01.02.2024

PGA 44 – 2023.2024 – CAMBRIDGE CHECKPOINT

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a checkpoint in Cambridge International?

Cambridge Checkpoint is an education program and assessment system developed by Cambridge Assessment International Education. It is designed for students in the middle years of education, typically between the ages of 11 and 14. The Cambridge Checkpoint program provides a framework for curriculum development, and it includes a series of assessments to measure students’ understanding of key concepts in subjects like Global perspective English, mathematics, and science.

What are checkpoints used for?/ What benefits do they bring?

The Cambridge Checkpoint assessments are intended to help identify students’ strengths and weaknesses in different subject areas, providing valuable feedback to both students and teachers. The assessments are not used for certification or qualification purposes, but rather as a diagnostic tool to inform teaching and learning and a preparation to exams.

When do students take checkpoints?

Following a Cambridge path of 13 years (starting at the age of 5 in year 1), students take checkpoints in stage 6 (Y6) and stage 9 (Y9).

Learners can take Cambridge Primary Checkpoint or Lower Secondary Checkpoint in either April/May or September/October. Learners can also take a retake.

Which are the performance bands?

The performance bands are as follows, with the lowest achievable performance band learners can attain being ‘Basic’ and the highest ‘Outstanding’.

Checkpoint score range	Performance band	General descriptors
0	Unclassified	Learners not achieving a Checkpoint score.
1 – 10	Basic	Learners have generally shown a basic level of achievement. Whilst demonstrating a limited level of understanding, knowledge, and skills of the curriculum content, they would benefit from a focus on all areas of the curriculum they found challenging.
11 – 20	Aspiring	Learners may show aspects of Basic performance and Good performance.
21 – 30	Good	Learners have generally shown a good level of achievement. They have demonstrated a secure level of understanding, knowledge and skills of most of the curriculum content, but would benefit from a focus on the specific areas of the curriculum identified.
31 – 40	High	Learners may show aspects of Good performance and Outstanding performance.
41 – 50	Outstanding	Learners have generally shown an outstanding level of achievement. They have demonstrated a comprehensive level of understanding, knowledge, and skills of the curriculum content, and should be very well prepared for the next stage of learning.

In which subjects are there checkpoints?

Programme	Subject
Cambridge Primary	Mathematics
	Science
	English (First Language)
	English as a Second Language
	Global Perspectives
Cambridge Lower Secondary	Mathematics
	Science
	English (First Language)
	English as a Second Language
	Global Perspectives

What about Cambridge Checkpoint Global Perspectives?

Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary Global Perspectives (0838 and 1129) by coursework which is marked internally by the school and moderated by Cambridge. The scheme of assessment is therefore very different from Cambridge Checkpoint Mathematics, Science, English and English as a Second Language.

Marking the tests

Once our learners complete the Checkpoint tests, we follow the guidelines for sending your tests back to Cambridge.

Cambridge Checkpoint tests are marked and moderated by Cambridge International. The exception is Cambridge Global Perspectives, which is marked by teachers and moderated by Cambridge International.

Do parents have to pay extra for the checkpoints?

Yes.

Schools also must pay extra to Cambridge since they are correcting the checkpoints and sending the reports with the results.

Cambridge provides a Statement of Achievement for each learner, both a digital and print version.