IGCSE Exam Timetable June 2026: When Your Exams Actually Are and How to Plan Around Them
The June 2026 IGCSE exam timetable is out, and if you’re sitting here trying to figure out whether your Biology exam comes before or after Physics, or how many days you’ve got between Maths and English, you’re not alone. Here’s everything laid out clearly, along with the planning advice nobody gives you until it’s too late.
What’s covered in this guide
The Dates You Actually Need to Know
The June 2026 IGCSE exam period runs from late April through mid-June. Yes, “June exams” start in April. That’s just how it works, and it catches people off guard every year.
Cambridge IGCSE exams begin on April 23, 2026 for most subjects. Edexcel IGCSE starts slightly later, around May 7, 2026. But here’s what matters more than the official start date: when do your specific subjects begin?
If your first exam is Biology on April 30th and you’re planning to start serious revision in mid-April, you’ve already left it too late. The timetable isn’t an abstract thing. It’s the hard deadline for everything you’re supposed to know.
Critical for UAE students: The UAE is in Cambridge Zone 4. Make absolutely certain you’re looking at the Zone 4 timetable, not Zone 1 or the UK version. The dates are different. Using the wrong timetable means you could show up on the wrong day, which has happened and is not something you recover from easily.
Cambridge IGCSE June 2026 Timetable
Here are the core subjects most UAE students take, with their actual exam dates. These are for Cambridge Zone 4, which covers the UAE.
| Subject | Exam Date | Session | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (Core & Extended) | Wednesday, 29 April 2026 | PM | Core: 1h 30m / Extended: 2h |
| Biology (Core & Extended) | Thursday, 30 April 2026 | AM | 1h 15m |
| English (First Language) | Wednesday, 06 May 2026 | AM | 2h |
| ICT (Practical Test) | Thursday, 07 May 2026 | PM | 1h 30m |
| Physics (Core & Extended) | Friday, 08 May 2026 | AM | 1h 15m |
| Business Studies (Paper 1) | Monday, 11 May 2026 | AM | 1h 30m |
| Business Studies (Paper 2) | Monday, 18 May 2026 | AM | 1h 30m |
| Economics | Friday, 22 May 2026 | AM | 2h 15m |
A few things jump out immediately. Maths and Biology are back to back, literally one day apart. If you’re taking both sciences, Biology comes first, then Physics a week later. English sits right in the middle of the first wave of exams.
Most Cambridge subjects have multiple papers. The table above shows Paper 1 or the main theory paper. Paper 2, Paper 3, and any practical or coursework components have different dates. You need to check the full official timetable from Cambridge for every single component of every subject you’re taking.
Where to find the complete Cambridge timetable
Your school should provide you with a personalized timetable showing every exam you’re registered for. If they haven’t yet, ask your exams officer. Don’t wait for them to remember.
You can also download the full Zone 4 timetable directly from the Cambridge International website. It’s a PDF with every subject, every component, every variant. It’s dense, but it’s official and it’s what your school is working from.
Edexcel IGCSE June 2026 Timetable
Edexcel runs on a different schedule from Cambridge. If your school follows Edexcel, these are the dates that apply to you. Do not use Cambridge dates if you’re an Edexcel student. They’re not interchangeable.
Edexcel exams typically start in early May and run through mid-June. The exact dates vary by subject, but the overall window is similar to Cambridge, just shifted slightly later.
For the most accurate Edexcel timetable, check the official Pearson Edexcel examination timetable on their website. Your school will also have the specific dates for the subjects you’re registered for.
Check which board you’re actually sitting: Some schools in the UAE offer both Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSEs. You might be taking Cambridge Maths and Edexcel English. It happens. Make absolutely sure you know which board applies to which of your subjects, because the exam dates will be different.
UAE Time Zones and What Actually Matters
The UAE operates in Gulf Standard Time, which is UTC+4. Cambridge refers to this as Zone 4 for administrative purposes. When you see “Zone 4” on timetables and registration documents, that’s you.
What this means practically: exam times listed on the Cambridge Zone 4 timetable are already in UAE local time. You don’t need to convert anything. If it says “AM session,” that means morning in Sharjah or Dubai or wherever your exam center is.
Morning sessions typically start between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM. Afternoon sessions usually begin around 1:00 PM or 2:00 PM. Your school will tell you the exact reporting time, which is always earlier than the actual exam start time because there’s registration, ID checks, and settling in.
Ramadan and exam timing
Ramadan is happening right now in March 2026, which means it’ll wrap up just as the exam period begins in late April. If you’re reading this during Ramadan, be honest with yourself about how much quality revision you’re actually getting done. Some students maintain focus well during fasting. Others find their energy and concentration drop, especially in the afternoons. Neither is wrong, but your revision plan needs to account for whichever one describes you. The final weeks of Ramadan and the transition back to normal eating schedules can be rough timing-wise, given that your first exams start almost immediately after.
What to Do If Your Exams Clash
Sometimes the timetable puts two of your exams in the same session on the same day. It’s not common, but it happens, especially if you’re taking less common subject combinations or if you’re registered for multiple variants of the same subject.
If you have a clash, your school’s exams officer should have already flagged it and made arrangements. The usual solution is that you sit one exam at the normal time and the other in a supervised room either immediately before or immediately after. You’ll finish one, get a short break under supervision, then go straight into the next one.
This is exhausting. Two exams back to back with minimal break is not ideal, but it’s manageable if you’re prepared for it mentally and physically. Bring water, bring snacks for the break between exams, and make sure you’ve eaten properly beforehand.
What you cannot do is move your exam to a different day. The timetable is fixed globally for security reasons. If you have a legitimate clash, the solution is always sitting both exams on the same day with accommodation, never rescheduling.
If your school hasn’t mentioned a clash and you think you have one: Tell your exams officer immediately. Don’t assume they’ve noticed. Exam registration involves hundreds of students and dozens of subjects. Things get missed. It’s your responsibility to make sure your personal timetable works.
Building a Revision Plan That Actually Works
Now that you know when your exams are, you can work backward to build a realistic revision timeline. And I do mean realistic, not aspirational.
Start with your earliest exam
If Maths is on April 29th, that’s your anchor point. Count back eight weeks from that date. That’s late February, early March. That should be when focused, structured Maths revision begins, not when you’re casually thinking about maybe starting to look at past papers eventually.
For most students, eight to ten weeks of solid revision per subject is about right. Less than that and you’re rushing. More than twelve weeks and you burn out or forget the early material by the time exams arrive.
Prioritize based on exam order
You don’t revise all subjects equally from day one. The subjects with the earliest exams get priority in your schedule. If Biology is April 30th and Economics isn’t until May 22nd, you focus harder on Biology in March and early April. Economics gets more attention in late April and early May.
This sounds obvious, but I’ve watched students distribute their revision time equally across all subjects right up until exam day, which means they’re still studying for their last exam while sitting their first one. That’s backwards.
Use the gaps between exams strategically
Look at the spacing in the timetable. You’ve got Maths on April 29th, Biology on April 30th, then nothing until English on May 6th. That’s nearly a week. If you’re taking Chemistry or Physics or another subject that comes later, use that gap for intensive revision on those topics.
Students often waste the gaps. They finish an exam, take a few days to recover, then panic-revise the night before the next one. Better approach: plan your revision blocks around the natural breaks in your exam schedule.
Account for multiple papers per subject
Most IGCSE subjects have at least two papers, sometimes three or four if you count practicals and coursework. Don’t assume that finishing Paper 1 means you’re done with that subject. Check how many components you’re sitting and when each one is scheduled.
For subjects like English, where Paper 1 might be reading comprehension and Paper 2 is writing, you need different revision strategies for each component. They’re not interchangeable even though they’re the same subject.
Something students get wrong: Thinking revision means re-reading notes. It doesn’t. Revision means actively practicing exam questions, testing yourself, identifying gaps, and fixing them. Reading is passive. Testing is active. The second one is what improves your grade.
Common Planning Mistakes to Avoid
I’ve seen these happen often enough that they’re worth calling out specifically.
Assuming you’ll remember everything from class
You won’t. The gap between learning something in September and being tested on it in May is eight months. That’s a long time. If you haven’t actively revised a topic since you first learned it, you’ve forgotten most of it. Plan your revision assuming you need to relearn, not just refresh.
Leaving past papers until the week before
Past papers should be part of your revision from the beginning, not something you do at the end to “test yourself.” Working through past papers is how you learn what examiners actually ask, how they phrase questions, and what level of detail they expect. Do them early, do them often, and actually mark them properly using the mark schemes.
Not checking for updates or changes
Exam boards occasionally make changes to syllabuses, add or remove topics, or adjust assessment formats. If you’re using revision materials from previous years, make sure they match the current syllabus. Your school should have told you about any changes, but double-check the official syllabus documents yourself.
Ignoring practicals and coursework deadlines
Some subjects have practical exams or coursework components that are due well before the written exam. Art coursework might be due in March. Science practicals could be in April. These deadlines are as firm as the written exam dates. Missing them affects your overall grade, sometimes severely.
Planning like you have infinite energy
Your revision timetable should include rest days. Actual rest days where you don’t study. You’re not a machine. Burnout is real, and pushing through exhaustion produces diminishing returns. One focused hour when you’re rested is worth more than three hours when you’re fried.
Struggling to build a revision plan that works?
Edugravity helps IGCSE students in Sharjah and across the UAE prepare strategically for exams. We don’t just teach content, we teach how to revise effectively, how to use past papers properly, and how to manage exam stress without falling apart. Small groups, experienced tutors, realistic timelines.
WhatsApp Us Book Free DemoWhat You Should Actually Do Now
First, get your complete personal timetable from your school. Not just the main subjects, every single component you’re sitting. Write down the dates somewhere you’ll see them daily.
Second, work backward from your earliest exam to figure out when focused revision needs to start. Not “I should probably start thinking about this” time, but actual structured study time.
Third, look at the gaps between your exams and plan how you’ll use them. The students who do well aren’t necessarily the ones who study the most hours. They’re the ones who study the right things at the right times.
Fourth, if you have any exam clashes, any questions about times or dates, any uncertainty about which exam board you’re sitting, sort it out now. March is not the time to discover you’ve been looking at the wrong timetable.
The exam dates are what they are. You can’t change them, and they’re not moving to suit your schedule. What you can control is how prepared you are when they arrive. The timetable is public information. There’s no excuse for being surprised by when your exams actually are.
Our IGCSE students typically start structured revision 10-12 weeks before their first exam. Not casual review, actual strategic preparation with clear weekly goals and regular progress checks. If you’re not sure where to start or how to structure your time effectively, talk to us about building a plan that works for your specific subjects and timeline.
Key Takeaways
- June 2026 IGCSE exams start in late April, not June. First Cambridge exams begin April 23, Edexcel starts around May 7.
- UAE students must use Cambridge Zone 4 timetable or Edexcel international timetable depending on their exam board.
- Core subjects like Maths and Biology are scheduled close together, requiring careful revision planning to cover both adequately.
- Start focused revision 8-10 weeks before your first exam, prioritizing subjects with earlier dates.
- Exam clashes are handled by sitting both exams on the same day under supervision, never by rescheduling.
- Check your complete personal timetable including all papers and components, not just main exams.
- Use gaps between exams strategically for intensive revision on later subjects rather than wasting recovery time.
