What is the IGCSE Curriculum? A complete overview

Do you want to have a detailed overview of the IGCSE curriculum? The IGCSE curriculum enables me to explore my career in any subject of IGCSE according to my skills. The IGCSE curriculum allows me to learn multiple skills. The IGCSE curriculum is based on theoretical and practical learning. I always look for the educational pathway that enables me to improve my skills. When I reached 16, I enrolled myself in IGCSE and prepared the past papers. It provides a path that polishes my skills and enhances my knowledge of higher education. It gives me various subjects to maintain my scores in subjects of interest. 

IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) curriculum is a content-rich and knowledge-based program that builds my educational foundation so that I can explore the world. It has a wide range of subjects. It enables me to learn from different prospects to develop essential skills and knowledge. It allows me to study the subjects of my choice.

What is the IGCSE curriculum?

Are you looking for a professional education system based on the British International education system? And it also has popularity worldwide? Then, you should select it for your child’s education. It’s an internationally recognized education that offers multiple subjects of students’ choice. It allows me to choose subjects of my choice so that I can perform better in those subjects without affecting their grades in other subjects. 

It is a 2-year degree program introduced by Cambridge in 1988.  It is becoming popular due to its incredible content. It offers many subjects with no study limit. It provides 70 subjects, including 30 languages. It develops critical thinking, problem-solving, and excellent preparation for higher education. The selection of subjects depends on the student’s interests and career planning. The IGCSE examination system enables them to select the subject of their native language to quickly prepare their specimens and achieve high grades in the final examination.

IGCSE curriculum

The IGCSE curriculum offers a variety of subjects. It provides me with different curriculum assessment methods, including projects, oral tests, listening quizzes, coursework, and written examinations. I have to pass seven subjects, and from the language group, I have to choose 2 languages and 5 subjects from the rest of the groups. I first keep in mind my interests and then analyze the curriculum of the specific subject so that I can easily plan my career objectives and succeed within that particular era of education.

The list of its subjects is given below:

  • Core subjects  (English Language, Mathematics, etc)
  • Sciences (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Coordinate sciences “combining aspects of Biology, Physics and Chemistry” )
  • Humanities (Geography, History)
  • Languages (French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese)
  • Business Studies (Business Studies, Economics)
  • Social Science (Sociology, Psychology)
  • Mathematics (Mathematics, Additional Mathematics)
  • Creative Art (Art and Design, Drama, Music)
  • Computer Science and ICT ( Computer Science, Information, and Communication Technology)
  • Physical Education 
  • Design and Technology
See also  Cambridge vs Edexcel: A Complete Guide for Students, Parents, and Educators

However, these subjects can be grouped into six different general groups, and students can choose any one of those groups to do well in the final examination of IGCXE.

  • Group1. Languages: English Language, Literature in English, Other languages like French, Chinese, Arabic, German, Spanish etc
  • Group 2. Humanities and Social Science:  Geography, History, Economics, Sociology, Psychology
  • Group 3. Science: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Coordinate science combination of Biology, Physics and chemistry
  • Group 4. Mathematics: Mathematics and Additional Mathematics 
  • Group 5. Creative, Technical, and Vocational: Art and Design, Drama, Music, Design and Technology
  • Group 6. Other Electives: Business Studies, Computer Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Physical Education.

How can I select a subject?

Selecting subjects for IGCSE exams was a challenging situation for me. The selection of a subject depends upon factors like curriculum structure, interest, career goals, and university or colleague requirements. Some universities have requirements for specific subjects. I follow the steps below while selecting subjects for their exams and preparing the curriculum.

Research Requirement

First, I researched the university’s requirements for higher education after achieving high grades in the final examination of IGCSE. Because each university has specific subject requirements, I selected subjects accordingly to achieve these requirements. Understanding the IGCSE curriculum and requirements makes me reliable in selecting subjects.

Consider Career goals

I keep in mind my career goals and the subject curriculum that will help me achieve them. I want to enter the field of science and establish my career in this field. I chose biology for the final examination due to its fantastic curriculum. I always set my goals and stay focused to achieve these goals. Setting goals helps me to achieve high scores.

Evaluate interest and strength.

 I always prefer those subjects I am interested in, and I enjoy the curriculum of those subjects. Enjoying a subject due to its curriculum makes the study more accessible and gives me high scores. I am interested in science, so I chose biology. I enjoy learning the structure of human beings, animals, and birds. I also have an interest in environmental factors.

Balance of IGCSE curriculum

 While selecting subjects, I prefer to choose subjects from each group, such as science, humanities, and languages, to keep my options open for future academic career choices. This enables me to explore various career options in medicine, education, and technology.

Consult with Teachers

Before choosing any professional course or subject, I always consult my teachers and prioritize their opinions because they know what is good for me. My teachers guide me about career opportunities in related subjects and also teach me about examination boards, associated universities, and specimens. Following my teachers’ opinions, I got high scores in the final exams.

I always first research the exam format of each subject before selecting it for me. I prefer some subjects as I can do better in their coursework and some for research work. Each subject has a different exam format, so I prepared each subject in this way to gain maximum marks.

Review Past Performance

Selecting a subject is also based on a review of past performance. I remember my past performance in that subject before choosing it for future education. I always prefer those subjects in which my past performance is good. Analyzing past performance in any subject before deciding on further education helps me to achieve high grades.

Examination Board

Different examination boards offer IGCSE exams worldwide. The two most prominent Examination boards recognized in other countries are Cambridge, Edexcel, and OXFORD. These examination boards have their own exam methodology, syllabus, and subject selection criteria. However, the number of subjects on these boards is the same. The main examination boards are Cambridge and EDEXCEL.

Cambariage Assesement International Education (CAIE)

Universities and educational institutions worldwide accept this qualification provided by CAIE. It offers various subjects with different assessment techniques like coursework, oral assessment, and research work. IGCSE is part of Cambridge University and is known Internationally. It designs syllabi and awards certificates to students who complete their degrees.

edexcel International

This examination board is known Internationally. IGCSE provides a wide range of subjects. It allows students to choose any topic of their choice or interest. It designs syllabi and awards certificates to students who complete their degrees. Other examination boards that conduct exams and offer IGCSE certificates are  OCR and CCEA.

 Oxford, Cambridge, and RASA Examination (OCR)

It designs curriculum and conducts exams, but it is limited to some specific regions. By selecting this examination board, I could only explore my career in particular regions, not worldwide. I could only move towards specific areas for further education.

Council for Curriculum, Examination and Assessment (CCEA)

The examination board of Northland takes exams for that specific region. If you belong to Northland and don’t want to move to any other region, you may select this examination board. As I have to explore my career in different countries, I didn’t choose it.

Before selecting any college, I always check whether it is affiliated with a specific board. I ignored that colleague if any college was not affiliated with the examination board. I also check which examination board a specific college is affiliated with and which methodology they use to help students achieve high grades.

Examination Dates

The final exams are conducted yearly in May/June and October/ November. The exams consist of coursework, written paper, or both, depending upon the nature of the subject. The results are generally announced in August and January every year. I always prefer to take exams in May/June. Before taking actual exams, I practice model papers to test my knowledge. 

Benefits of IGCSE

It offers serval benefits to me. I love to discuss these benefits. These benefits include International recognition, a Broad range of subjects, an emphasis on critical thinking, balanced assessments, English-medium instruction, and personalized learning. I took advantage of all these benefits and achieved high scores in the annual examination.

My certification is recognized globally. Worldwide universities accept my certificate. After completing the certificate, I could move to any country for my higher education. If I want to join any university in the world, it will grant me admission, and I can quickly join any industry to build my career.

Broad Range of Subjects

It provides me with a wide range of subjects to choose from, and subjects of interest to polish my skills and achieve high scores. It’s the specimen of each subject designed to enable me to grip on that subject fully.

Emphasis on Critical Thinking

It makes me able to think critically rather than cramming the whole syllabus. Its syllabus is designed in such a way that emphasizes critical thinking. It develops critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical approaches in me. After completing my research, I can quickly join any laboratory and work as a researcher in a specific area.

Balanced Assessment

I like IGCSE because of its balanced assessment. Its assessments include coursework, written exams, and practical exams. This balanced assessment methodology develops a sense of learning in me. It enables me to give oral and written exams where needed.

English-Medium instruction

Its exams and syllabus are in English language. It promotes English proficiency. This benefit allows students like me to get higher education in English-speaking countries. Its English Literature subject enables students to learn about famous characters like Shakespeare.

Personalized Learning

It’s a specimen in such a way that it helps me groom my personality to polish my skills. It develops my interest in critical thinking and interpersonal skills to achieve high goals. While working on my research projects, I learned new skills, started thinking critically, and explored new research.

Conclusion

IGCSE is an internationally recognized certificate that enables students to explore their careers in any field of their interest. Its broad range of subjects allows students to select any topic of interest. It has different assessment methodologies, oral or written. It develops a sense of critical thinking in students so they can efficiently work as researchers or analysts in any industry or country. Cambridge, Oxford, or Edexcel conduct its examinations. Students have the option to select an examination board. Its specimen is designed in English so that students can understand it easily.

FAQ

You can select an examination board and prepare specimens according to the chosen boards.

Yes, it allows its students to choose subjects according to their interests.

It allows its students to appear in the final examination when they get prepared to achieve high grades.