What’s the difference between IGCSE and GCSE?

What is the GCSE?

GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education and are qualifications taken by children in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in multiple subjects, typically taken at the age of 16. Scotland have their own system of national qualifications, called National 5s. GCSE subjects include those covered by Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences and Arts. GCSE assessments include elements of both coursework and examinations. They are two-year courses which result in a set of grades known colloquially as ‘GCSEs’.

What is the IGCSE?

IGCSE stands for International General Certificate of Secondary Education and is a set of internationally recognised qualifications, all equivalent to the GCSE. As IGCSEs are designed to be taken by students around the world and here in England, Wales and Northern Ireland,  whilst it has the same subjects it is more accessible to students who are used to living in different countries and cultures. Following the IGCSE, as with GCSEs, a set of qualifications is obtained and children normally go on to further study.

Do international schools use IGCSE or GCSE?

International schools which operate within other countries often prefer the IGCSE as the content of the subjects will be more appealing to those who live abroad. Maths exams, for example, will use dollars or other widely recognised units of measurement rather than British pounds. English syllabi will include a variety of authors writing in English, not just those based in the UK. Often off-shoots of British independent schools such as those set up by Harrow and Benenden will also use the IGCSE.

Which schools typically use the IGCSE?

Alongside those schools mentioned above, some UK-based schools will also use the IGCSE. These include schools with a high percentage of overseas pupils and those which often send students abroad for higher education study, as these qualifications are more easily understood in some countries. There are many prestigious London-based independent schools who offer a mix of IGCSE and GCSE to suit their students.

Which is harder, IGCSE or GCSE?

Schools will judge this for themselves based on exam results in previous cohorts. It is possible to switch between these examinations over the years and some schools will choose IGCSE or GCSE exams to maximise their results for this age group. In terms of individual subjects, it is almost impossible to say which is more challenging. It will depend on the ability of the students.

Why are there differences between IGCSE and GCSE?

There are differences in content because students living and studying abroad may not understand certain contextual information about living in the UK. For example, references to UK culture and colloquial language are unlikely to appear in IGCSE examinations, whereas GCSE examinations will sometimes include current news stories and topics only those living in the UK would understand.

Which exam boards offer the IGCSE?

Cambridge, AQA and Pearson Edexcel all offer IGCSEs. As these exam boards also offer GCSEs, it is likely that some students will be studying a mixture of GCSE and IGCSE courses.

Resources for Further Reading:

Website

1. British Council - Choosing your exam board
2. Cambridge International

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