Classical Arabic
Last year we communicated that Pearson was exploring the potential redevelopment of the current Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Classical Arabic (4CA0).
After careful consideration we have made the decision to withdraw this qualification, in part due to the low entries for the current qualification and also due to having an existing GCSE qualification which we felt met the needs of Arabic learners more appropriately.
Customer feedback indicated that Classical Arabic assessment should cover a greater range of skills. We would encourage customers to therefore consider moving to the new GCSE Arabic qualification which includes speaking, listening, writing and reading assessments, and would fully meet customer requirements in regards to skills development. The GCSE Arabic qualification also assesses translation skills, which feedback told us was an important component of the Classical Arabic course, and will continue to be suitably rigorous and empowering for native speakers of the language. You can find the qualification and a wide range of supporting materials for the new GCSE Arabic qualification here.
We will also continue to offer International GCSE Arabic as a First Language.
The final assessment of the existing Classical Arabic specification will be in May/June 2019. There will be no resits beyond May/June 2019.
