Cambridge digital exams went live in June 2026 for Early Adopter schools: the multiple-choice papers in IGCSE Accounting 0452, Economics 0455, Biology 0610, Chemistry 0620 and Physics 0625, plus AS & A Level English General Paper 8021. First Language English 0500 and English as a Second Language 0510 follow in 2027. Paper exams remain available.
Which Cambridge exams can be taken on screen?
Six syllabuses were available on screen in 2026. Cambridge’s digital assessment availability page sets out a phased roadmap, with “availability expanding over time by region, qualification and exam series”.
| First live series | Qualification | Syllabus | What goes on screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | Cambridge IGCSE | Accounting 0452 | Multiple-choice paper |
| June 2026 | Cambridge IGCSE | Economics 0455 | Multiple-choice paper (component 1) |
| June 2026 | Cambridge IGCSE | Biology 0610, Chemistry 0620, Physics 0625 | Multiple-choice papers |
| June 2026 | Cambridge International AS & A Level | English General Paper 8021 | Exam papers |
| 2027 | Cambridge IGCSE | First Language English 0500, English as a Second Language 0510 | Added to the roadmap |
| 2028 | Cambridge IGCSE | Global Perspectives 0457, Spanish 0530 (listening) | Added to the roadmap |
More than 2,800 students sat the first live digital exams in June 2026, according to Cambridge.
Where are Cambridge digital exams available?
The first live exams were limited to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and the US. When Cambridge announced the launch in October 2024, it said: “Students at schools in Europe, Middle East and North Africa and the US will have the opportunity first.”
Is Asia included from June 2027? Cambridge has not confirmed that. A Cambridge presentation from November 2025 describes 2027 as a “global rollout” in which “schools worldwide can take the first live digital exams”, but it gives no month and no country list. The claim that Asian schools join in June 2027 appears only on third-party sites. Schools in Pakistan, India, Malaysia or elsewhere in Asia should plan on paper for June 2027 until the availability page names their region.
Do schools have to switch to digital exams?
No. Cambridge says it will offer IGCSE and AS & A Level exams “in a digital format as well as a paper-based format”. Its long-term target is that 85% of its exams will have both a digital and a paper-based format by 2033. So digital is a second route alongside paper, not a replacement for it.
The practical step before any live exam is Cambridge Digital Mocks. The next Digital Mocks series runs from 18 January to 14 March 2027 with 34 exams, and expressions of interest close on 25 October 2026 (Cambridge). A mock series lets exams officers test devices, logins and invigilation before students’ grades depend on it.
What does a school need in place to run them?
Cambridge’s readiness list for digital exams covers people, rooms and devices. A school is expected to have:
- completed Digital Mocks
- enough invigilators to supervise every student
- every device locked down, “preventing access to unauthorized applications and the internet”
- centre bandwidth and devices checked
- screens spaced at least 1.25 m apart, unless back-to-back
- a trained centre administrator set up on the system
- online invigilation set up
- a unique login issued to each candidate
Room layout is usually the binding constraint: a hall seats far fewer candidates once screens need 1.25 m of spacing, so exams officers should check capacity before opting a cohort in.
How should departments prepare students?
Students need practice answering on screen, not just revising content: pacing, flagging and reviewing questions all feel different. Our IGCSE and A Level mock exam calendar shows where a Digital Mocks window fits.
How schools do this with AI Buddy
AI Buddy gives students on-screen practice with past-paper-style questions across 26 IGCSE and A Level subjects, marked instantly with feedback. Teachers use the test builder to set timed multiple-choice sets mirroring the 0610, 0620 and 0625 papers, then use the dashboard to spot students who are slow or inaccurate on screen before a Digital Mocks window. AI Buddy is not Cambridge’s exam platform; it builds the on-screen habits students need first.
Frequently asked questions
Which IGCSE exams are on screen in 2026?
The multiple-choice papers in Accounting 0452, Economics 0455, Biology 0610, Chemistry 0620 and Physics 0625, plus AS & A Level English General Paper 8021, for Early Adopter schools only.
Are Cambridge on-screen exams coming in 2027?
Yes. The roadmap adds First Language English 0500 and English as a Second Language 0510 in 2027. Regions and series are not yet published.
Are Cambridge digital exams available in Asia?
Not yet confirmed. The June 2026 launch covered Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and the US. Cambridge calls 2027 a global rollout but has named no month or countries.
Will paper exams be withdrawn?
No. Cambridge will offer both formats, and aims for 85% of its exams to have both by 2033.
What are Cambridge Digital Mocks?
Practice runs on Cambridge’s own digital system. The next series runs from 18 January to 14 March 2027; expressions of interest close on 25 October 2026.
For every other Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel change affecting your timetable, see the Exam Board Change Radar and the Cambridge syllabus changes for 2027-2029.
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Sources
- Cambridge International, Digital examinations to launch in June 2026 (1 October 2024)
- Cambridge International, Digital assessment availability
- Cambridge International, What’s new: digital exams
- Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Digital exams presentation (November 2025)
- Business Wire, Cambridge International Education to launch digital examinations in June 2026 (30 September 2024)