Things to know about IGCSE?
Every parent wants their children to be able to build solid foundations for their final years of schooling. Whether you’re aiming for A-Levels or the IB Diploma or AP, or your home country’s national curriculum. The International General Certificate of Secondary Education, (IGCSE), is a richly-contented programme that prepares students to study anywhere in the world. We will explain what the IGCSE is in this article. It will be compared to the MYP and discussed which advantages it may bring depending on your circumstances.
WHAT IS THE IGCSE?
Exam boards of schools have the ability to assess students. There are over 70 subjects offered by the Cambridge exam board, with 30 languages. Students from diverse linguistic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. You can choose from Core or Extended curriculum papers for some subjects. To know more about the Cambridge syllabus schools in Chennai, you can reach out to CampusK school, which is one of the best IGCSE school in Chennai.
WHAT IS IT DIFFERENT TO THE GCSE?
The IGCSE might seem a bit different from the GCSE for UK families. The major difference is that the IGCSE places the curriculum in an international context. For example, Geography GCSE students will learn map skills based upon UK maps. They might also use maps from another country in the IGCSE. The IGCSE offers more subjects, especially languages. This is because it allows for internationalization and adaptability to various contexts.
A second difference is the GCSE’s compulsory practical coursework component. This also appears in the final exam. The IGCSE does not require this coursework. This is because it’s possible to perform fieldwork or lab experiments in certain countries.
CAN IT DEPEND ON THE SUBJECT?
The subject matter may require the IGCSE to cover more topics or go into greater depth. For example, in Maths they cover integration and sets, which are two very complex and challenging topics. Although many people believe the IGCSE is harder than the GCSE it is not always the case. Teachers who have studied both programmes consider the differences to be minor and not worthy of concern.
UK families who choose to study abroad may notice a slight difference in the grading. The GCSE uses grades 1-9. The IGCSE uses G-A*. The academic standing and ranking of the GCSE is the same as the IGCSE.
WHAT DIFFERENT EXAM BOARDS ARE THERE, AND DO THEY MATTTER?
The IGCSE is offered by two major boards: Edexcel and Cambridge Assessment International Education. Each school can choose the exam board through which they offer the IGCSE. Although the content of IGCSE is not affected by the differences between exam boards, it can change the format of the exam. Edexcel, for example, has a 3-hour exam while Edexcel has four papers in Geography. Universities do not give weight to the exam board used. Universities will reward you for achieving a high score on either exam.
IGCSE DID THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAMME (DP), HAVE GOOD FUNDATIONS?
Yes, the IGCSE can be used as a preparation for international study. The IB Diploma Programme is also available. Teachers have noticed that IGCSE-trained students tend to have a solid understanding of the foundational concepts they will use in the IBDP.
