Cambridge IGCSE Arabic as a Foreign Language (0544): syllabus, papers and marking

June series only, all papers in Modern Standard Arabic. Reading and Writing are marked on the points covered, the tense used and the spelling.

Syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (2028–2030 published: Reading and Writing become 40 marks each and Reading is all multiple choice) · June series · grades A*–G

Arabic as a Foreign Language 0544: where the marks go

Arabic 0544 is four equally weighted papers, all in Modern Standard Arabic: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing, 25% each. It is for learners of Arabic as a foreign language and is examined in June only. Writing is where marks go on task completion, tense and spelling.

We can set and mark Reading and Writing. Listening and Speaking are sat at the centre. Writing is marked for the communication points covered, with tense and spelling errors listed.

How we mark a real script

Paper structure and what we mark

PaperTimeMarksWeightQuestions
Paper 1 — ListeningAbout 50 min4025%Recordings with multiple-choice and matching questions (sat at the centre)
Paper 2 — Reading1 h4525%Texts with multiple-choice and matching questions and short-answer questions
Paper 3 — SpeakingAbout 10 min4025%One role play and conversations on two topics; internally assessed, externally moderated
Paper 4 — Writing1 h4525%One form-filling task, one directed writing task and one email/letter or article/blog

Syllabus outline

  1. Topic areas A–E: everyday activities, personal and social life, the world around us, the world of work, the international world
  2. Paper 1 Listening: multiple-choice and matching on recordings
  3. Paper 2 Reading: matching, multiple choice and short answers
  4. Paper 3 Speaking: role play and two conversations
  5. Paper 4 Writing: form-filling, directed writing and an email, letter, article or blog
  6. From 2028: Reading and Writing are 40 marks each and Reading is all multiple choice

How each paper is marked here

Where Arabic as a Foreign Language 0544 candidates lose marks

  1. Tasks answered in the wrong tense — Each communication point has a tense; drifting out of it loses the mark.
  2. Poor spelling — Incorrect spelling does not gain marks.
  3. Too much on the first tasks — Covering the first two points at length leaves too few words for the rest.
  4. Short answers not manipulated — Reading answers need the verb or pronoun changed to fit the question.
  5. Illegible handwriting — An answer the examiner cannot read cannot be credited.

Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for 0544

See a real handwritten script marked by eight examiners at admitportfolio.com/examiners.

Questions teachers ask

Does it mark speaking and listening?
No. Both are sat at the centre.
Which series?
June only.
Is this the same as First Language Arabic?
No. 0508 is the first-language syllabus; 0544 is the foreign-language one.
Is this official Cambridge marking?
No. Cambridge International Education marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for 0544. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
Do you reproduce past-paper questions?
No. Every 0544 paper here is original and written to the syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (2028–2030 published: reading and writing become 40 marks each and reading is all multiple choice), in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
Which papers are marked?
None yet are marked question by question. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.
How is the next paper chosen?
From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.
When are the exams?
June series. Grades A*–G.

Other Cambridge IGCSE courses

Start marking Arabic as a Foreign Language scripts · See a real marked script