Edexcel IAL October 2026 Exam Timetable: Dates, Times and Paper Codes
The final Pearson Edexcel IAL October 2026 exam timetable runs from Thursday 8 October to Friday 30 October 2026. Find exam dates, paper codes, durations and international start times for Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Business, Economics and Accounting.
Edexcel IAL October 2026 Key Dates
Detail | October 2026 examinations |
First examination day | Thursday 8 October 2026 |
Last examination day | Friday 30 October 2026 |
Timetable status | Final |
Subjects included | Accounting, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Economics, Mathematics and Physics |
Total unit examinations | 36 |
Examination sessions | Morning and afternoon; local start times vary by country |
Your personal examination schedule depends on the specific units you have entered. Match the paper codes below against your statement of entry or the timetable issued by your examination centre.
Edexcel IAL October 2026 Exam Start Times by Country
The morning and afternoon labels in the timetable identify examination sessions. They do not necessarily mean that your paper starts in the morning or afternoon locally. For example, in Singapore, a morning-session paper has a published local start time of 1:00 pm.
The table below shows Pearson’s published October IAL start times for selected countries and territories. All times are local.
Country or territory | Morning-session start | Afternoon-session start |
Bangladesh | 11:00 am | 2:00 pm |
Brunei | 1:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
Cambodia | 12:00 pm | 3:00 pm |
China | 1:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
Egypt | 9:00 am | 12:00 pm |
Hong Kong | 1:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
India | 10:30 am | 1:30 pm |
Indonesia — Western Time | 12:00 pm | 3:00 pm |
Indonesia — Central Time | 1:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
Kuwait | 9:00 am | 12:00 pm |
Malaysia | 1:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
Oman | 9:00 am | 12:00 pm |
Pakistan | 10:00 am | 1:00 pm |
Philippines | 1:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
Qatar | 9:00 am | 12:00 pm |
Saudi Arabia | 9:00 am | 12:00 pm |
Singapore | 1:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
South Africa | 8:00 am | 11:00 am |
Sri Lanka | 10:30 am | 1:30 pm |
Taiwan | 1:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
Thailand | 12:00 pm | 3:00 pm |
United Arab Emirates | 9:00 am | 12:00 pm |
Vietnam | 12:00 pm | 3:00 pm |
Confirm your exact start and arrival times with your examination centre. Pearson permits centres to start examinations up to 30 minutes earlier or later than the published time without requesting approval. If you are taking your examinations through the British Council or another local examination authority, check the timings directly with them. For the complete country list and timing rules, see Pearson’s official October IAL international start-times document.
Edexcel IAL Mathematics October 2026 Timetable
The October 2026 Mathematics timetable includes Pure Mathematics P1–P4, Mechanics M1–M2 and Statistics S1–S2. Every paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes.
Paper | Exam code | Date | Session | Duration |
Pure Mathematics 1 — P1 | WMA11 01 | Friday 9 October | Morning | 1h 30m |
Pure Mathematics 2 — P2 | WMA12 01 | Thursday 15 October | Morning | 1h 30m |
Pure Mathematics 3 — P3 | WMA13 01 | Wednesday 21 October | Afternoon | 1h 30m |
Pure Mathematics 4 — P4 | WMA14 01 | Wednesday 28 October | Afternoon | 1h 30m |
Mechanics 1 — M1 | WME01 01 | Tuesday 13 October | Afternoon | 1h 30m |
Mechanics 2 — M2 | WME02 01 | Thursday 22 October | Morning | 1h 30m |
Statistics 1 — S1 | WST01 01 | Monday 19 October | Morning | 1h 30m |
Statistics 2 — S2 | WST02 01 | Monday 26 October | Morning | 1h 30m |
Planning tip: P1 and P2 are morning-session papers, while P3 and P4 are afternoon-session papers. Check each module separately when adding your examinations to a calendar.
Edexcel IAL Biology October 2026 Timetable
Biology examinations run from Monday 12 October to Thursday 29 October 2026, covering Units 1–6.
Paper | Exam code | Date | Session | Duration |
Unit 1: Molecules, Diet, Transport and Health | WBI11 01 | Monday 12 October | Afternoon | 1h 30m |
Unit 2: Cells, Development, Biodiversity and Conservation | WBI12 01 | Wednesday 14 October | Afternoon | 1h 30m |
Unit 3: Practical Skills in Biology I | WBI13 01 | Friday 16 October | Afternoon | 1h 20m |
Unit 4: Energy, Environment, Microbiology and Immunity | WBI14 01 | Friday 23 October | Morning | 1h 45m |
Unit 5: Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination and Gene Technology | WBI15 01 | Tuesday 27 October | Morning | 1h 45m |
Unit 6: Practical Skills in Biology II | WBI16 01 | Thursday 29 October | Morning | 1h 20m |
Planning tip: Units 1, 2 and 3 fall within five days, with only one full day between consecutive papers. If you are sitting all three, prepare for the complete sequence before 12 October.
Edexcel IAL Chemistry October 2026 Timetable
Chemistry examinations run from Friday 9 October to Thursday 29 October 2026. Units 3 and 6 last 1 hour 20 minutes, while Units 4 and 5 last 1 hour 45 minutes.
Paper | Exam code | Date | Session | Duration |
Unit 1: Structure, Bonding and Introduction to Organic Chemistry | WCH11 01 | Friday 9 October | Afternoon | 1h 30m |
Unit 2: Energetics, Group Chemistry, Halogenoalkanes and Alcohol | WCH12 01 | Tuesday 13 October | Morning | 1h 30m |
Unit 3: Practical Skills in Chemistry I | WCH13 01 | Tuesday 20 October | Morning | 1h 20m |
Unit 4: Rates, Equilibria and Further Organic Chemistry | WCH14 01 | Thursday 22 October | Afternoon | 1h 45m |
Unit 5: Transition Metals and Organic Nitrogen Chemistry | WCH15 01 | Monday 26 October | Afternoon | 1h 45m |
Unit 6: Practical Skills in Chemistry II | WCH16 01 | Thursday 29 October | Afternoon | 1h 20m |
Planning tip: Chemistry Unit 3 and Business Unit 3 are scheduled for the same morning session on 20 October. If you have entered both, contact your examination centre about the arrangements.
Edexcel IAL Physics October 2026 Timetable
Physics examinations run from Thursday 8 October to Friday 30 October 2026, spanning the first and last days of the series.
Paper | Exam code | Date | Session | Duration |
Unit 1: Mechanics and Materials | WPH11 01 | Thursday 8 October | Afternoon | 1h 30m |
Unit 2: Waves and Electricity | WPH12 01 | Thursday 15 October | Afternoon | 1h 30m |
Unit 3: Practical Skills in Physics I | WPH13 01 | Monday 19 October | Afternoon | 1h 20m |
Unit 4: Further Mechanics, Fields and Particles | WPH14 01 | Wednesday 21 October | Morning | 1h 45m |
Unit 5: Thermodynamics, Radiation, Oscillations and Cosmology | WPH15 01 | Wednesday 28 October | Morning | 1h 45m |
Unit 6: Practical Skills in Physics II | WPH16 01 | Friday 30 October | Afternoon | 1h 20m |
Planning tip: If you also take Mathematics, check 15, 21 and 28 October carefully. Each date includes a Physics paper and a Pure Mathematics paper in separate sessions.
Edexcel IAL Business October 2026 Timetable
All four Business examinations take place in the morning session and last 2 hours.
Paper | Exam code | Date | Session | Duration |
Unit 1: Marketing and People | WBS11 01 | Thursday 8 October | Morning | 2h |
Unit 2: Managing Business Activities | WBS12 01 | Wednesday 14 October | Morning | 2h |
Unit 3: Business Decisions and Strategy | WBS13 01 | Tuesday 20 October | Morning | 2h |
Unit 4: Global Business | WBS14 01 | Tuesday 27 October | Morning | 2h |
Planning tip: Business Unit 3 shares a session with Chemistry Unit 3. Business Unit 4 shares a session with Biology Unit 5. Check for clashes if you take either subject combination.
Edexcel IAL Economics October 2026 Timetable
Economics examinations run from Monday 12 October to Friday 30 October 2026. Units 1 and 2 last 1 hour 45 minutes, while Units 3 and 4 last 2 hours.
Paper | Exam code | Date | Session | Duration |
Unit 1: Markets in Action | WEC11 01 | Monday 12 October | Morning | 1h 45m |
Unit 2: Macroeconomic Performance and Policy | WEC12 01 | Friday 16 October | Morning | 1h 45m |
Unit 3: Business Behaviour | WEC13 01 | Friday 23 October | Afternoon | 2h |
Unit 4: Developments in the Global Economy | WEC14 01 | Friday 30 October | Morning | 2h |
Planning tip: Unit 3 is the only Economics paper scheduled for the afternoon session. Use the correct duration when practising each unit under timed conditions.
Edexcel IAL Accounting October 2026 Timetable
Both Accounting examinations take place on Tuesday afternoons, one week apart. Each paper lasts 3 hours.
Paper | Exam code | Date | Session | Duration |
Unit 1: The Accounting System and Costing | WAC11 01 | Tuesday 20 October | Afternoon | 3h |
Unit 2: Corporate and Management Accounting | WAC12 01 | Tuesday 27 October | Afternoon | 3h |
Planning tip: Include full three-hour practice papers in your preparation so you can assess pacing, accuracy and concentration across the entire examination.
October 2026 Exam Clashes and Busy Days
Checking each subject separately can make it easy to miss overlapping papers. Once you have found your units, put them together in one personal timetable.
Papers scheduled in the same session
The official timetable contains two same-session combinations:
Date | Session | Papers scheduled together |
Tuesday 20 October | Morning | Business Unit 3 and Chemistry Unit 3 |
Tuesday 27 October | Morning | Business Unit 4 and Biology Unit 5 |
If you are entered for both papers in either row, contact your exams officer promptly. Your centre must confirm the arrangements and your personal examination schedule.
Papers on the same day in different sessions
The following combinations have a morning and an afternoon paper on the same day:
Date | Morning paper | Afternoon paper |
Thursday 15 October | Pure Mathematics 2 | Physics Unit 2 |
Wednesday 21 October | Physics Unit 4 | Pure Mathematics 3 |
Wednesday 28 October | Physics Unit 5 | Pure Mathematics 4 |
Thursday 29 October | Biology Unit 6 | Chemistry Unit 6 |
These are separate-session examinations, but they can create demanding days. Finish the main revision for both papers beforehand, and plan food, travel and rest around your centre’s instructions.
How to Plan Revision Around the October 2026 Timetable
Build a personal timetable using your paper codes
For every unit you are taking, record the exam code, date, confirmed local start time, duration and venue. Add your required arrival time separately.
Paper codes help prevent confusion between units. For example, WMA11 01 identifies Pure Mathematics 1, while WMA12 01 identifies Pure Mathematics 2.
Prepare early for closely spaced examinations
Look for the busiest part of your schedule before deciding how to divide your revision time. Biology Units 1–3 fall on 12, 14 and 16 October, while several Mathematics and Physics combinations fall on the same day.
Aim to complete the main content revision for these papers before the sequence begins. Use the shorter gaps for reviewing errors, practising targeted questions and refreshing key methods.
Practise with the correct time limit
Use the duration listed for your exact paper.
Include the practical-skills units
Biology, Chemistry and Physics Units 3 and 6 each have their own examination dates. Give them dedicated preparation time, including questions on experimental methods, interpreting data and evaluating procedures.
Recheck your centre’s instructions
Before each examination, confirm the venue, permitted equipment, arrival time and any individual arrangements. The durations in this article are Pearson’s standard durations; your centre will confirm any approved access arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Edexcel IAL October 2026 timetable final?
Yes. Keep your centre’s personal timetable available and follow any subsequent instructions it issues.
What time do Edexcel IAL exams start in Singapore and Malaysia?
Pearson’s published October IAL start times for both countries are 1:00 pm for morning-session papers and 4:00 pm for afternoon-session papers. Confirm your exact start and arrival times with your examination centre.
What time do Edexcel IAL exams start in the UAE?
The published October IAL start times for the United Arab Emirates are 9:00 am for morning-session papers and 12:00 pm for afternoon-session papers. Your centre should confirm the exact arrangements.
What should I do if two examinations clash?
Contact your examination centre or exams officer as soon as you identify the clash. Ask for confirmation of the arrangements and an updated personal timetable.
Where can I download the official timetable?
Download the Pearson Edexcel IAL October 2026 final examination timetable and check the October IAL international start-times document alongside your centre’s personal schedule.
