You may be looking at home schooling as an option for your child or taking a GCSE course yourself. If you are within the UK you have probably heard of the GCSE and if you are outside the UK, you may want to know about the IGCSE. Also, what is the difference between GCSE and IGCSE and are both qualifications equivalent? We will detail more in this article.
What is the GCSE
The GCSE qualification is a high school based qualification mainly used within England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education and learners will typically take the curriculum between ages 14-16. That being said, many adult learners will also take the GCSE especially in English and Maths subjects. GCSE in English and Maths are normally what employers and universities/institutions require as a minimum to show proficiency in English and Maths.
The GCSE was first taught in 1986 with first exams in 1988. The GCSE and A Level replaced O Levels and CSEs. GCSEs allow learners to progress to A Levels.
Learners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland attend Secondary school for their GCSEs. Prior to this qualification, they will follow a curriculum which is Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. During Key Stage 3 (prior to the GCSE), learners will be covering a broad range of subjects. This could include multiple languages, computing and food technology etc.
When learners move onto the GCSE qualification in school, they are allowed to narrow down their subject choices. Previously, subjects would have been a broad range where no choices could be made.
GCSE Core Subjects
Core subjects are ones a student must take within school. This includes:
- English Language
- English Literature
- Mathematics
- Physical Education
- Combined Science (Double Award)
GCSE Option Subjects
Students will then be able to pick approximately 4-5 subjects (depending on the school) that they enjoy or want to specialise in for their future career. There is a whole range of subjects on offer:
- Accounting
- Art
- Business
- Computer Science
- Drama
- Economics
- Geography
- History
- Marine Science
- Physical Education
- Religious Studies
- French, German or Spanish
- Biology, Chemistry and Physics as individual subjects rather than combined
What is the IGCSE?
The IGCSE also known as the International General Certificate of Secondary Education is the same as the GCSE in terms of equivalence and difficulty. The IGCSE is just used internationally including some private / independent schools within the UK. Therefore, it is not just restricted to the UK as a qualification. Again, the IGCSE is for learners aged 14-16 but can be for mature adult learners too. Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel are the two main awarding bodies in respect of offering IGCSE qualifications.
Is the GCSE the same as the IGCSE?
In terms of recognition, both qualifications are recognised by leading universities and employers worldwide.
With the GCSE there are more subjects with coursework and practical assessments whereas with the International GCSE, most subjects are 100% exam based. This makes the qualification more accessible to private candidates and schools within some countries where they cannot afford or facilitate non-examined assessments.
One other difference is also the exam series. With the GCSE, you would most likely be sitting with Edexcel or AQA. You will therefore only be able to sit exams in May/June time each year. With the International GCSE, you will have a choice of Edexcel and Cambridge. For this qualification specifically, exams can be taken in May/June but also in October/November too. Some learners prefer this as they will sit some subjects in one series and the remaining subjects in the later series to help relieve exam pressure.
Is there any differences between the GCSE and IGCSE in terms of Assessment?
As mentioned above, most IGCSEs are 100% exam based with no coursework. Here are some examples of what we mean by this.
Science (Biology, Chemistry & Physics)
For Biology, Chemistry and Physics, you would normally be required to take a practical assessment within a lab. For private candidates, this can sometimes work out costly and tricky to arrange. With the IGCSE, there is a paper known as the ‘alternative to practical/coursework’ and this will assess you on practical skills but it will be theory based.
Geography
With Geography, there is almost always a practical fieldwork assessment involved, however with the IGCSE, it will just be 100% exam based. Fieldwork centres are hard to find and again can be costly. Therefore private candidates much prefer the exam based qualification.
English
Whether it is Language or Literature, these courses are heavily based on essays and coursework. The coursework is known as a non-exam assessment (NEA) and again it comes at a cost to private candidates. With the IGCSE, the qualification will be 100% exam based.
What subjects should I take for GCSE / IGCSE?
You may feel it is too soon to be narrowing down subject choices at GCSE, however if you are moving onto A Levels and University, you will need to narrow down subjects even further and doing so at GCSE level gives you a good head start. There are so many subject choices for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education and this can make it really hard to limit down choices.
There are several things to consider when choosing your subjects for GCSE.
Which subjects are you good at and enjoy?
Generally if you are doing well in a subject it is because you are enjoying it more than other subjects. Think about subjects that motivate you but also if you have already decided on a career, this could help with your subject choices too.
If you are attending school, you should have reports from teachers on your progression and if you are using an online school, you should also be able to track your progression and see which subjects you perform well in. This could certainly be a deciding factor on your subject choices.
Think about the subjects you need.
If you have some idea of what you want to do for a career, this may involve attending University or some sort of Higher Education establishment. Whether it is a degree or apprenticeship, entry requirements will be outlined on the individual websites. Some will ask for GCSEs and/or A Levels. For example, if you wanted to study Medicine at University within the UK, most degrees will ask for A Levels in Chemistry and Biology. Therefore, at GCSE, you would be best choosing these as individual subjects rather than Combined Science. Studying the individual subjects, will give you a more in-depth knowledge. That being said, you could certainly still do A Levels in Chemistry and Biology after completing Combined Science.
If you are unsure of what you want to do, it can help to have a range of subjects in different areas. This will help keep your options open.
Think about your preferred way of working
Some subjects such as English, History and Sociology can be more essay based. Others such as Accounting, Physics and Computer Science are more practical based. Do you perform better in literacy-based subjects? Or facts and numbers?
Why choose International Home Study for the IGCSE qualification?
Hopefully you will now have a better understanding of both GCSEs and IGCSEs. You may also find it helpful to refer to the individual awarding bodies Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel. Whichever you choose however, both are regarded as sought after qualifications.
Choosing International Home Study for online courses offers several advantages.
- Internationally Recognitionised
- Flexible online courses
- Accessibility with fair entry requirements
- Quality Education based within the UK
Whether you opt for the traditional route of GCSE or embrace the global perspective of IGCSE, remember that both pathways offer unique opportunities for growth, learning, and success.