All the Basics You Need to Know About IGCSE

Being a parent of a studying child in the UK, you might want to know about IGCSE, why it is important, if it is accepted by universities, IGCSE subjects, and Exam boards. So, today, we will talk about IGCSE in detail.

 

What is IGCSE?

IGCSE is an acronym for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is considered equivalent to the GCSE qualification that is pursued by students in the year 10 - 11 in the UK. It is meant to prepare students for pre-university level study, for instance, A-levels. You will find this qualification in the UK typically in private and international schools. State schools usually follow the GCSE curriculum.

 

Is IGCSE more important than GCSE?

As the name implies, IGCSE is recognized at an international level as a highly-revered official high school qualification. In fact, it is the pathway that a student should choose if he/she wants to pursue higher academic education in the UK and beyond.

 

Passing IGCSE exams indicates that the High School education is completed. These exams are designed for students above 14 who want to further progress on to A-levels or other international equivalents before taking admission to a university.

 

UK Undergraduate courses have certain specifications at the IGCSE level for an applicant to receive an offer and also require the applicant to obtain the required A-level grades.

 

IGCSE Subjects

A variety of subjects are available such as IGCSE Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Geography, Economics, Mathematics, etc. Apart from the English language, they are also available in a number of non-English languages, such as French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Greek, Urdu, and Japanese.

 

Most schools in the UK have a requirement for students to take a minimum of 5 or 6 IGCSE subjects that must include the three necessary subjects – English, Science, and Mathematics. In addition to these core subjects, students are allowed to choose from different subjects in areas, such as arts, humanities, STEM, and sports.

 

The additional subjects should be chosen based on what a student finds most interesting and what are their future career goals and plans. While choosing these subjects, a student should think about what subjects he/she wants to study at A-Level and university.

 

What you must remember is that top-ranking universities prefer the quality of IGCSEs over the quantity. So, taking fewer IGCSEs will not affect your child’s chances of a successful application as long as he/she has achieved stronger grades in the subjects taken.

 

IGCSE Exam Boards

IGCSEs are typically accredited by either Cambridge (Cambridge International Examinations) or Edexcel (Pearson Edexcel) exam boards. While Cambridge uses the traditional A – G grading system (with exceptions), Pearson Edexcel uses the new nine-point grading scale.

 

Looking for an Edexcel IGCSE Physics tutor in the UK? Well, you can easily find one online who is experienced, knowledgeable, and highly qualified.