IGCSE deadlines 2026/27: the teacher and exams officer calendar
For the Cambridge November 2026 series, forecast grades are due by 31 October 2026, IGCSE results are released on 14 January 2027, and enquiries about results close on 26 February 2027. Pearson Edexcel International GCSE November 2026 results reach centres on 20 January 2027 and can be given to candidates on 21 January 2027. For June 2027, Pearson's entry deadline for international centres is 21 March 2027. Cambridge has not yet published its full June 2027 key dates.
This page puts both boards' dates from late October 2026 to August 2027 into one calendar, as published by Cambridge and Pearson in October 2026. Each date is marked for the person who usually acts on it: the exams officer (EO), teachers, or the head of department (HoD). Your centre may set earlier internal deadlines, and Cambridge Associates can set earlier ones for their Associate Centres.
Which IGCSE deadlines have already passed?
As of 26 October 2026, most entry deadlines for the November 2026 series are behind you. Here is what has already closed, so you don't go looking for it:
- Cambridge November 2026: final entries closed on 16 August 2026, and late entries and retake entries from June 2026 closed on 21 September 2026. The timetabled exam period started in late September.
- Cambridge June 2027: estimated entry forms had to be returned by 10 October 2026.
- Cambridge March 2027: entries opened on 13 September 2026 and modified question paper applications closed on 6 October 2026.
- Pearson International GCSE November 2026: the entry deadline was 12 September 2026 and modified papers had to be ordered by 20 September 2026.
What is due at the end of October 2026?
Speaking test marks and forecast grades. These are the last pre-exam deadlines that need teacher input for the Cambridge November 2026 series.
| Date | What | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Oct 2026 | End of the speaking test windows for Cambridge IGCSE First Language English (15 Sept to 26 Oct) and English as a Second Language (1 to 26 Oct) | Teachers |
| 28 Oct 2026 | Cambridge must receive internally assessed marks for IGCSE First Language English and English as a Second Language speaking tests | Teachers, EO |
| 31 Oct 2026 | Deadline for forecast grades for all syllabuses, submitted through Direct | Teachers, HoD, EO |
| 31 Oct 2026 | Cambridge must receive marks and samples for all IGCSE speaking tests | Teachers, EO |
| End of Oct 2026 | Final timetable and Cambridge Guide to Making Entries for June 2027 available on Direct | EO |
| End of Oct 2026 | Provisional timetable for November 2027 available on Direct (comments accepted for four weeks) | EO |
Coursework and non-coursework deadlines for other internally assessed components are in Cambridge's samples database, not in the calendar, so check each syllabus there. Forecast grades matter more than many teachers realise. The Cambridge Handbook 2026 says Cambridge uses them to help decide grade thresholds, adjust marks for special consideration and check results before release. Our guide to IGCSE forecast grades covers how to set them.
Month-by-month IGCSE calendar: November 2026 to August 2027
The table below lists every IGCSE date for teachers and exams officers that Cambridge and Pearson had published by October 2026. "Cambridge Mar" means the Cambridge March series, which runs for centres in India and Romania.
| Month | Date | Board and series | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 5 Nov | Pearson Nov 2026 | Deadline for coursework and NEA marks and moderation samples (GCSE and International GCSE) | Teachers, EO |
| Nov 2026 | Mid-Nov | Cambridge Nov 2026 | End of the timetabled exam period. Special consideration applications are due within seven days of the last exam of the syllabus | EO |
| Nov 2026 | Mid-Nov | Cambridge Jun 2027 | Entries open | EO |
| Nov 2026 | 20 Nov | Pearson Jun 2027 | Basedata issued; entries can be submitted from this date | EO |
| Nov 2026 | 27 Nov | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Final entries for first-time candidates and access arrangement applications | EO |
| Dec 2026 | Early Dec | Cambridge Jun 2027 | Early question papers and pre-release materials for some 2027 syllabuses available | EO, Teachers |
| Dec 2026 | 14 Dec | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Late entries deadline for first-time candidates | EO |
| Dec 2026 | 19 Dec | Cambridge Nov 2026 | Application deadline for priority results (Form 9) | EO |
| Jan 2027 | 7 Jan | Cambridge Nov 2026 | AS & A Level results on Direct | EO |
| Jan 2027 | 14 Jan | Cambridge Nov 2026 | IGCSE and O Level results on Direct | EO, HoD |
| Jan 2027 | 20 Jan | Pearson Nov 2026 | International GCSE results released to centres through Edexcel Online or EDI | EO, HoD |
| Jan 2027 | 21 Jan | Pearson Nov 2026 | Centres may release International GCSE results to candidates | EO |
| Jan 2027 | 22 Jan | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Retake entries deadline for candidates from the November 2026 series | EO |
| Jan 2027 | Late Jan to early Feb | Cambridge Nov 2026 | Results despatch (printed statements of results) | EO |
| Jan 2027 | 31 Jan | Pearson Jun 2027 | Deadline for ordering modified papers | EO |
| Feb 2027 | 3 Feb | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Exam period starts (runs to 4 March) | EO, Teachers |
| Feb 2027 | 21 Feb | Pearson Jun 2027 | Entry deadline for UK centres | EO |
| Feb 2027 | 26 Feb | Cambridge Nov 2026 | Deadline for enquiries about results | HoD, EO |
| Feb 2027 | 27 Feb | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Deadline for forecast grades | Teachers, EO |
| Mar 2027 | 4 Mar | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Exam period ends | EO |
| Mar 2027 | 12 Mar | Cambridge Nov 2026 | Last day to download scripts through the free Access to Scripts service | HoD, Teachers |
| Mar 2027 | Mid-Mar | Cambridge Nov 2026 | Certificates sent | EO |
| Mar 2027 | 21 Mar | Pearson Jun 2027 | Entry deadline for international centres (late fees from 22 March) | EO |
| Apr 2027 | 22 Apr | Pearson Jun 2027 | Amendment fees and high late fees start | EO |
| Apr 2027 | 30 Apr | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Application deadline for priority results | EO |
| May 2027 | 13 May | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Results on Direct | EO, HoD |
| May 2027 | 15 May | Pearson Jun 2027 | Deadline for coursework and NEA marks and samples (International GCSE, GCSE, A level and others) | Teachers, EO |
| Jun 2027 | 11 Jun | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Deadline for enquiries about results | HoD, EO |
| Jun 2027 | 25 Jun | Cambridge Mar 2027 | Last day to download scripts through Access to Scripts | HoD, Teachers |
| Aug 2027 | 18 Aug | Pearson Jun 2027 | International GCSE results released to centres | EO, HoD |
| Aug 2027 | 19 Aug | Pearson Jun 2027 | Centres may release International GCSE results to candidates | EO |
Pearson posts its grade boundaries on its website on its results dates (January and August). There are no July 2027 rows because neither board had published IGCSE dates for that month by October 2026. Cambridge's June 2027 dates will fill that gap once its 2027 calendar is out.
When are the Cambridge June 2027 deadlines?
Cambridge had not published a June 2027 key dates sheet or 2027 monthly calendar as of October 2026. What it has confirmed is in the 2026 monthly calendar:
- Estimated entry forms for June 2027 were due by 10 October 2026.
- The final timetable and Guide to Making Entries for June 2027 arrive on Direct at the end of October 2026.
- Entries for June 2027 open in mid-November 2026.
- The calendar tells centres to plan for a January deadline for candidates who need modified question papers, and a February deadline for all other entries. It does not give the exact days.
For comparison only, the June 2026 series ran like this: modified papers by 21 January 2026, final entries by 21 February 2026, exams from 23 April to 9 June 2026, forecast grades by 30 April 2026, IGCSE results on 18 August 2026 and enquiries about results by 20 September 2026. Don't treat these as the 2027 dates. Wait for Cambridge's 2027 key dates before you set internal deadlines for June 2027 forecast grades.
When are IGCSE results released in January 2027?
Cambridge releases November 2026 IGCSE results on 14 January 2027 at 06:00, and Pearson releases International GCSE results to centres on 20 January 2027.
- Cambridge: results for IGCSE, O Level and the Cambridge ICE certificate are available to download from Direct on 14 January 2027. Cambridge's results page gives the time as "06:00 GMT/UTC+1" and asks schools to convert it to their local time zone. AS & A Level results come a week earlier, on 7 January 2027.
- Pearson: results are released to centres on 20 January 2027 through Edexcel Online or EDI, as a restricted release. Centres may give them to candidates on 21 January 2027. Pearson posts its grade boundaries on its website on the results dates.
Our January 2027 results day checklist for heads of department covers what to do before, on and after the day.
What are the post-results deadlines?
For Cambridge November 2026, enquiries about results close on 26 February 2027 and Access to Scripts closes on 12 March 2027. Cambridge says it cannot accept enquiries after the deadline because it starts disposing of scripts shortly afterwards. Download scripts early: they are the best evidence for deciding whether an enquiry is worth it.
For the Cambridge March 2027 series, the equivalent dates are 11 June 2027 for enquiries and 25 June 2027 for Access to Scripts.
Pearson had not published post-results deadlines for the November 2026 International GCSE series when we checked in October 2026. For the June 2026 series, Pearson's international deadline for Service 1 clerical checks and Service 2 reviews of marking was 24 September 2026. Check Pearson's post-results key dates page after 20 January.
How do Pearson International GCSE deadlines differ from Cambridge?
Pearson has one June entry deadline per region: 21 February 2027 for UK centres and 21 March 2027 for international centres. Cambridge's June 2027 final entries deadline falls in February, but the exact day is not yet published.
A few other differences matter for planning:
- Coursework. Pearson has a single coursework and NEA mark deadline for each series (5 November 2026 and 15 May 2027). Cambridge sets deadlines per component in its samples database.
- Grade boundaries. Pearson posts boundaries on results day. Cambridge publishes grade threshold tables after each series, on its website and on the School Support Hub.
- Retakes. Pearson's 2026/27 information manual says a candidate retaking an International GCSE must retake all written units, unless they are taking a modular qualification. Non-examined assessment can be carried forward if the right entry option is used.
- November availability. Not every Pearson entry option runs in November. Some, including the regional "R" papers, are June only. Check the availability tables in the information manual before you plan a November resit.
- Specification changes. Some Pearson International GCSEs are changing for 2026/27. See Edexcel International GCSE changes for 2026/27.
What should heads of department plan around these dates?
Work backwards from the board deadlines. The board date is the last day for the exams officer, so teachers' internal deadlines need to come earlier.
- Forecast grades: set your internal deadline a week or more before the board deadline, so the exams officer has time to enter them on Direct. For November 2026 that board deadline is 31 October.
- Mocks for June 2027: forecast grades for June are usually due in spring, so plan for mocks to be marked and analysed before then. For June 2026 the deadline was 30 April. If marking time is the bottleneck, see how to mark IGCSE mocks faster.
- Entries: the exams officer needs tier and option decisions before the entry deadlines, Core or Extended included. Use mock evidence and November results to make them in January and February.
- Post-results: put 26 February 2027 and 12 March 2027 in the department calendar on results day, not after half-term.
FAQ
When is the IGCSE forecast grades deadline for November 2026?
Cambridge must receive forecast grades for the November 2026 series by 31 October 2026. Exams officers submit them through Direct.
When are Cambridge IGCSE November 2026 results released?
On 14 January 2027 at 06:00, which Cambridge gives as GMT/UTC+1. Results are downloaded from Direct, and schools should convert the time to their local time zone.
When are Edexcel International GCSE November 2026 results released?
Pearson releases them to centres on 20 January 2027, and centres may give them to candidates on 21 January 2027. Pearson posts its grade boundaries on the same dates.
What is the deadline for Cambridge enquiries about results for November 2026?
26 February 2027. Free Access to Scripts downloads for the November 2026 series are available until 12 March 2027.
What is the Edexcel International GCSE entry deadline for June 2027?
21 March 2027 for international centres and 21 February 2027 for UK centres. Late fees apply from the following day.
Sources
- Cambridge, Key dates for November 2026 series (International)
- Cambridge, Key dates and activities for 2026: monthly calendar (International)
- Cambridge, Key dates for June 2026 series (International)
- Cambridge, Key dates for March 2027 exam series
- Cambridge, Key dates and activities for the March 2027 exam series: monthly calendar
- Cambridge, Exams Officers' Guide for the March series
- Cambridge, Results: release dates for November 2026
- Cambridge Handbook 2026
- Pearson Qualifications Information Manual 2026/2027: Key Dates
- Pearson Qualifications Information Manual 2026/2027: International GCSE
- Pearson, Post-results key dates (International), summer 2026