Cambridge Primary Progression Test - Stage 5 English Mark Scheme May 2026

For educators, parents, and coordinators following the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) curriculum, the Cambridge Primary Progression Test is a critical benchmarking tool. Specifically, for students in Stage 5 (typically ages 9–10), these tests provide a snapshot of learner progress at the end of the primary programme, before they transition into the lower secondary phase (Cambridge Checkpoint).

However, administering the test is only half the battle. The true value lies in understanding the Cambridge Primary Progression Test - Stage 5 English Mark Scheme. This document is not merely an answer key; it is a blueprint for assessment, learning objectives, and skill evaluation.

This article will dissect the mark scheme in detail, explaining its structure, how to interpret its codes, common pitfalls, and how to use it to drive student achievement.

This section is typically objective, using a separate 10-15 mark section or integrated into reading/writing. The mark scheme here is binary: right or wrong.

Let’s walk through a typical Stage 5 question.

Text Extract (from a letter): "I am absolutely furious that you broke my favourite model aeroplane. It took me three weeks to build." This section is typically objective, using a separate

Question: How does the writer feel? Give two pieces of evidence from the text to support your answer. (2 marks)

Simplified Mark Scheme:

Common student error: Writes "furious" as the feeling but copies "three weeks" as evidence without explaining it. The mark scheme says: No mark if evidence is irrelevant to the feeling.

While you should not give students the confidential mark scheme, you can create a simplified rubric. For writing, turn the level descriptors into a checklist:

The writing mark scheme assesses students' ability to: Common student error: Writes "furious" as the feeling

The mark scheme consists of:

Assessment Criteria:

The assessment criteria for the Stage 5 English Progression Test are based on the Cambridge Primary English curriculum. The criteria include:

Writing (30 marks):

Marking Guidelines:

The marking guidelines provide detailed information on how to assess student responses. The guidelines include: Writing (30 marks):

Sample Questions and Mark Scheme:

Here are some sample questions and mark scheme:

Reading:

Writing: