Cambridge IGCSE - An Overview
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education or IGCSE as it is more commonly known, is an English language based examination similar to GCSE. It is recognised in the UK as being equivalent to the GCSE for the purposes of recognising prior attainment. It was developed initially by the University of Cambridge International Examinations. Currently, the examination boards of Edexcel and Oxford AQA also offer their own versions of International GCSEs. Normally, the students begin studying the syllabus at the beginning of Year 10 and take the test at the end of Year 11. However, in some international schools students can begin studying the syllabus at the beginning of Year 9 and take the test at the end of Year 10.This format rather popular in India.
If you are as parent thinking of enrolling your child into an international programme, then IGCSE is one of the most popular curricula across the world. Below you will find information about the schedule of IGCSE, the subjects that are offered under this programme by Cambridge, Oxford AQA and Edexcel. This information will help you make the right choice for your ward.
Cambridge IGCSE
The Cambridge IGCSE is one of the world’s most popular international qualification for 10th graders. IGCSE was developed by the Cambridge International Examinations in 1984. The students who pass the IGCSE examinations can do International Baccalaureate (IB) or CIE-A Level.
CMBRIDGE IGCSE SUBJECTS
The Cambridge examination board offers an ICE (International Certificate of Education) group qualification for candidates who achieve 7 subject passes A*-C across the following groups:
- Group I: Languages
- Group II: Humanities and Social Sciences
- Group III: Sciences
- Group IV: Mathematics
- Group V: Creative and Professionals.
The ICE is awarded in three grades: Distinction, Merit and Pass. It requires 2 passes in Languages, and one pass in every other group whilst the seventh subject be in any group to be qualified for an award.
In addition, to award top candidates with the uppermost achievement, Cambridge awards "Outstanding Achievement Awards" in the categories of "top in country", and "top in world" for each subject.
IGCSE SCHEDULE
THE Cambridge IGCSE exams are conducted in the months of February in India only, May and October, and the results are released in May, August and January respectively. The exams are set by CAIE, which is part of the Cambridge Assessment that also includes the OCR gcse examination board.
Edexcel International GCSE
Edexcel International GCSE exams are held in the months of June and January. The exams are set by Edexcel which also sets GCSE exams in the UK.
Oxford AQA International GCSE
Oxford AQA International GCSE exams are conducted in May/June and November. The exams are set by Oxford International AQA Examinations which is a joint venture between AQA which sets GCSE exams in the UK and Oxford University Press(OUP).
IGCSE Presence Worldwide
Before the early 2010s, most schools offering the IGCSE were private International Schools for expatriate children around the world. However, in the 2010s, an increasing number of independent schools within the United Kingdom began also offering IGCSEs as an alternative to conventional British GCSEs . The push for IGCSE in the UK came on the basis that international IGCSE subjects are more challenging than the national curriculum.
Grading, courseload, and awarding
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education has the same grading as GCSE, namely, the 9-1 grade International General Certificate of Secondary Education being made available. Most IGCSE subjects offer a choice of tiered examinations: Core or Extended papers (in Cambridge), and Foundation or Higher papers (in Edexcel). This is designed to make IGCSE suitable for students with varying levels of ability. In some subjects, IGCSE can be taken with or without coursework.
In the case of Further Mathematics, an extra A^ grade was added for students that can "demonstrate sustained performance in higher-level maths skills such as reasoning, proof and problem-solving."
Recognition and Equivalence
IGCSE is a qualification which is recognised by institutions in the world. Many students finishing the IGCSE move on to post-16 study, in preparation for exams such as the A-Levels or the international baccalaureate. It also allows further vocational education and is often considered the baseline for employment.
The IGCSE Certification is comparable to many secondary school curricula worldwide, such as England's GCSE, the North American GED or high school diploma, Hong Kong's HKCEE, Singapore's O-Level, and the Indian CBSE or ICSE courses. The IGCSE prepares students for further academic study, including progression to A Level and BTEC Level 3 study, Cambridge Pre-U, IB Diploma Programme and other equivalents. It is recognised by academic institutions and employers around the world and is considered by many institutions as equivalent to the standard GCSE.
Hong Kong
The IGCSE exam is widely used in international schools in Hong Kong. Students in Hong Kong can take the Cambridge exam board as well as the Edexcel exam board, either at their school or registering through the Hong Kong Education Bureau as individual candidates.
Singapore & Malaysia
The IGCSE exam is predominantly used in international schools, while other schools offer it as an alternative to O Level exams.
United Kingdom
The official status of IGCSEs has changed several times in the UK.
In 2013 the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) allowed more use of IGCSE subjects in state-funded schools. Ofqual allowed the use of Cambridge IGCSE exams under the name of "Cambridge International Certificates". Initially 16 of Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses received UK government accreditation. Following that, the UK government announced that the 16 accredited Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses could also be funded in state-maintained schools. Subsequently, Cambridge IGCSE German and Spanish were also been accredited and funded, taking the total number of accredited and funded Cambridge IGCSEs to 18. For accreditation purposes, the syllabuses are referenced as "Cambridge International Certificates" in the UK, although they are known across the world as Cambridge IGCSEs.
However from 2017 the government decided to exclude IGCSEs from official performance tables, and consequentially entries from state schools have fallen. So that whilst "international GCSEs no longer meet the condition of funding; however, they do continue to count as equivalent to GCSEs for the purposes of recognising prior attainment."
In 2018, 91% of IGCSE UK entries in core subjects were in private schools , and about 75% for all subjects.
United States
While the number of North American schools offering the IGCSE remains small, some home-schooling educators are said to be choosing the IGCSE instead of a typical North American high school curriculum. According to many of these educators, the IGCSE curriculum may be more advanced than a typical North American secondary school course by at least one year.
IGCSE in the Pandemic
During the 2019/2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, all IGCSE examinations due to take place in May/June 2020 were cancelled, along with GCSE and A-Level exams that year. As of the 31st March 2020, the CAIE had decided to guide schools to predict students' grades through evidence like mock examination results.
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