Pearson Edexcel glossary
Short definitions for terms students and parents meet when preparing for Pearson Edexcel international exams.
- Pearson
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Pearson is a global education company. Pearson Edexcel is its UK awarding organisation for many school qualifications.
Related reading - Edexcel
- Edexcel is the brand name commonly used for Pearson Edexcel qualifications. It is not the same thing as an independent tuition college that uses “Edexcel” in its trading name.
- International GCSE (IGCSE)
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An internationally offered secondary qualification. Pearson Edexcel International GCSE is often what families mean when they search for “Edexcel O Level”.
Related reading - GCSE
- General Certificate of Secondary Education — primarily the UK domestic secondary qualification family. International schools often use International GCSE specifications instead.
- A Level
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A post-16 qualification pathway. Pearson Edexcel International A Level (IAL) is the international modular route many overseas students take.
Related reading - International A Level (IAL)
- Pearson Edexcel’s international A Level pathway, usually taken as modular units (AS/A2-style).
- Qualification
- A formally assessed award (for example IGCSE Mathematics or an IAL unit) with a published specification and exams.
- Specification
- The official syllabus document describing topics, assessment objectives, and paper structure for a subject.
- Examination centre
- An organisation authorised to enter candidates and host exams. Tuition colleges are not automatically exam centres.
- Private candidate
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A candidate who is not entered through their day school and instead registers via a centre that accepts private entries (often British Council or approved private centres).
Related reading - Candidate
- The person entered for an examination.
- Registration / entry
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The process of entering a candidate for a specific exam series and subject through an authorised centre.
Related reading - Exam series / session
- A scheduled exam window (for example January, May/June, or October/November). Exact availability depends on the centre and qualification.
- Statement of entry
- The document from your centre confirming the exams you have been entered for, including codes and dates.
- Results
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Grades released after an exam series, accessed through the centre that entered you.
Related reading - Certificate
- The official document confirming qualification awards. Issued via Pearson/centre processes — not by independent tuition colleges.
- Past paper
- A previously used exam paper used for practice. Mark schemes help students understand how marks are awarded.
- Tuition
- Teaching and coaching outside (or alongside) a full school programme. At Edexcel College Kandy this means Pearson Edexcel–focused classes and exam preparation.
Related resources
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