Schools should add Cambridge IGCSE Psychology 0266 or Statistics 0479 if students want them, a teacher can deliver them, and the exam series fits. Both are new for first exams in June 2027, with no coursework, graded A*–G. Psychology needs no prior study. Statistics is June only, and in 2027 only in administrative zones 3 and 4.
What is in Cambridge IGCSE Psychology 0266?
Six compulsory topics plus research methods. The 0266 syllabus covers “Memory and forgetting; Sleep and dreams; Prosocial behaviour; Visual perception; Motivation and needs; Language development”. It also covers experimental and non-experimental research methods. Each topic has three compulsory named studies, and Cambridge publishes summaries. Students “are not expected to have read the original study” and will not be asked to evaluate studies’ strengths and weaknesses.
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1h 30m | 90 | 53% | Memory, sleep, prosocial behaviour; experimental method (includes planning an experiment) |
| Paper 2 | 1h 20m | 80 | 47% | Visual perception, motivation, language; non-experimental methods |
Application carries most weight: AO1 knowledge 33%, AO2 application 51%, AO3 analysis and evaluation 16%. There is no coursework, and “we do not expect learners starting this course to have previously studied psychology”. Cambridge says students achieving A* to C “are well prepared to follow a wide range of courses including Cambridge International AS & A Level Psychology”.
What is in Cambridge IGCSE Statistics 0479?
Twelve topics of applied statistics. The 0479 syllabus runs from data collection and representation through probability distributions, crude and standardised rates, index numbers, bivariate distributions and time series. Both papers can cover any part of the content, with “short answers, single stage and multistage calculations, drawing or completion of charts, graphs and tables”.
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 2h 15m | 100 | 50% |
| Paper 2 | 2h 15m | 100 | 50% |
“A calculator is required”, but “algebraic or graphical calculators are not permitted”. The course is weighted heavily to technique (AO1 80–90%). Cambridge describes 0479 as “a solid foundation for further study of statistics”. It “supports the study of Cambridge International AS and A Level subjects which include a statistical element”. It replaces O Level Statistics 4040, whose final exam is November 2027.
When and where can the new subjects be sat?
This decides whether you can offer them at all.
| Psychology 0266 | Statistics 0479 | |
|---|---|---|
| First exam | June 2027 | June 2027 |
| June series | Administrative zones 2, 3, 4 and 5 | 2027: zones 3 and 4; from 2028: zones 3, 4, 5 and 6 |
| November series | All zones | Not available |
| Coursework | None | None |
| Guided learning hours | About 130 | About 130 |
| Grades | A*–G | A*–G |
Sources: Cambridge pages for 0266 and 0479. Check your school’s administrative zone with Cambridge before committing to Statistics in 2027.
Should your school offer them?
Ask four questions for each subject:
- Demand. Will enough students choose it for two years, and which later courses does it support for them? Cambridge links Psychology to AS & A Level Psychology, and Statistics to AS & A Level subjects with a statistical element.
- Staffing. Psychology needs a teacher confident with research methods and named studies. Statistics suits a mathematics teacher, but the applied topics, such as rates, index numbers and time series, differ from IGCSE Mathematics.
- Timetable. About 130 guided learning hours each, without squeezing core subjects.
- Availability. Statistics is June only, and in only some zones in 2027.
For staffing options when no specialist is available, see delivering a subject without a specialist teacher.
What support does Cambridge provide?
Cambridge says it aims to provide specimen papers and mark schemes, schemes of work, example candidate responses and, after the first exams, past papers and examiner reports. For Psychology, it also publishes named study summaries. Plan the first cohort around specimen papers, because real past papers will not exist until after June 2027.
How schools do this with AI Buddy
For new subjects with no past papers yet, AI Buddy gives teachers topic-level practice and data in the subjects it covers, and a way to track a first cohort without an established bank of papers. Psychology and Statistics are new syllabuses, so ask us what AI Buddy covers for 0266 and 0479 today before planning around it.
Frequently asked questions
Should schools add the new Cambridge IGCSE Psychology or Statistics?
Yes, if there is student demand, a teacher who can deliver the content, timetable space for about 130 hours, and the exam series is available in your administrative zone.
When is the first IGCSE Psychology 0266 exam?
June 2027. It is available in the June series in zones 2 to 5 and in the November series in all zones.
Is IGCSE Statistics 0479 available in November?
No. It is a June-only syllabus, available in zones 3 and 4 in 2027 and zones 3 to 6 from 2028.
Does IGCSE Psychology have coursework?
No. It is assessed by two written papers.
For every other syllabus change, see Cambridge Syllabus Changes 2027-2029.
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Sources
- Cambridge International, IGCSE Psychology 0266 and syllabus 2027–2029
- Cambridge International, IGCSE Statistics 0479, 2027 syllabus and 2028–2030 syllabus
- Cambridge International, Syllabus Changes (International), September 2026