November 2025 International Science Qualification News
Hello colleagues,
This update contains news of key exam materials including equation sheets for International GCSE Physics and the scientific article for IAL Biology. We also have some clarification on unit prefixes for IAL candidates, a chance to have your say about the future of IAL Physics and reassuring news about entry requirements to top UK universities. We also have new core practical video playlists for International GCSE teachers.
As ever, don't hesitate to get in touch if I can help in any way.
Best wishes,
Tim Lawrence
Pearson Edexcel Subject Advisor for International Science Qualifications
In this update:
- Key dates
- Upcoming training opportunities
- Equation sheet for International GCSE Physics
- IAL Biology scientific article
- Unit prefixes for International A Levels
- University entry requirements and IAL practical assessment
- Help shape the future of IAL Physics
- International GCSE Science core practical playlists
- FAQs from teachers of international science courses
| 15 November | Amendment fees (high late fees) for IAL January 2026 entries begin |
| 12 December | Access to Scripts deadline for June 2025 series |
| 21 January | IG and IAL results from October/November series to centres |
| 22 January | IG and IAL results from October/November series to candidates |
We have a number of live online training events coming up in November and December for International GCSE Biology, Human Biology and Physics and for IAL Physics. Training opportunities for other courses will follow in the New Year. See below for dates and times and for a link to register for these events, and to find others in the future.
I have also included links (below the table of upcoming events) to the YouTube playlist for each subject where you can find recordings of past events.
View all International Science courses available and book your places
All the events below start at 9.00 UK time.
| Date | Course |
10 November |
International GCSE Biology Modular, Getting Ready to Teach |
13 November |
International GCSE Physics, Marking with Accuracy and Insight |
20 November |
International A Level Physics, Marking with Accuracy and Insight |
24 November |
International GCSE Human Biology, Understanding Assessment & Improving Delivery |
24 November |
International GCSE Physics, Linear Exam Insights May/June 2025 |
2 December |
Understanding Assessment & Improving Delivery in International GCSE Physics |
Good news! For all International GCSE Physics exams in November 2025, in 2026 and 2027 - whether linear or modular, and including Double Award Science - students will continue to receive the same full equation sheet used in the June 2025 series and in recent years.
📚 Planning mocks?
You can use the 2025 equation sheets - download them below.
🔮 Looking ahead to 2028? Pearson’s policy is to align International GCSE support with UK GCSEs. We’re waiting for the UK Department for Education and Ofqual to confirm their plans for 2028 exams and beyond. This should happen soon, once the Curriculum and Assessment Review is published. We’ll update you as soon as we know more.
Teachers will be able to download the pre-release scientific article for WBI15 (the Unit 5 exam) for January before the end of November (the date will be close to the 20th November). Our senior examiners have also published new guidance for teachers on the use of the article, and expectations around how they should prepare their students for questions on it.
To summarise this very briefly, teachers should help their students to understand the biology covered in the article, and this may involve covering some content not listed in the specification. Students can annotate a copy of the article and use it in their revision. They will be given a clean copy in the exam, and are not permitted to use their annotated version.
To keep things clear, we’ve published an addendum to the specification for IAL Physics. Students should know and be able to convert between units with the following prefixes: giga, mega, kilo, centi, milli, micro, nano.
For Biology and Chemistry students should be familiar with: kilo, centi, milli, micro, nano.
We’ve had some brilliant feedback from top UK universities regarding A Level practical assessment, which will reassure students keen to apply to these.
Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, and Imperial have confirmed that their practical endorsement requirement only applies to UK A Level applicants. They’ve also made it clear that:
- They don’t favour one awarding body (exam board) over another
- They accept Edexcel IALs with their written practical skills assessment
- They welcome both UK and International A Level qualifications equally
So, students and parents can feel confident - Edexcel IALs meet the entry requirements for even the most competitive science, medicine and engineering courses.
We’re starting to work on refreshing our International A Level Science qualifications, starting with Physics - and we want your input.
This should take just 15 minutes. Tell us what works and what could be even better: 👉 Complete the survey by Friday 21 November 2025
This is your chance to help shape the next generation of IAL Physics qualifications.
We’ve created video playlists for every International GCSE Science course. These are perfect for:
- Supporting students when live practicals aren’t possible
- Helping with revision—even for students who’ve already done the practicals
🎥 Find them in the ‘Maths and Practical Support’ section of the teaching and learning materials for each qualification, or download them below.
The questions below have been asked during training events recently, in our Facebook group or in emails to teachingscience@pearson.com:
Edexcel International A Levels and our modular International GCSEs are 'fully modular' qualifications meaning that the units can be taken in any order..
For International GCSEs, although the courses have been designed with some key concenpts being introduced in Unit 1 and built upon in Unit 2, there is no 'synoptic element' to Unit 2 - only Unit 2 content will be assessed in the exam.
For International A Levels there is a synoptic element to the IA2 units. This means that concepts taught in the IAS theory units (units 1 and 2) can be assessed in units 4 and 5 in particular. However there may be some circumstances in which a candidate prefers to sit their IA2 units before their IAS units and this is acceptable.
There is also no 'time limit' on when these modular units need to be taken.
Pearson does not have set requirements for laboratory set-up or equipment, and one of the advantages of our International GCSEs and IAL courses is the flexibility they offer around practical work. While it is strongly recommended that students carry out the core practicals, it is not mandatory that they do and teachers can chose to carry out alternative practical activities or use live or video demonstrations to teach the core practical techniques.
CLEAPSS is the organisation in the UK which provides guidance on health and safety matters in schools, particularly when it comes to practical science, and which almost all secondary schools belong to. 'Associate membership' is available to international science teachers and according to the CLEAPSS website costs GBP15 per year currently. Membership is required to download most of their resources, but it is not expensive.
There's information about membership on this page:
Join CLEAPSS
Yes, Punnet squares are a type of genetic diagram and would be acceptable if an exam question asked for a genetic diagram as part of a response. Candidates often forget to fully label their Punnet squares so it's worth stressing this, e.g. showing in which boxes of the diagram the gametes are represented. It's also worth stressing that these types of diagram allow us to calculate probabilities, and not the actual ratio of characteristics for a group of offspring.
Yes, candidates need to know how to conduct a chi squared test in order to assess
whether the difference between observed and expected values is likely to be due
to chance or not, and this could involve data from a genetic cross.
Statistical tests are listed along with other key skills in Appendix 6 of the specification - any of the skills listed here can be assessed on any of the exams.
Subject advisor
Irine Muhiuddin and Tim Lawrence
UK and International Science
