IGCSE Courses

“International General Certificate of Secondary Education” is referred to as IGCSE. It is comparable to the GCSE exam that students in Years 10 and 11 in the UK take to get ready for higher-level pre-university coursework like A-levels.

Given that it is offered in numerous nations worldwide, the IGCSE is considered the “international” form of this academic certification. Instead of being taught in public schools in the United Kingdom, the IGCSE is mainly taught at private or international schools.

The IGCSE is modelled on the British syllabus (GCSE), however it has been modified for a student body that is more globally aware. Assessments are primarily conducted through exams administered by the test board of the school’s choosing. Edexcel and Cambridge Assessment Worldwide Education are the two most well-known. 30 languages are among the more than 70 courses offered by the Cambridge exam board. The goal is to include students from as many different linguistic backgrounds as possible. They can now continue learning their native tongue as a result. The IGCSE offers Basic and expanded curriculum papers in several topics, which caters to students with varying degrees of aptitude.

IGCSE is what this designation stands for. It provides instruction in the English language to help students prepare for the BTEC Level 3 and A-Level curricula, the International Baccalaureate, and other programmes. The GCE O-Level serves as its foundation. The GCSE as well as other international curricula are also recognised as being equivalent to it.

It was created by the Cambridge University International Exams. The test is given at the completion of year 11, which is Grade 10, to the students who are enrolled in the curriculum. The age range for these kids is from age 10, which would be Grade 9.

Many national curricula are considered to be international alternatives to the IGCSE. A student earns IGCSE credentials for each topic they take because its qualifications are often dependent on the particular subjects of study. Contact tutors from Us for IGCSE courses online in India!

What IGCSE subjects are available?

Students are urged to pick disciplines that they excel in, find enjoyable, and will open up career opportunities for them. The competent teaching assistants at Thames provides students with sound advice regarding the course content, and individual meetings are made to discuss possibilities in order to create a decent, individualised schedule for each student.

Prior to a certain deadline, students must submit their option selections in allow for sessions to be allocated and confirmed. Although every attempt is made to meet students’ top preferences, this might not always be achievable because classes must have manageable class sizes in order to be scheduled. If a student’s chosen combination of subjects is not available, they will indeed be contacted to discuss alternatives.

Subject: Changing an Option

The IGCSE Possible alternatives Change Policy, which includes the following procedure, must be followed in the event that a student changes their mind about an option selection.

• The Coordinator must have written authorisation from the parent or legal guardian on an Options Change form.
• The Coordinator and Head of Secondary will verify the decision with the careers advisors after consulting them as necessary to evaluate the request.
• If the demand is turned down, the student or parent will be notified.

Exam, coursework, and evaluation

Exams and assignments are used to evaluate candidates for IGCSEs. This implies that a portion of the academic work completed beginning in Year 10 is immediately evaluated by your teacher and contributes significantly to your final grade.

It is a reality that several students find the structure and demands of Years 10 and 11 to be highly challenging, despite their preparation in lower school. As a result, self-directed learning within your own time would become increasingly important. It’s critical that home study spaces are accessible and that assistance and motivation are supplied right away during the course. If you are concerned about this, please get in touch with us so we can point them towards homework groups and revision sessions, which are all set up to guarantee that all students achieve.

Please spend some time reading the material in the pages that follow. An overview of every course offered the next year can be found here. Each course will include details on the type of certificate granted, the evaluation procedure, and possible career paths for this subject. Each of them will be valuable and instructive when deciding which courses to take the next year. Learn IGCSE courses online by employing a tutor from Us!

What are the benefits in taking IGCSE?

The majority of educational boards place more emphasis on memorisation than conceptual comprehension before exams. The IGCSE, in contrast, emphasises student-centred learning and encourages problem-solving and analytical reasoning as 21st-century abilities. It is undoubtedly an excellent curriculum that gives kids more independence and better prepares them for college life.

The majority of the curriculum has a strong instructor focus and a constricting emphasis on passing tests. Heavy memorisation is utilised to teach, and things are learned by heart without much thought as to how or why they are employed in the actual world. Since teachers are explicitly trained to teach for an exam rather than necessarily genuine concepts, students who don’t immediately get it often find themselves having to retake the entire year until they do.

IGCSE, in contrast, promotes learning through enquiry over rote memorisation through a student-centred method. Students are urged to learn concepts rather than just regurgitate information. Teachers let students examine a subject in greater depth and discuss why we utilise particular tools and strategies rather than simply regurgitating facts.

Although basic skill mastery is crucial, institutions also look for students who can think critically and solve problems. For the IGCSE, students must use independent reasoning to determine the correct response. Because it enables students to study concepts rather than just memorising facts and figures to spit them out on paper, this is a more practical skill set that could be applied in higher education and beyond.

These are the primary things that students should think about before deciding which curriculum to take, while there are many more advantages of doing IGCSE. There are some who believe that doing IB or A-levels is preferable because the curriculum aligns with what universities require, however this does not imply that all that universities require cannot be acquired through IGCSE. Before selecting a choice, students should simply spend some time learning more about their possibilities.