Run the decisive IGCSE and A Level mock before the board’s final entry deadline, so the results can inform tier and subject entries. For June-series Cambridge schools that means January, ahead of a late-February deadline (21 February in 2026). November-series schools should mock in June or early July, before the 16 August deadline.
When are the 2026-27 exam series?
Each board runs different series, and each series has its own entry deadline. This is the calendar a mock plan has to fit around.
| Series | Exam window | Final entry deadline | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge November 2026 | From 28 September to mid-November 2026 | 16 August 2026 (late entries 21 September) | 7 Jan 2027 (AS & A Level), 14 Jan 2027 (IGCSE, O Level) |
| Pearson IAL October 2026 | 8–30 October 2026 | 28 August 2026 | 21 January 2027 |
| Pearson International GCSE November 2026 | 27 October–19 November 2026 | 12 September 2026 | 21 January 2027 |
| Pearson IAL January 2027 | 8–25 January 2027 | 16 October 2026 | 4 March 2027 |
| Cambridge Checkpoint March 2027 | 22 February–2 March 2027 | 27 November 2026 | Feedback 6 May 2027 |
| Pearson Summer 2027 | IAL 4 May–10 June; International GCSE 10 May–18 June 2027 | 21 March 2027 | 12 Aug (IAL), 19 Aug 2027 (International GCSE) |
| Cambridge June 2027 | Not yet published (June 2026 ran 23 April–9 June) | Not yet published (21 February in 2026) | Not yet published (11 and 18 August in 2026) |
Sources: Cambridge key dates for November 2026, June 2026 and March 2027 Checkpoint; Pearson exam timetables and international key dates 2026-27.
Two details catch schools out. Pearson International GCSE no longer has a January series: “the January 2023 series will be the final January series available for International GCSE”, and November replaced it (Pearson). Cambridge’s March series runs only for schools in India and Romania.
When should June-series schools run mocks?
Run the main mock in January, with results back before the final entry deadline. In 2026 Cambridge’s was 21 February, and Pearson’s Summer 2027 deadline is 21 March 2027. A January mock gives heads of department four to six weeks to confirm Core or Extended and Foundation or Higher entries using real data. It also leaves ten to fourteen weeks for intervention before exams start in late April or May.
A second, shorter mock in March or early April can check that intervention worked. By then entries are fixed, so its job is revision priorities, not entry decisions.
When should November-series schools run mocks?
Run the main mock in June or early July, before Cambridge’s 16 August final entry deadline, with exams starting on 28 September. Most UK-published calendars assume a June exam season and ignore this. Schools on the November series follow a different year: mocks before the long break, entries confirmed on return, exams within weeks.
Pearson International GCSE November candidates face an earlier deadline, 12 September 2026. Their mock needs to be marked before the summer break ends.
When do Edexcel IAL students need mocks?
For each unit sat in January or October, the mock comes a term earlier. IAL January 2027 entries close on 16 October 2026, so a September unit mock can still decide whether a student sits a unit in January or waits for summer. Our guide on how to set grade boundaries for mock exams explains how to convert IAL raw marks to UMS.
What does a whole-school mock timetable look like?
A calendar for a June-series school with both boards might run as follows. This is our recommendation, not a board rule.
| Month | Year 11 (IGCSE) | Year 13 (A Level / IAL) |
|---|---|---|
| September–early October | Topic tests | IAL unit mocks for January entries (before 16 October) |
| November–December | Paper 1 mock | Full A Level mock (supports UCAS predictions for 13 January) |
| January | Full mock, all papers | Second full mock; IAL January units sat |
| February | Tier entries confirmed | Entries confirmed |
| March–April | Targeted re-mock | Targeted re-mock |
How schools do this with AI Buddy
AI Buddy’s test builder assembles full or partial mocks from 200,000+ past-paper-style questions, and AI Buddy marks them instantly. That turns around a whole year group in days instead of weeks, which is what makes a January mock usable before a February entry deadline. Teachers then use the cohort dashboard to see tier-boundary students by topic. The same tools run a November-series school’s June mock before the summer break.
Frequently asked questions
When are IGCSE mock exams in 2026-27?
Most June-series schools run them in January 2027. November-series schools run them in June or July, before Cambridge’s 16 August final entry deadline.
How should a school build a mock exam timetable?
Work backwards from each board’s final entry deadline, schedule the decisive mock so results are back before it, and add a later re-mock for revision priorities.
When do November series schools run mocks?
In June or early July, because Cambridge November exams start on 28 September and final entries close on 16 August.
Does Edexcel International GCSE have a January series?
No. The January 2023 series was the last; Pearson International GCSE now runs in May/June and November.
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Sources
- Cambridge International, Key dates for November 2026 series
- Cambridge International, Key dates for June 2026 series
- Cambridge International, Key dates for March 2027 Checkpoint test series
- Cambridge International, Cambridge Exams Officers’ Guide for the March series
- Pearson, Exam timetables and International key dates 2026-27
- Pearson, International GCSE November series from 2023