May 19 : As India’s ambitious learners chart pathways to global universities and future-ready careers, the March 2026 exam series from Cambridge International Education has recorded its strongest growth across senior secondary qualifications in recent years. Results released today reveal an increase of 7% on last year.
The continued growth of the March series – the largest of Cambridge’s three exam series in India each year– reflects a sustained acceleration in how Indian schools and families are embracing the flexible academic pathways offered by Cambridge IGCSE and International AS & A Level. Cambridge is the only international awarding body to hold a March exam series aligned to the Indian academic calendar, enabling students to meet local admission deadlines or explore international opportunities. In total, 447 schools in India sat for the exams in the March series.
Cambridge IGCSE entries grew 6% in this series, continuing a steady upward trajectory that reflects the expanding base of schools offering Cambridge at the secondary level. Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry were the most popular subjects, underscoring the depth of engagement at the foundation level and creating the academic pipeline needed for advanced study. However, the breadth in subject entries at Cambridge IGCSE – including Global Perspectives, Environmental Studies and Business Studies – confirms that schools are building genuine curriculum depth across disciplines.
Cambridge International AS & A Level: India’s sharpest growth signal
The headline finding of the March 2026 series is the acceleration at the senior secondary level, with entries for Cambridge International AS & A Level up 12% year on year. The qualification is recognised by top universities in India and worldwide and gives students a choice of assessment pathways to suit their aspirations. Entries for Cambridge International AS Level grew by 16% – the single highest growth rate recorded across any qualification in this series. Cambridge International A Level entries grew by 8%.
Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry lead entries at International AS & A Level – in the same order as at Cambridge IGCSE. This consistency across the qualification stages reflects a generation of learners pairing commercial ambition with scientific rigour: a profile strongly aligned with competitive global universities and future-focused career pathways in finance, technology, engineering, and international commerce.
Vinay Sharma, Cambridge’s Regional Director for International Education in South Asia, said,
“Our heartiest congratulations to all the students who took Cambridge exams in our March series. The growth in Cambridge International AS & A Level entries is the strongest signal we have seen that students and parents recognise it offers a pathway worthy of ambition. What makes this possible is flexibility in the curriculum itself, where students have the freedom to design their academic profile, and have it recognised by universities in India and across the world. The consistency of subject preferences across Cambridge IGCSE and International AS & A Level tells us that Indian learners understand exactly what they are preparing for, and they are preparing seriously. We wish them the best for their future.”
Demand for international education is increasing at every stage in India, leading Cambridge to introduce a new series of Cambridge Checkpoint tests in March this year for primary and lower secondary learners. The new series is better aligned to the academic year in India, enabling schools to make timely decisions to support learners’ progression to secondary education and Cambridge IGCSE.