The tutoring program specifically designed to develop confidence in students to solve problems which are in accordance with Cambridge & Edexcel IGCSE/ GCSE guidelines
IGCSE / GCSE
IGCSE - International General Certificate of Secondary Education
IGCSE Exam Boards
CIE or EDEXCEL
For IGCSE or A-level curriculum, there are generally 2 boards to choose
CIE is the Cambridge International Examination
Edexcel (Pearson Edexcel) exam boards
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How to calculate IGCSE marks
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IGCSE results were traditionally graded from A* – G, however, from June 2017, schools in England began introducing a 9 – 1 grading system for IGCSEs.
Cambridge — the A* – G system is still in place for the majority of students and countries, however the new 9 – 1 system is available on an optional basis for schools in certain regions.
Pearson Edexcel – all International GCSEs are now awarded using the new nine point grading scale.
The results are graded from 9 – 1, which replaced the old A* – G grading system in the last few years. Grades 9 – 7 are equivalent to A* – A;
Grades 6 – 4 are equivalent to B – C;
Grade 3 – 2 are equivalent to D – G
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How to choose your IGCSE subjects
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Most schools require students to take a minimum of 5 or 6 IGCSE subjects which must include the 3 compulsory subjects of English, Science and Maths. Alongside these ‘core’ subjects, students can choose from a number of different subjects in areas such as arts, humanities, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and sports.
The Key Difference Between CIE And EDEXCEL
The two examinations are structured differently. CIE uses a tiered examination system which offers students the option of entering at either the Foundation or Higher levels. The more difficult questions are given in the Higher level papers. In the case of EDEXCEL, only mathematics has tiered entry. For all other subjects, there is only one set of question papers which means that both difficult and easy questions will be in the same paper.
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Difficulty Level CIE And EDEXCEL
Both the exams are considered to be of the same difficulty level over all with differences in opinion regarding subject wise difficulty.
An example being that, CIE has a reputation for being easier than Edexcel for English, and harder for maths.
IGCSE Core And IGCSE Extended
What is the difference between IGCSE Core and IGCSE Extended?
To take into account differing abilities, there is a choice between Core and Extended curriculum papers in some subjects.
The Core curriculum is within the ability range of a large majority of students. It provides a full overview of the subject and is targeted at students expected to achieve grades C to G.
The Extended curriculum has been designed for the more academically able. It is targeted at those expected to achieve grades A* to E.
CORE
The Core curriculum is within the ability range of a large majority of students
Target Grades: C D E F G
EXTENDED
The Extended curriculum has been designed for the more academically able
Target Grades: A* A B C D E
GCSE -General Certificate of Secondary Education
GCSE Exam boards
There are mainly 5 GCSE examination boards
Pearson Edexcel, offered by a subsidiary of the Pearson publishing company
AQA,
OCR,
CCEA,
WJEC.
All 5 examination boards are additionally regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual).
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How to calculate GCSE marks
GCSE results are graded from 9 – 1, which replaced the old A* – G grading system in the last few years. Grades 9 – 7 are equivalent to A* – A;
Grades 6 – 4 are equivalent to B – C;
Grade 3 – 2 are equivalent to D – G.
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How to choose GCSE subjects
English language, Maths and Science are compulsory for all students.
Alongside these ‘core’ subjects, students can choose from a number of different subjects in areas such as arts, humanities, STEM and sports.
Generally, students will take a minimum of 5, up to a maximum of 9 – 12 subjects at GCSE
Both examinations have equal value in regard to further studies or employment.
Differences between IGCSE and GCSE
#1: Course content
The GCSE course content has traditionally been designed for a primarily British rather than international audience, and this is reflected in the course content for certain subjects. For example, Shakespeare is a compulsory part of GCSE English Literature, whereas it is optional for IGCSE English.
There are also some differences in terms of which topics must be covered in the syllabuses for other Humanities for subjects such as History and Geography between the IGCSE and GCSE.
#2: Exam dates
GCSE exams are sat annually in May – June, with resits available in November.
IGCSE exams are available in November and January (for certain subjects) and also in May – June each year.
#3: Availability by country
GCSE qualifications are only available in the UK and certain schools in a small number of other countries such as Canada, Australia and India.
The IGCSE is by nature ‘international’ and can be taken in over 150 countries worldwide.
Some international schools in the UK choose to offer IGCSEs rather than GCSEs as it facilitates transfers from other countries to the UK mid-course more easily. For example, a student may have completed 1 year of IGCSEs in their home country, and they decide to go abroad to study and pick-up where they left off.