Education

All You Need to Know About The IGCSE Curriculum

Many parents send their kids to international schools for preschool, primary, secondary, and pre-university education. They choose because of the chance to earn internationally recognized credentials in a setting where English is the primary language of instruction. IGCSE is one of those boards which is internationally recognized.

IGCSE curriculum — The University of Cambridge International Examinations created the IGCSE or International General Certificate of Secondary Education. IGCSE is a two-year program that begins in Class 9 and is intended for students between the ages of 14 and 16. Students who pass the IGCSE Past Paper will become more confident to ace the IGCSE Exam with the highest scores.

Languages, Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Creative, Technical, and Vocational are just a few courses covered by the IGCSE, offering a comprehensive and flexible study path. For each course, an “IGCSE” certificate is awarded.

Background

The curriculum was created 30 years ago by Cambridge University Examinations. Since 1858, the University of Cambridge has served as the UK’s regional examination body. IGCSE is a trademark that the University of Cambridge has registered.

Recognition

One of the most widely recognized qualifications in the world is the IGCSE. It is a requirement for admission to the best universities in the world. It is recognized and accorded comparable credit in the UK to the Cambridge International A-Levels and the UK’s GCSE. IGCSE is accepted by more than 10,000 schools in about 160 nations. IGCSE is offered in 500 schools in India.

The IGCSE curriculum includes five subject groups:

Group 1st: Languages (including native tongues, foreign languages, and second languages).

Group 2nd: consists of humanities and social sciences, such as geography and history.

Group 3rd: Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.)

Group 4th: Mathematics (including basic math and additional math)

Group 5th: Technical, Creative, and Vocational (Accounting, Business, Computer, Music, etc.)

Students must take a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 14 topics. IGCSE is the most popular curriculum because of how diverse it is.

IGCSE Core vs. IGCSE Extended –

The teacher is in charge of deciding on the ideal class size while taking into account the different skills that each student possesses. Students may select between the core and extended choices on several IGCSE exams.

Most kids are targeted by the core curriculum, which is simpler than the Extended one. The range of grades is C to G. The Extended Curriculum, on the other hand, focuses on more intellectually gifted pupils and inevitably propels them into professional training or further education. The IGCSE Extended grades range from A* to E. There is no option between Core and Extended papers on several topics where the exam covers the entire ability range. These courses are open to students in all grade levels.

Students are not required to adhere to the same curriculum level across all courses. Additionally, students will only receive a grade if they satisfy the minimum satisfactory standards of either the core (G) or extended curriculum.

“UNGRADED” means that the student did not meet the criteria needed to pass. The phrase “UNGRADED” will be reported on the Statement of Results but not on the official certificate.

What does the IGCSE’s “Grade Threshold” idea mean?

The minimum grade a candidate must receive on each exam they have completed is called the grade threshold. Each exam series ends with the establishment of the grade cutoff. The main objective of setting the grade threshold is to ensure that it is easy and easy to get the grade compared to the previous year. The threshold is increased if the exam’s questions are difficult and dropped if they are simple to ensure that the process is non-discriminatory.

Setting the criterion in a way that ensures that each candidate receives a fair and accurate score is a difficult procedure. However, establishing the grade threshold requires in-depth investigation and pattern analysis of past data. So, even though it seems simplified, there is much more to it.

Aspects of the IGCSE

  • IGCSE is an internationally recognized credential. It is comparable to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in the United Kingdom and the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) in India.
  • The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) and the North American Advanced Placement Test (NAAPT) (APT) are both higher-level courses for which the IGCSE provides superb preparation.
  • You will obtain an IGCSE qualification for each subject you study because the qualifications are based on distinct fields of study.
  • The IGCSE program fosters internationalism and adds value to the national context.
  • With IGCSE, a candidate is assessed using verbal and listening assessments in addition to traditional written papers.

Benefits of the IGCSE curriculum

  • There are 30 languages available for the IGCSE program.
  • IGCSE fosters in pupils a critical thinking and problem-solving mindset.
  • The IGCSE is a worldwide recognized credential.
  • IGCSE exams are also open to private applicants.
  • IGCSE Mock Paper has a predetermined structure but does not follow a specific pattern. The curriculum was created with the help of the nearby students.
  • There is no place in the curriculum for rote learning. It needs a strategy that is more grounded in reality.