IGCSE or GCSE-Which One Should I Choose for My Kids?

To decide which is better for your child between GCSE or IGCSE, you first need to know the difference b/w the two courses. To begin with, you need to know what GCSE and IGCSE are in the first place.

What is GCSE?

The General Certificate in Secondary Education, or GCSE, is a subject-based academic qualification pursued by students in the UK after they finish their compulsory education at the age of 16. The GCSE is primarily taught in the UK but is also offered at schools in other countries such as Canada a Australia. The GCSE traditionally spans two-three years, starting either from year 9 or 10. This depends on the exam board, subjects and the school the students study in, etc.

What is IGCSE?

The International General Certificate for Secondary Examination, or IGCSE, offers the same educational qualification as traditional GCSE without the UK-centric context or curriculum. It was conceived two years after the GCSE was first introduced in 1988.

Though IGCSE and GCSE might seem similar, the former is recognised as the international equivalent of the latter. Both are pursued by students at 16 and take approximately two years.

IGCSE vs GCSE: Which is better? 

Even though these qualifications seem very similar, there are some key differences between these two. You need to know the differences to assess which qualification is better. 

• The GCSE uses a number grading system, with nine being the highest and one being the lowest. On the other hand, the IGCSE uses a letter-based grading system, with A* being the highest and G being the lowest. The letter-based grading system was previously used by GCSE, but now it has shifted to the number grading system.
• The GCSE is not widely available. In contrast, the IGCSE is available in over 150 countries, including the UK.
• Coursework is a core element in the assessment criteria of the GCSE examinations. On the other hand, coursework is included in very few subjects under the IGCSE, such as art and design. 
• The GCSE exam boards include AQA, CCEA, Edexcel, OCR, and WJEC. On the other hand, the IGCSE exam boards are CIE, Oxford, AQA, and Edexcel.
• The IGCSE removes any UK-specific content from the curriculum. This is visible in courses such as History, Geography, and English Literature.
• If you are planning to take the GCSE, then you have to sit for annual examinations, which occur in May and June. By contrast, if you plan to take the IGCSE, you must sit for exams in November and January.

If you are keen on finding out which of the following qualifications is harder to achieve, then what you need to know is that previously IGCSE was considered to be more challenging as it relied less on coursework and was more examination-based. Later, the GCSE framework was reformed, and coursework elements were removed from many subjects in the GCSE framework. This made the GCSE more rigorous than the IGCSE. Hence, IGCSE is easier than GCSE in today's time. You can hire a GCSE tutor to make it easy to tackle the examinations and coursework.

Is IGCSE maths the same as GCSE maths? 

It is contested that IGCSE math is easier than GCSE as it is more formulaic and predictable. Also, it is set keeping in mind the non-native English speakers. Also, with the reformation of the GCSE framework, the GCSE is considered to be more rigorous as the course work from many subjects has been removed, and the rules also are more stringent than IGCSE. Hence, the IGCSE is considered to be easier due to its flexible nature. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of GCSE and IGCSE?

Regarding the university application process, both GCSE and IGCSE get the same weightage. But if we have to assess both qualifications separately, then the IGCSE gets leverage over the GCSE. The primary reasons are: 

• IGCSE is a globally recognised qualification. It is easy to find an IGCSE tutor for your child due to the worldwide adoption of this qualification.
• It caters to the individual strengths of students and offers a wide variety of subjects for the students to choose from.
• A good IGCSE science tutor can help your child develop relevant and valuable skills to prepare the students for their future.
• It offers a practical approach to learning

Cambridge: GCSE or IGCSE?

Cambridge falls under the category of IGCSE and is equivalent to the UK GCSE. It is designed for a multilingual, multicultural audience in a way that UK GCSE is not. 

Final Thoughts:

If we assess both these qualifications, then we will notice that there are more similarities between the two than differences. UK universities do not distinguish between the two degrees when used as a part of the university application process. However, the course content varies significantly between the GCSE and IGCSE. Both these qualifications have cultural and contextual differences. It is advisable to opt for IGCSE for your child as it is internationally accepted and less rigid than GCSE.

LearnPick is an online learning platform that will connect your child with qualified GCSE tutors and IGCSE tutors.

Read More:

• Is it mandatory to hire an English tutor for your child in UK?
• How Can Tutoring Improve Performance Level?