026 coursework/NEA mark and sample deadline
20 Nov 2026	June 2027 basedata issued; entries open
20 Jan 2027	November 2026 results to centres (restricted release)
21 Jan 2027	November 2026 results can be released to candidates
31 Jan 2027	June 2027 modified paper order deadline
21 Feb 2027	June 2027 entry deadline, UK centres
21 Mar 2027	June 2027 entry deadline, international centres (late fees from 22 Mar)
22 Apr 2027	Amendment fees and high late fees start
15 May 2027	June 2027 coursework/NEA mark and sample deadline
18 Aug 2027	June 2027 results to centres
19 Aug 2027	June 2027 results can be released to candidates

Pearson posts grade boundaries on its website on the results dates, and says all November 2026 certificates will be issued by February 2027. For Cambridge and Pearson dates side by side, see our IGCSE deadlines calendar for 2026/27.

What this means for marking mocks this year

For most subjects, recent past papers still fit. The exceptions are in 4EA1 and ESL.

4EA1 Paper 2. Use the revised AO1 level descriptors from the Issue 4 sample assessment materials, even when the paper itself is from before November 2025. Level 4 now asks for reading that is "detailed, perceptive", not just "sustained", so agree as a department what "perceptive" looks like before you moderate.
4EA1 Paper 1. Older papers are fine to use, but check that the Questions 6 and 7 text types appear on the Issue 7 list. If one doesn't, swap that task for one that does.
ESL. Use 4XES2 papers from June 2025 onwards and the 4XES2 sample assessment materials, not 4ES1 papers. Pearson says the Summer 2026 update did not change question types or mark schemes, so the June 2025 papers still match. The C1 mapping changes how you report a grade 9 in Reading or Listening, not how you mark.
Physics and science. Give students the equation sheet in mocks. Pearson says the 2025 sheets can be downloaded for that purpose.
Converting marks to grades. Linear papers don't have their own grade boundaries, because Pearson sets boundaries on the qualification total. It publishes "notional component grade boundaries" so teachers can use past papers as mocks. Modular units are reported on the uniform mark scale (UMS), and for International GCSE, 90% of the UMS marks is the boundary for grade 9 and 80% for grade 8.
Onscreen candidates. Students sitting 4EA1 onscreen read the extracts on screen and use annotation tools. For 4ET1, Pearson provides printed anthologies in the live onscreen exam but not in onscreen mocks.

For the notation used in Pearson mark schemes (M1, A1, B1, dep and so on), see our guide to Edexcel International GCSE mark scheme notation.

FAQ

Is there a January 2027 Edexcel International GCSE series?

No. Pearson replaced the January series with a November series from 2023, and the 2026/27 key dates list only November 2026 and June 2027 for International GCSE.

When are November 2026 International GCSE results released?

Results are released to centres on 20 January 2027, and centres may give them to candidates on 21 January 2027.

Has the 4XES2 mark scheme changed for 2026?

No. Pearson says the Summer 2026 update makes no changes to question types or mark schemes. What changed is the CEFR mapping, with Reading and Listening at grade 9 now mapped up to C1, plus a limited set of C1 vocabulary and clearer Reading Q1 images and Speaking Task 3 instructions.

What changed in the 4EA1 Paper 2 mark scheme?

From November 2025, the AO1 wording for Question 1 Levels 1–4 was revised to match the coursework component. The Level 4 summary changed from "detailed, sustained" to "detailed, perceptive".

Can regional R papers be taken in November?

No. In the 2026/27 Information Manual, every regional R entry option is available in June 2027 only.