The same underlying principle, slightly different conventions

CAIE (Cambridge International) and Pearson Edexcel International use the same broad marking logic as their UK domestic equivalents — you're either credited point-by-point against a list of acceptable answers, or placed in a band based on the overall quality of an extended response — but the specific labelling and structure differs enough from AQA/Edexcel UK GCSE conventions that it's worth understanding on its own terms rather than assuming it works identically.

Point-marked questions

Short-answer, multiple-choice and structured questions are marked against a list of acceptable points, often phrased as alternatives separated by "or" in the mark scheme — credit is given for any listed acceptable phrasing, not just the exact wording shown. Method marks are available on calculation questions in the same way as domestic boards: showing your working earns credit even where a final answer is wrong.

Levels-of-response questions on extended answers

Longer questions — essays on English Literature or History, extended responses on Economics or Business — are placed into a level or band based on overall quality, similar in spirit to the levels-of-response system used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR domestically (see our general guide to how mark schemes work), but with band descriptors specific to the CAIE or Pearson International syllabus rather than the UK domestic one. Always check your own syllabus's actual band descriptors rather than assuming they read identically to a UK GCSE mark scheme just because the structure looks similar.

Indicative content isn't a checklist

Both CAIE and Pearson Edexcel International publish "indicative content" alongside mark schemes — example points a strong answer might include. As with UK boards, this is guidance for examiners, not a list you need to match exactly; a valid, well-explained point not on the list is still credited if it answers the question.

Where the two providers diverge most

  • CAIE often splits a subject across Core and Extended tiers (at IGCSE) or AS-then-A2 papers (at International A-Level), with separate mark schemes per tier or stage.
  • Pearson Edexcel International tends to use a more unified, single-tier structure per subject, with its own unit-based mark schemes for each modular paper.

If you're studying both an IGCSE and an International A-Level subject, don't assume the mark scheme conventions automatically transfer between them just because the subject name is the same.

Revising with ExamPass.ai

Every mock paper generated on ExamPass.ai for IGCSE, International A-Level or International AS-Level comes with a mark scheme written to match your specific board's actual conventions, and AI marking applies it directly — so the feedback you get reflects how CAIE or Pearson Edexcel International would genuinely mark it, not a generic UK domestic equivalent.