UK EDUCATION
At a glance comparison of GCSE and IGCSE IGCSE
Chosen by many independent schools as the syllabus is regarded as similar to the old O Level. More rigorous and better for higher-ability students.
Assessment is via written coursework, orals, practical assessment and exams.
Although many schools have retained the A* to G system, Cambridge International have seen requests for a 9 to 1 grading system and are now offering this in selected regions.
because they were seen as similar in style and rigour to the old O Levels, offering a more academically challenging option for the brightest pupils. However, following GCSE reform this is no longer seen as true and the UK government has removed IGCSEs from their performance tables. A spokesperson for Cambridge Assessment International Education
– a provider of the IGCSE – said, “Cambridge IGCSEs are different [to GCSEs], but we align the standard of the Cambridge IGCSE with the GCSE using statistical evidence and comparability studies.
New reformed GCSE
Recent reforms to the syllabus and grading system mean that the new reformed GCSE has more challenging content and is now seen as better at identifying the most able students. Te UK government are calling them ‘Gold standard GCSEs’.
Assessment is via a final exam at the end of the two–year course. Coursework has been reduced to an absolute minimum.
Grading system is 9 to 1 where level 9 is now higher than an A* and a 4 is equal to an old level C.
Cambridge IGCSEs were a benchmark for the design of the reformed GCSE in England.” An important distinction is that the IGCSE is international rather
than UK-centric and draws upon the needs of stakeholders from all over the world, not just in the UK. This has undoubtedly contributed to its popularity around the world. According to ISC Research, which provides data on the international schools market, ten times as many international schools worldwide offer the IGCSE compared to the GCSE. In fact, the Cambridge IGCSE is the world’s most popular
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