Frequently Asked Questions – External Examination Results

Students received log-in and password details to access Cambridge results with their end-of-year documentation, which is distributed after Prizegiving on the final day of Term 4. 

Students also received their log-in and password details via school email addresses during Term 4.

Please note that the Cambridge results website log-ins are temporary. We would advise that you take a copy, print out or screenshot your results for your reference until you receive your certificate.

Syllabus grades for all examination types are reported on the Statements of Results as an upper case letter followed by the corresponding lower case letter in brackets eg: B(b). This format is used as a security feature to prevent grades being altered by hand.

Cambridge AS Levels are awarded at one of five pass grades: A, B, C, D, E. 

Cambridge A Levels are awarded at one of six pass grades: A*, A, B, C, D, E. 

At both levels, marks below E are Ungraded (U).

AS Levels form half of A Levels, so your A Level grade is the sum total of your AS and A Level components, and this means you will only see the final A Level grade. If you wish to know your AS resit mark, the Head of Department will be able to tell you after the start of Term 1, by which time Cambridge have released the component breakdowns.

PUM marks are calculated not by averaging AS and A Level component marks, but by adding them together and applying a weighting. The marks CAIE use are dependent on a code which we provide to them. We always enter resit candidates for a ‘best of both’ option, where CAIE select the best result from all your component entries.

Cambridge do not release the component breakdowns at the same time as they release the results. There can sometimes be a short delay in publishing component results. You can ask the Head of Department in the subject concerned once Term 1 starts, and they will be able to assist you.

Cambridge certificates record and confirm a candidate’s final results. Certificates are unique documents: the School does not receive duplicates and only Cambridge can issue replacement documents. Certificates may be required by tertiary institutions and employers.

Certificates will be issued to current students at a form period during Term 1. Leavers can collect their certificates from Main Reception at School once they arrived and been prepared for collection. The School will email all leavers to confirm when certificates are ready for collection.    

If you have moved away from Auckland or will be unable to come in to School to collect your certificate, you can arrange for courier delivery to any address by completing this e-form. Certificates belonging to those who completed the e-form before the end of the academic year will be posted out as soon as possible after they arrive in School in Term 1.  

Any certificates not collected will be returned to Cambridge.  

In the interim, if you need a PDF copy of your Statement of Results, which may satisfy a university temporarily, you can request one by emailing Dr Etty and confirming your name and Cambridge number.

If you lose your certificate you will need to request a replacement document via the Cambridge International website.

The number beside your grade is what Cambridge call the ‘PUM’. It is not your raw mark. You will need to ask your teachers to tell you the raw marks when you get back to school.

The PUM mark indicates whether you are in the middle of a grade, or near either the top or the bottom. The grade boundaries are 90 for A*, 80 for A, 70 for B, etc. A PUM of 72 shows that you are relatively close to the bottom of the B grade range, for example. 

The PUM gives you information about how you performed compared with all the other candidates who also got that grade, but it does not appear on your results certificate. The certificate will just show your grades.

The first thing for you to check is whether you meet the criteria for automatic entry into Form 7 next year. You can find out more about this by consulting the School’s Course Handbook.

If you do not meet the criteria, you may need to come in to school to discuss the options with the Year-Level Dean before the beginning of Term 1.

You may find that you are not guaranteed entry into your chosen A Level courses, and so it would be wise to check the pre-requisites for your preferred options in the Course Handbook. 

You may also need to discuss with Heads of Departments to see if they are willing to accept you into the A Level courses. You may also need to consider re-sitting some AS exams this year. 

You may also apply for a recount, re-mark and/or return of your examination scripts, or enter for a re-sit in some cases.

Students may apply for a recount, re-mark and/or return of their examination scripts from the most recent examination series. Information about re-marks, results enquiries and copies of scripts will be available at the beginning of Term 1. There will be a meeting early in the term for students who wish to know more. Listen to Assembly Notices at the start of term.

Ex-students who wish to apply for a recount, re-mark and/or return of their examination scripts should email Dr Etty after results are released.

It is impossible for the School to advise on whether it is worth a re-count or a re-mark in specific cases. It is your decision whether you go ahead with a results enquiry. In recent years very few applications have resulted in a changed grade. Cambridge have very robust systems in place to ensure that results are accurately marked, moderated, recorded and reported, particularly with marks which are close to grade boundaries. Results close to grade boundaries (such as 49%) are thus very unlikely to go up. In some cases, however, results do change as a consequence of a results enquiry.

An ungraded result means that you failed to reach the standard required for a pass grade. Your Statement of Results will show ‘Ungraded’ but this will not appear on your final results certificate.

Usually, an ungraded result is an indication that students should not opt to continue with that subject at higher levels, but should instead consider pursuing other subjects. However, at Auckland Grammar School, we would consider allowing you to continue studying the subject. It is at the discretion of the Head of Department, but it may be possible to repeat the subject or even to continue on to A2 on the basis that you commit to resitting the subject in the May/June series. This decision, of course, needs to take into account the other options you have selected.

An ungraded result means that you cannot gain UE Numeracy using your Cambridge results at present. You will need to consider how you will achieve UE Numeracy via an alternative route. You can find out more about UE Numeracy on university web pages or in the School’s Course Handbook. 

It may be that the best way to achieve UE Numeracy is to:

• Repeat AS Maths, 
• Self-study and re-sit, or 
• Enter an NCEA Numeracy assessment in Term 2. More information about this will be available at the beginning of Term 1

An ungraded result means that you cannot gain UE Literacy using your Cambridge results at present. You will need to consider how you will achieve UE Literacy via an alternative route. You can find out more about UE Literacy on university web pages or in the School’s Course Handbook. 

It may be that the best way to achieve UE Literacy is to:

• Repeat AS English in Form 7, 
• Self-study and re-sit, or 
• Follow one of the other routes to achieving UE Literacy which are offered by the School. More information about this will be available at the beginning of Term 1

An ‘X’ grade means that no result was awarded. This may be because:

• You were absent or withdrawn from one or more components of the exam. You were therefore not eligible for the award of a grade 
• You were disqualified. Where this is the case Cambridge will notify the School to explain the reasons for the disqualification

Not necessarily. However, you should think carefully about continuing.

Usually, an ungraded result is an indication that students should not opt to continue with that subject at higher levels, but should instead consider pursuing other subjects. However, we would consider allowing you to continue studying the subject.

It is at the discretion of the Head of Department, but it may be possible to repeat the subject or even to continue on to A2 on the basis that you commit to resitting the subject in the May/June series. This decision, of course, needs to take into account the other options you have selected.

No. We do not allow students to enter examinations in subjects that we do not teach.

No. We do not allow students to enter examinations in subjects that they are not studying at school.

In some cases, yes. Please note:

• May/June re-sits are not available in Art subjects, Classical Studies, Graphics, Language subjects, Physical Education or Technology
• November AS re-sits are NOT possible in Biology, Chemistry or Physics

Cambridge offer two examinations series each year: in May and/or October. Please note that entries for re-sits are optional.

Students may apply to re-sit a maximum of two AS subjects in the May examination series, and another two AS subjects in the October series. 

Entries for November re-sits will be taken in July/August.

Information about re-sits will be available at the beginning of Term 1. There will be a meeting early in the term for students who wish to know more. Listen to Assembly Notices at the start of term.

It is not possible to re-sit an A Level. This is because of Cambridge’s 13-month rule, which says that AS Level marks cannot be carried forward towards a full A Level more than twice, and they also cannot be carried forward if more than 13 months has elapsed since the date of the first assessment.

Students cannot enter for additional subjects if they are not currently studying them and they cannot re-do an entire syllabus they have already completed but are no longer studying as one of their subjects at School. We do allow students to re-sit the AS components of a syllabus if they are currently studying the A2 components because, as they are currently studying towards a full A Level, they are able to enter for both the AS and A2 components of the A Level. 

Completing an A Level finishes a two-year programme of study and we do not permit students to re-do a course they have already completed in full.  This approach reinforces our academic integrity. Accelerated students are provided with the opportunity to sit up to five A Levels over two years. Many schools will only allow a student to sit three. It remains the view of the School that students in this position have more opportunity than other students to earn entry into the university of their choice.

You can email the Dean of Form 7 students and specify the change you wish to make. This does not confirm the change. If the change is straightforward the Dean will make the change and notify you. If it is a complex change the Dean may request that you make an appointment for Options Changes Day. 

Please note:

• You are allowed to change your subject options for next year if you wish, but you may not be able to select all your preferred subjects because a number of classes are full already
• You should consult the Departments and Faculties page of the School website for specific information about subjects and prerequisites
• You can also find out more by consulting the School’s Course Handbook

Note that options changes will be made subject to the following requirements:

• You have met the prerequisites for the subject you wish to do
• Your request is in line with the restrictions that apply at your year level
• The subject fits in with your other subjects in the option line structure (you can only do one subject per option line, otherwise you will have two classes on at the same time)
• There is still room in the class (while we endeavour to accommodate all student option selections, priority must be given to students who selected the subject during the Option Selection process last year, which was explained to all students at the Options Briefings)

Provided these requirements have been met, the Dean will notify our Academic and Student Administrator to update your options for this year. If there is an issue with you request, the Dean will let you know and you will need to liaise with your Dean to confirm your options.

If you need advice or guidance on subject selection or you are unsure whether you are able to do a particular course, subject or pathway (Cambridge or NCEA), you will need to contact your form-level Dean.

If you would like advice on possible career and/or tertiary course pathways, you can make an appointment with Student Services to see one of the Student Services Team.