Support for centres affected by the conflict in the Middle East

Ofqual has confirmed that special consideration is the primary route for a student receiving a result wherever there is at least one assessed component available.

Therefore, if a student has already completed part of a qualification (such as coursework or a speaking assessment), this can be used to award a grade.

This means alternative evidence such as mock exams cannot be used for Ofqual‑regulated qualifications.

If students have already been entered for May/June 2026, and their qualification doesn’t have a coursework or speaking component, they have two options available. 

Option 1: Defer exams

Students can choose to defer and take their exams in the next available series.

Option 2: International qualification equivalents (exceptional measure)

For regulated qualifications where there is no NEA or speaking assessment, we will offer students who already have a summer 2026 exam entry an exceptional route to certification through a Pearson International GCSE or International A level equivalent for this summer series.

Grades will be awarded using a portfolio of evidence, which may include mock exams and other relevant evidence drawn from the student’s course of study. This allows students to be assessed against content, structure and demand aligned to the regulated qualification.

You can find detailed guidance on what evidence to submit, how to submit it and key dates and deadlines in the international contingency grading centre portfolio submission guidance document.

This route is entirely optional for students, and they can of course choose to defer to the next available series. This will be the next available summer series for most regulated qualifications, or the next available November series for GCSE mathematics and GCSE English Language.

Read our full guidance document for details on the portfolio of evidence, including information on how you'll submit them and the type of evidence needed.

You'll need to complete a centre evidence confirmation form alongside your students' portfolios so we can see what evidence has been collated, where assessments have been derived from and to confirm theconditions in which they were completed.

24 April: we've updated the centre declaration section of the form, so make sure you've downloaded the latest version to use with your students' portfolios before you submit them.

Uploading learner evidence

If you haven’t used Learner Work Transfer before, please refer to our Learner Work Transfer guide, which explains how to access the system and upload learner work step by step.

Learner Work Transfer user guide

You may notice a grade grid in the administration section of Learner Work Transfer. There’s no need to take any action; it’s there intentionally and will be used during the grading process. Please leave it in place so everything runs smoothly.

Arranging and labelling learner evidence

Files must be uploaded as an acceptable file format.

View our list of acceptable file formats

Although we don’t require files to be named in a specific way, and this won’t prevent your upload, we recommend using the following naming convention to help ensure files are easy to identify and process.

Use one continuous filename that includes centre number, candidate number, candidate surname, first initial, tier (F or H where applicable), past-paper code/title (where relevant).
For example: 12345_7890_Smith_J_H_2406_4MA1_1H

Multiple files for the same student

If you upload more than one document for a student, keep the filename the same and add a short descriptor at the end. This helps keep files aligned and easy to track. There's no need to zip your files.

For example: 12345_7890_Smith_J_H_2406_4MA1_1Hmock and 12345_7890_Smith_J_H_2406_4MA1_2Hmock.

We have also updated our portfolio of evidence submission guide to include this information.

Pearson will transfer existing entries to the international equivalent qualification automatically. These will appear on Edexcel Online as paper number 99 under the relevant specification. If any students do not wish to transfer to an international qualification, you should withdraw their entry by 21 April. 

It’s important that you discuss these options with students and they understand that International GCSEs and International A Levels are not regulated by Ofqual. Their certificate will clearly state that it is an international qualification and will not include the Ofqual logo.

If students have a university offer that specifically requires a GCE A Level, they must check with their university whether an International A Level is acceptable.

Pearson International qualifications are widely recognised worldwide and we’re working with UCAS and Higher Education Institutions to make universities aware of these arrangements.

Depending on a student’s circumstances, grades will be awarded in one of two ways:

• Calculated grades, using existing assessment results that have already been completed and banked.
• International contingency grading, based on a portfolio of evidence submitted by the centre, or

If students aren’t expecting to complete in May/June 2026, they should be deferred to the next available series.

Students on linear qualifications who:

• have an entry for the summer 2026 series, and 
  
• have not completed any NEA components for summer 2026.
  

Students on modular qualifications who:

• have unit entries and a cash‑in entry for summer 2026, and
• do not have any banked results from a previous series, or only resit entries in summer 2026 for previously banked units.

Only students who meet these criteria are eligible. 

Read our full guidance document for details on the portfolio of evidence, including information on how you'll submit them and the type of evidence needed.

You'll need to complete a centre evidence confirmation form alongside your students' portfolios so we can see what evidence has been collated, where assessments have been derived from and to confirm theconditions in which they were completed.

Uploading learner evidence

If you haven’t used Learner Work Transfer before, please refer to our Learner Work Transfer guide, which explains how to access the system and upload learner work step by step.

Learner Work Transfer user guide

You may notice a grade grid in the administration section of Learner Work Transfer. There’s no need to take any action; it’s there intentionally and will be used during the grading process. Please leave it in place so everything runs smoothly.

Arranging and labelling learner evidence

Files must be uploaded as an acceptable file format.

View our list of acceptable file formats

Although we don’t require files to be named in a specific way, and this won’t prevent your upload, we recommend using the following naming convention to help ensure files are easy to identify and process.

Use one continuous filename that includes centre number, candidate number, candidate surname, first initial, tier (F or H where applicable), past-paper code/title (where relevant).
For example: 12345_7890_Smith_J_H_2406_4MA1_1H

Multiple files for the same student

If you upload more than one document for a student, keep the filename the same and add a short descriptor at the end. This helps keep files aligned and easy to track. There's no need to zip your files.

For example: 12345_7890_Smith_J_H_2406_4MA1_1Hmock and 12345_7890_Smith_J_H_2406_4MA1_2Hmock.

We have also updated our portfolio of evidence submission guide to include this information.

No. To be eligible for a calculated IAL grade, students must have completed at least one IA2 unit.

Candidates entered for the full IAL who have only IAS units banked will need to submit portfolios of evidence for the IA2 units they were due to sit in the summer series.

Transferred candidates process

If you have concerns around this, please reach out to your local Regional Development Manager or our customer support teams.  

Any withdrawals made before April 21 will trigger an automatic credit of the standard entry fee. If you need to make withdrawals after this date, please get in touch with your regional contact or customer services team and we'll review these on a case-by-case basis.

Due to current centre closures, we are granting a two-week extension to the published deadlines for completing these activities.

If centre closures mean you may still struggle to complete these activities by the new deadline, please contact your Regional Development Manager or our customer support teams as soon as possible. 

If your non-examined components have been disrupted, please contact your Regional Development Manager or our customer support team as soon as possible. 

All upcoming moderation visits for GCSE and A level practical subjects have been moved online because it is unsafe or impractical to complete them in person. You should refer to the subject-specific guidance document for these qualifications to opt for the digital submission option. If you require extra support or an extension to provide this submission, please get in touch via our support portal.

If we need to make any changes to your scheduled visit, we’ll let you know as soon as possible so you have time to prepare. 

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Centres in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE can allow teachers to conduct these remotely over a video call. An audio recording must be uploaded to Learner Work Transfer. This applies to both Ofqual regulated and international qualifications. 

If you need this arrangement, please follow these instructions:

Candidates who have completed a component or unit in the summer series should submit their work as normal. These candidates will be eligible for a calculated grade and don't need to submit a portfolio of evidence.

Where it is safe and possible for your students to attend the centre, you should continue to complete the Art Component 2 assignment and submit it in the usual way. 

We recognise that some centres may be unable to complete Component 2. In these circumstances, you should continue to work on Component 1 instead. 

Where Component 1 has been completed but Component 2 can't be completed, students will be eligible for a calculated grade.

Yes. Although these are practical exams, they appear on the exam timetable and require hard copy exam papers to be sent to centres. For that reason, these exams are also cancelled.

You should follow the process set out in the contingency arrangements guidance document. If you have any specific queries for this subject, please contact us through the Pearson support portal. 

At this time, our usual guidance on special consideration applies. 

Where candidates are present for assessments but have been disadvantaged
Centres may apply for special consideration if they believe that there has been a material and detrimental effect on candidate examination performance or in the production of coursework or non-examination assessment. 

In these cases, special consideration will normally be given by applying an allowance of additional marks to each component affected within a specification. 

Where grades have been awarded through international contingency grading (portfolio of evidence), you’ll be able to request a review of grading if you disagree with the grade that's been awarded to a candidate. A senior examiner will review the original grade along with the portfolio of evidence submitted. 

Where grades have been awarded through a calculated grade (using a completed or partially completed NEA/speaking component), you'll be able to request a review of marking for that component. You'll need to request a review of marking on Edexcel Online, as you would normally. Once the component as been reviewed, we'll then review the awarded grade.

Making an appeal

If you’re not satisfied with the outcome of a review of grading request, you’ll have the option to appeal the decision. All appeals will need valid grounds to be considered.

You can find details of relevant grounds for appeal on our post-results and appeals page, which includes additional information for centres who may wish to appeal a decision. You must have already requested a review of grading in order to request an appeal.

Post-results services and appeals

If local conditions mean face-to-face training can’t go ahead safely, we’ll offer an online alternative. We’ll get in touch if anything needs to change for your booking.

Yes, as a general principle and in any examination series, it is considered good practice to keep past paper mocks, sat under exam conditions, until after the live examinations have been completed and results released.

For Ofqual-regulated qualifications, this approach is aligned with Ofqual’s guidance on collecting evidence of student performance, which emphasises the need to protect the integrity and resilience of the qualifications system.

Guidance on collecting evidence of student performance to ensure resilience in the qualifications system

Depending on circumstances later this year, you may experience delays to receiving physical certificates.

If you have any students that are waiting for a certificate, and they need this to progress to further education, we can provide proof of their qualification directly to institutions. Please get in touch with us through the Pearson support portal, and we’ll be able to arrange this for you. 

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