The Cambridge International Certificate in Teaching and Learning (CICTL) is designed to help practising teachers develop their professional thinking and practice, and enhance their teaching and learning quality.
It helps teachers explore and apply new ideas in their context, integrate new approaches in their practice, and demonstrate their professional development as reflective practitioners.
Upon successful completion of the CICTL, teachers will gain a qualification that is internationally recognised and valued for further professional and career development.
The Cambridge International Certificate in Teaching and Learning (CICTL) – Full Run Programme offers you the quickest and most direct path to obtaining the certificate from the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). The programme is designed to build your knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning based on the spiral approach through a 19-week course.
To qualify for the final e-Portfolio submission, you are required to complete the following three units:
• Unit 1 – Understanding principles of teaching and learning
• Unit 2 – Teaching an effective lesson
• Unit 3 – Facilitating active learning through effective teaching and assessment
Read on to find out the course outliner and requirements for the CICTL – Full Run Programme.
All about CICTL
- Are employed full- or part-time in an educational institute such as a school, college, university, or adult training centre.
- Teach in their current institutes for a full academic year, for a minimum of 24 weeks, and a minimum of six hours per week.
- Have the regular support of a mentor (trusted colleague) who understands the essential principles that underpin this qualification and can provide helpful advice and observations.
- Teach a group with a minimum of six learners.
- Are responsible for planning, teaching and formatively assessing the groups of learners.
- Have sufficient competence in English, i.e. competence comparable to Level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) or a minimum IELTS Band 6.5.
The CICTL course is designed to complete candidates’ submissions within 6 months after enrolment.
It involves approximately 150 hours of preparation.
| CICTL Full Run | Dates |
| July Batch | 14 Jul – 6 Dec 2025 |
| Januari Batch | 12 Jan – 19 Jun 2026 |
- Understand the principles of learning and teaching, and apply these principles to your own practice
- Design coherent learning activities that focus on planning for active learning and teaching
- Use approaches to teaching and learning appropriately to help students to learn more effectively
- Develop your reflective practise skills to help you to evaluate and develop your own practice
- Learn collaboratively, supported by your colleagues
- PDQs are internationally recognised as a mark of excellence for the individual teacher or leader.
- In the UK, the certificate is accredited with 60 credits at FHEQ level 4
- The qualifications help to improve teachers’ and leaders’ professional profile and are valued for further professional and career development
Candidates will be required to submit a portfolio for each unit to Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). In their portfolios, candidates must demonstrate their professional thinking and practice as clearly and efficiently as possible.
They must submit:
Unit 1:
Unit 1 Evidence of practice: Unit 1 Observation Visit Form, a copy of the lesson plan for the lesson you observed (not assessed)
Unit 1 Evidence of learning (800 words)
Unit 1 Evidence of reflection (400 words)
Unit 2:
Unit 2 Evidence of practice: Unit 2 Lesson Plan, Unit 2 Observer Feedback Form
Unit 2 Evidence of learning (600 words)
Unit 2 Evidence of reflection (600 words)
Unit 3:
Unit 3 Evidence of practice: Unit 3 Lesson Plan, Unit 3 Observer Feedback Form, Unit 3 Teaching Activity Log
Unit 3 Evidence of learning (400 words)
Unit 3 Evidence of reflection (800 words)
All completed ePortfolios are to be uploaded to CAIE’s PDQ Connect Portal.
Syllabus Overview
Unit 1: Understanding principles of learning and teaching
- Explain your understanding of the concept of learning and how people learn.
- Review teaching methods and learning activities you use in your practice that engage and motivate students to learn
- Explain your understanding of the term ‘assessment’ and its purpose
- Identify and explain key features of what you think makes an effective lesson, and evaluate the impact any new learning will have on your future professional practice.
Unit 2: Teaching an effective lesson
- Plan a lesson that has clear aims and objectives and a coherent structure
- Teach a lesson using active learning approaches to engage and motivate students to learn
- Teach a lesson in which student’s learning is regularly checked at suitable stages using appropriate formative assessment methods
- Evaluate a lesson using feedback from your mentor and your own reflections to inform future practice
Unit 3: Facilitating active learning through effective teaching
- Plan a sequence of lessons that are coherent and have well-defined links to previous learning and the learning objectives
- Teach lessons that are effectively managed using active learning strategies and where learning is often differentiated
- Teach lessons using formative assessment methods to support and monitor the students’ learning
- Evaluate lessons to identify strengths and areas for further development in the classroom practice