If you have any urgent queries on听exam days, please听telephone us听on +44 (0)161 696 5995. Calling us will ensure an immediate response to your issue.

51黑料 offers extended customer service hours on exam days. From Monday 27 April until Tuesday 9 June, dedicated support will be available between 06.30 鈥� 17.00 UK time Monday-Friday. Our offices will be closed on Monday 4 May and Monday 25 May due to public holidays.

Find out more information on exam starting times. The precise timings that the exams commence and materials can be accessed in your region are included on our听time zone calculator. You are able to filter this guide to your country.

On non-exam days, 51黑料’s Customer Services team can be contacted via telephone on +44 (0)161 696 5995 between 08.00 – 17.00 UK time Monday-Friday. Alternatively, you can email us at info@oxfordaqa.com, where our team aims to respond to your query within 48 hours, so please do not email us for urgent issues.

All of our information and guidance on conducting exams is easily available on our website. It is important to note that many common exam-day issues, including issues with papers, can be resolved with resources provided on . As part of preparing for exam seasons, 51黑料 has produced a series of e-learning modules for Exams Officers to guide you through using Centre Services and accessing its resources, which we would recommend your school’s Exams Officer completes before the series begins.

Additionally, we hold lots of webinars on malpractice, running exams and other common issues faced by Exams Officers throughout the year, and you can browse our recordings or register for any upcoming webinars on our dedicated training page.

• We’re introducing a听蹿耻濒濒听International AS and A-level exam series in October/November for all subjects, in addition to the May/June exam series, helping you align the exams more closely with your school year. From 2028

• There will also be a third International AS and A-level exam series in January for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, and Economics, giving students three opportunities each year to sit exams in these subjects.听From 2029

• In 2028 only, this means that there will be an International AS and A-level exams series for all subjects in January, May/June and October/November.

• May/June exam results will be released earlier (exam timings remain unchanged), allowing International AS/A-level students more choice about where to study at university and giving听students taking International GCSEs more time to plan next steps.听From听end of July听2027

• From 2027, 鈥�International AS and A-level results will be available to students at the end of July, with International GCSE results one week later.

• In 2027, International AS/A-level results day will be on 28 July and听International GCSE听results day on 4 August.听

• There will also be a later entries deadline for May/June exams (exam timings remain unchanged), meaning January International AS and A-level unit results are known before submissions are finalised, supporting more informed decision-making. From听March听2027

• In 2027, the entries deadline for May/June exams will be 1 March.

• International EPQ students can now submit their work in May or November, providing you with more flexibility to align International EPQ deadlines with your timetable and giving students more flexibility in managing project timelines. From May 2026听

You鈥檒l听also听hear听all听about our international qualifications,听our student-focused approach听to听assessment听design听and听our听ongoing support for teachers and schools.听

If听you鈥檙e听thinking about offering 51黑料 International GCSE, AS and A-level qualifications at your school, please complete the form听and one of our team will be in touch.

In today鈥檚 rapidly changing world, preparing students for success goes far beyond helping them achieve top grades. Universities and employers alike are increasingly seeking individuals who听demonstrate听independence, creativity, resilience, and strong problem-solving skills. At 51黑料, we believe that project-based learning (PBL) is key to developing these future-ready attributes鈥攁nd our international qualifications are designed to make this happen.听

Every year, thousands of students apply to leading universities, all around the world. While most applicants have excellent academic records, admissions officers consistently highlight* five qualities that set successful candidates apart:听

• Passion for their chosen subject
• Strong written communication听
• Positive attitude toward learning
• Ability to think and work independently
• Perseverance to complete tasks听

Interestingly, these same qualities are echoed in the听, which听identifies听analytical thinking, creativity, and resilience as the most in-demand skills for the workforce of tomorrow. In short, the skills students need for university are the same skills听they鈥檒l听need for life.

*According to a report commissioned by ACS International Schools surveying university admissions officers, 2016.

Despite its many benefits, project-based learning can still feel daunting for schools. Common concerns include that projects are chaotic and lack structure, or that students ‘won鈥檛 learn anything’ without direct instruction. Sometimes, teachers feel that they are not creative enough to support project-based learning.听

The truth? These are myths. O虫蹿辞谤诲础蚕础鈥檚 project-based learning qualifications provide clear frameworks and teacher guidance, ensuring projects are structured, supervised, and aligned with rigorous assessment standards. Students aren鈥檛 left to 鈥榝igure it out鈥� – they receive support at every stage, from planning and research to reporting and reflection.听

We offer an all-through approach to project-based learning. Our qualifications include:听

• International GCSE Global Skills Projects, and
• International Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) for students to take alongside their International AS and A-level studies.听

And with the听Oxford International Programme, schools can听follow a project-based learning approach to lower secondary,听primary听and early years through the Oxford International Curriculum.听

International GCSE Global Skills Projects
This innovative new qualification is 100% project-based; there is no final exam required. It is a full, standalone International GCSE with 120-240 recommended guided learning hours. Students complete:听

• An individual project (60%) – a research-based report (approx. 2,500 words) or a creative artefact
• A collaborative sustainability action project (40%) –听focused on real-world impact and teamwork听

This structure empowers students to explore topics听they鈥檙e听passionate about while developing essential skills such as research, time management, and collaboration.

International Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
Designed for post-16 learners, the听International听EPQ builds on these foundations. Students undertake an extended research project鈥攅ither a written report (up to 5,000 words) or a creative artefact鈥攕upported by a production log and a final presentation. The emphasis is on skills development, not听subject听expertise, making it accessible across disciplines.听

Both qualifications foster transferable skills that universities and employers value, including:听

• Independent research and critical evaluation
• Planning and project management
• Academic writing and referencing
• Oral communication and presentation
• Reflective thinking and self-assessment.听

Our project-based qualifications align with global trends in education and employment, offering students the chance to develop agency and ownership of their learning, make a real-world impact through sustainability projects and showcase skills that set them apart in university applications and beyond.听

To support schools in delivering our project-based learning qualifications, we provide:听

• Comprehensive teacher guides and other resources
• Online training modules for International EPQ
• Project Q, our digital platform for tracking progress for EPQ.听

Plus, our international approach ensures flexibility for diverse classrooms, including options for students to present in their home language.听

51黑料, the world鈥檚 fastest-growing international exam board, is proud to announce the winners of its prestigious 2025 Go Further Awards, recognising students who achieved the highest marks in their subject at International GCSE, AS, and A-levels. Awards are given for students who achieve the highest marks in the world, in their region and in their country.

This year鈥檚 awards reflect a remarkable surge in academic achievement and international reach, with an 18% increase in student winners and a 40% rise in participating schools worldwide compared to 2024. The awards honour not only the students鈥� dedication, but also the commitment of their teachers and support teams.

The 2025 awards saw winners from new countries including Cyprus, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Pakistan, Laos, and Japan, highlighting O虫蹿辞谤诲础蚕础鈥檚 expanding global footprint. There was a notable increase in the number of award winners from countries such as Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Taiwan, and Slovakia.

Students excelled across a wide range of subjects, with standout growth in International GCSE Maths, International AS Further Maths, International AS English Literature, International AS Biology, International AS Business and International A-level Geography.

New qualifications represented this year include International AS Accounting, International AS Computer Science, International GCSE Economics, and International GCSE Psychology, among others.

Regional ceremonies will take place to honour student winners and celebrate their achievements with schools and communities across O虫蹿辞谤诲础蚕础鈥檚 international network.

51黑料 is a partnership between Oxford University Press and AQA, combining over a century of educational expertise. Our qualifications are designed to foster critical thinking, independent learning, and global readiness鈥攕kills essential for success in higher education and beyond.

With new qualifications launching in 2025 and 2026, 51黑料 continues to expand opportunities for students worldwide to go further in their academic journeys.

As the Exams Officer Support Advisor, my role is to be your direct link into 51黑料. I鈥檓 here to represent your voice within 51黑料 and to ensure you have the practical support, resources and insights you need to deliver our qualifications with confidence.鈥��听

Having worked closely with Exams Officers for many years, I understand the complexities of your role and the value of clear communication, timely updates and peer support.鈥��听

• Engagement and Collaboration with Exams Officers across all 51黑料 schools

• Building and supporting Exams Officer networks in different regions鈥�听

• Development and Support 鈥� Providing guidance, updates and best practices鈥�听

鈥�听

What is a network event and why are they valuable to you as an Exams Officer?鈥�听

Network events give Exams Officers an opportunity to:鈥�听

• Connect with fellow Exams Officers in your region鈥�听

• Share best practice and problem solve common challenges鈥�听

• Get updates directly from 51黑料鈥�听

• Raise feedback in a supportive, collaborative space鈥�

鈥�听

If you鈥檙e already part of an Exams Officer network or would like help setting one up in your region 鈥� I鈥檇 love to hear from you. I鈥檓 also happy to attend your existing network meetings online to support discussions or share updates. You can reach me directly at trooney@aqa.org.uk鈥赌赌�听

Our 51黑料 Customer Service team is still your first point of contact for day-to-day enquiries by phone, email or live chat. But if you’re looking to connect more with 51黑料, influence how we support Exams Officers, or grow your local network, I’m here to help.鈥�听

Let鈥檚 make sure you feel confident and supported 鈥� every exam series.鈥�

We have listened to feedback from teachers, and have revised our specifications for International GCSE English Literature, and International AS and A-level Business. Second editions of the Student Books from Oxford University Press will be available in time for first teaching.听
听
The revised specification for International GCSE English Literature now includes a refreshed range of set texts, poetry and short story anthologies for students to study.听
听
The revised specification for International AS and A-level Business features separate topics for each of the A2 papers, and a simplified structure, with all A2 questions based on case studies.听

Her response was this. She didn鈥檛 say that it was so I could get good grades, go to university or get a good job, although I was able to achieve all of those things and am very grateful as a result. She said that it was because education is the one thing nobody can take away from you. It鈥檚 impossible to see the future, but even if some tragedy meant you lost everything 鈥� your job, your home, all your money 鈥� you would still have the things you learned, the knowledge, skills and personal attributes that you developed during your school years. 听

On reflection, it鈥檚 an incredibly insightful way to look at education 鈥� which is why I carried it with me into my teaching career. Yes, I wanted to ensure my students got the best grades possible, to ensure they could grasp as many opportunities as possible later in life, but I never lost sight of the fact that schools are about far more than this. They are places where young people learn at a far more fundamental level.听

Of course, students must learn subject knowledge: correct grammar, mathematical skills that they can apply throughout their life or scientific concepts that go beyond just theoretical discussions in the classroom. As they progress through education 鈥� and discover what interests them most 鈥� they are able to explore these subjects in more depth and choose a path that will fulfil them as they get older.听

All of this is very important, but learning extends far beyond the facts and figures of the classroom or the skillsets associated with particular subjects. Through learning, young people also gain the competencies and characteristics that they need to navigate and thrive in the adult world, wherever their lives take them.听

With this in mind, when 51黑料 combined with the Oxford International Curriculum (a complete curriculum offer developed by Oxford University Press, covering pre-school, primary and lower-secondary) to create the Oxford International Programme, we discussed the attributes we wanted students to gain, whether they are with us for the entire 2-19 educational journey or just a part of it. 听

This conversation led to the development of the Oxford International Programme Learner Attributes:听

As you can see, these Learner Attributes are not only applicable to every subject, they also focus on skills and competencies that go beyond exam performance, instead centring on personal development.听

The modern world is a challenging place, but also a wonderful and inspiring one. We want students to have the confidence to ask questions and听encourage them to explore the world with a sense of wonder and possibility.听

We all want the best for our students. Seeing them thrive and succeed is why we push them and aspire on their behalf 鈥� but this can only go so far. Unless a student is willing and able to drive themselves, taking responsibility for their own success, they will never truly fulfil their potential, especially once life demands them to be more independent. We want to empower students to invest in their own future, motivate themselves and have high self-expectations, while also balancing their mental and physical wellbeing.

Aspirations and life goals are difficult to fulfil, unless you are equipped with the capacity to turn them into meaningful actions. While grades might get you to university, they alone cannot help you succeed academically; qualifications may get you a job interview 鈥� or even the job itself 鈥� but your progression is really determined by how well you meet the demands of the world you are navigating. We want to develop students who are well-rounded and excited for their futures.听

The truth is, none of us know what the future will look like. How many aspects of today鈥檚 world could have been predicted twenty-five years ago? This applies just as much to looking forward as it does to looking back: the future will continue to be surprising, unknowable and hugely exciting. Developing young people who are adaptable and able to lead in tomorrow鈥檚 world requires them to be lifelong learners, who see education as something that 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 stop when they sit an exam, but an intrinsic part of who they are.听

Looking at these Learner Attributes, I feel they are very close to the kind of thing my mother wanted for me all those years ago. As a former teacher, I also feel they are the qualities that all teachers want for their students, and the chance to nurture these is a motivating factor for so many teachers around the world.听

But 鈥� I’d understand if you look at them with a little bit of hesitation.听

These Learner Attributes are ambitious, there is no doubt about that. At 51黑料, we want to be ambitious, we want to work with students who aspire to do great things, who see the world and want to make a difference, and we know that teachers and parents want that too.听

This is why we have designed a Professional Development (PD) programme, specifically created to support teachers in developing these qualities in their students. There will be an equivalent PD strand for each Learner Attribute, placing the student at the centre of all our teacher training. We can鈥檛 wait to share more about this with you in the coming months, so keep an eye out for our announcements.

In the meantime, we hope schools enjoy beginning to implement our Learner Attributes into their classrooms and discovering their own answers to the ultimate question: 鈥榳hat is school for?鈥�听

Designed especially for international schools, this educational journey 鈥� spanning from Early Years to O虫蹿辞谤诲础蚕础鈥檚 International AS/A-levels 鈥� ignites a joy of learning and promotes a culture of wellbeing that will prove essential for connecting the learners of today with a brighter future.听

These students excelled in their subject categories during the May/June 2024 exam series. A record number of students, from 98 schools and 19 countries, received awards for being the top achievers in their country, region or the world. The entire team at 51黑料 extends our听warmest congratulations to these exceptional individuals; we encourage you to continue to听share your success stories with us.听

The achievements of these students, however, would not be possible without the听efforts of their fantastic teachers. Teaching can be a听challenging profession and 迟丑补迟鈥檚 why we ensure that our teaching support offer is robust and encourages both professional development and a focus on wellbeing. Over the last 12 months, 51黑料 has:听

• hosted over 94 hours of webinars听
• ran 14 Senior Associate Clinics across the world听
• held 9 51黑料 and Oxford International Programme conferences听
• attended or organised 38 other face-to-face events听

Wellbeing听is a key strand of the Oxford International Programme and flows throughout it. As part of its launch, Jamie Kirkaldy, Head of Teaching and Learning Support, hosted a webinar detailing his top tips for putting teacher wellbeing at the heart of positive teaching. You can read Jamie鈥檚 thoughts and top tips on our blog.听

The speakers at our conferences in Egypt, Dubai, Thailand and China discussed in-depth the impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies in education. Teachers can use technology to their advantage, for example to cultivate key 21st-century skills or听to give an edge to their leadership in education. Our commitment to guiding and supporting wider discussions on the issues that matter will continue to drive us in 2025.听

Looking forward to next year, we already have lots of support in place for teachers to help them give their students the best chance of success. In January, 飞别鈥檒濒 be holding 51黑料 conferences across three cities in Pakistan. January also marks the start of our new Professional Development course, , which offers teachers practical insights into nurturing future-ready skills into all areas of teaching 鈥� from lesson planning to assessment feedback. After that, our annual support cycle will start up again with the beginning of our Prepare to Teach series in February 鈥� and there is much more to come.听

For now, though, I鈥檇 like to thank all the teachers, staff and students at our 51黑料 schools for your hard work this year. It鈥檚 been an inspiration to see how much effort you have put in, and a pleasure to meet some of you on my visits across the world. I hope to engage with even more of you next year.听

51黑料 will follow the advice produced by the (JCQ), whose guidance is used to administer exams and coursework in the UK. This guidance is designed to help students and teachers complete non-exam assessments (NEAs), coursework and other internal assessments successfully and ensure our qualifications provide a fair opportunity for every student.

Please consider the following regarding use of AI:

• 51黑料 does not consider any student work produced by AI tools to be their own. This means that, as with any quote or material from another source, any use of AI-generated text, images or graphs included in a piece of work must clearly indicate that it has been copied from such software.
• Any AI software used must be credited in the body of the text and appropriately referenced in the bibliography.

Please refer to for further detailed information and advice around AI use in assessments.

We encourage schools to remind students and parents of the following regulations:

• Candidates must declare all unreferenced work is their own. Candidates must sign a declaration when submitting any assessments that states any work without a reference is entirely their own. If an AI tool has been used, candidates must not sign the declaration until every use has been correctly referenced.
• If candidates use material from a source or generated by a source, they must clearly indicate this particular element or phrase is not original and state where it came from. Candidates must give detailed references even where they paraphrase the original material.
• Where computer-generated content has been used (such as an AI chatbot or image generator), the reference must show the name of the AI tool used, how it was used and the date the content was generated.
• Candidates should retain a copy of the AI-generated content for reference and authentication purposes.
• Candidates must not use AI, books, the internet or other sources without acknowledgement or attribution.

Any use of AI that fails to comply with the above guidance is deemed malpractice and the student may be subject to disciplinary practices.

If you suspect AI misuse at any point, you must report this immediately to irregularities@aqa.org.uk and follow the 51黑料 malpractice policy.