Cambridge Pathway
Cambridge Pathway is the staged progression of Cambridge programmes, running from Early Years and Primary through Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary — where IGCSE sits — to Cambridge Advanced and the International AS and A Levels. Its point is continuity: a student changing schools between countries stays on one assessment framework rather than starting again.
Key facts
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Early Years | Pre-primary |
| Primary | Foundation subjects, with Checkpoint tests |
| Lower Secondary | Broader subject range, with Checkpoint tests |
| Upper Secondary | Cambridge IGCSE and O Level, ages 14–16 |
| Advanced | International AS and A Level, ages 16–19 |
| Reach | About 10,000 schools in 160 countries |
| What carries over | A shared curriculum framework and comparable assessment |
Continuity is the product
Families in international work move, and every move risks a lost year. The Cambridge Pathway exists to reduce that risk: a child leaving Lower Secondary in Singapore and arriving in Austria meets the same curriculum framework and the same style of assessment, and the receiving school can place them from recognisable evidence rather than guesswork. Checkpoint tests at the end of Primary and Lower Secondary exist largely for this — they are diagnostic rather than qualifications, and their value is telling a new school precisely where a student stands.
You do not have to start at the beginning
A common misreading is that the Pathway must be joined early. In practice most international students join at Upper Secondary, for IGCSE at fourteen, with no Cambridge history at all — from a national system, a German Gymnasium, or another international curriculum. Many schools also mix: Cambridge IGCSE at 14–16 followed by the IB Diploma rather than A Levels, which is a deliberate and common combination. The framework is a convenience, not a commitment.
At Schloss Krumbach
Schloss Krumbach joins the Pathway at the Upper Secondary stage. Students enter from Grade 7 into a broad bilingual Middle School, take IGCSE in the upper Middle School years, and then choose in Grade 10 between Cambridge International A Levels and the IB Diploma for Grades 11–12 — the school is accredited for both. Students arriving from another Cambridge school keep their framework; students arriving from a national system are placed by our own assessment in English, Mathematics, Societies, Sciences and, for Grades 7–9, German. Either way the entry point is the admissions assessment, not a prior Cambridge record.
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need to have studied Cambridge before?
No. Most students join at IGCSE with no Cambridge history. Placement is decided by our own assessment and interview.
Can a student take IGCSE and then the IB Diploma?
Yes, and it is a common combination. IGCSE at 14–16 is a foundation stage; the IB Diploma and A Levels are both valid routes from it, and at Schloss Krumbach the choice is made in Grade 10.
What are Checkpoint tests?
Diagnostic tests at the end of Primary and Lower Secondary. They are not qualifications — their purpose is to show a school exactly where a student stands, which is useful when transferring between countries.
Free PDF guide
IGCSE, IB or A Levels: which route fits your child?
The routes from Grade 9 to university side by side: what each qualification involves, how universities read it, and the questions to ask any school.
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