Students in the USA (New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, and across the country) sitting International A Level exams in October/November 2026 need to use the correct timetable for their exam board. Both Cambridge International A Level and Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level (IAL) are offered in US international schools — these are separate qualifications with separate calendars.

Cambridge International A Level

Schools in the USA are typically allocated to Cambridge Zone 1.

USA Key Dates: Cambridge International A Level

Event	Date
Exam period starts	28 September 2026
Exam period ends	13 November 2026
Final entries deadline	16 August 2026
Late entries deadline	21 September 2026
Results release	7 January 2027

Timezone: Clocks Change Mid-Series (Daylight Saving Time Ends 1 November 2026)

The USA spans multiple timezones, and Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday 1 November 2026 — in the middle of the Cambridge series.

Region	Before 1 Nov	After 1 Nov	UTC Offset (after)
Eastern (New York, Miami, Boston, Washington DC)	EDT	EST	UTC-5
Central (Chicago, Houston, Dallas)	CDT	CST	UTC-6
Mountain (Denver, Phoenix*)	MDT	MST	UTC-7
Pacific (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle)	PDT	PST	UTC-8

Note: Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time and stays on MST year-round.

Where to Find Your Cambridge Timetable

1. Check with your school – Your exams officer will confirm your administrative zone and provide the correct November 2026 timetable.
2. Cambridge International – Download the Zone 1 (USA) timetable from Cambridge Timetables.

Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level (IAL)

Edexcel IAL has a strong presence in US international schools and runs on a different calendar from Cambridge.

• Exam start date: 8 October 2026
• Standard entries deadline: 28 August 2026
• Results release: 20–21 January 2027
• Where to find your timetable: Pearson Edexcel exam timetables
• Note: We were not able to confirm the exact end date of the Edexcel IAL October/November series from public sources — confirm your last exam date directly with your school or Pearson.
• Check with your school to confirm which exam board you use—Cambridge and Edexcel have different timetables, deadlines, and results dates.

Important for USA Students

• Verify your zone – USA schools typically fall under Zone 1 for Cambridge; always confirm with your centre.
• Two boards, two calendars – Cambridge and Edexcel IAL run on different dates; confirm which applies to your subjects.
• Mind the clock change – Daylight Saving Time ends 1 November 2026. Double-check your exact local session time for any Cambridge paper scheduled around that date.
• This is the smaller sitting – Fewer candidates than May/June; commonly used for retakes and time-sensitive university applications.

Cambridge Exam Period Overview

The Cambridge October/November 2026 series runs across these windows:

• 28 September–2 October 2026
• 5–9 October 2026
• 12–16 October 2026
• 19–23 October 2026
• 26–30 October 2026
• 2–6 November 2026
• 9–13 November 2026

Subject-specific dates vary. Use the official Zone 1 (USA) timetable for exact dates and times for each paper.

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