International General Certificate of Secondary Education
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (abbreviated IGCSE or iGCSE) is an internationally recognized qualification for school students, typically in the 14–16 age group. It is similar to the GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Standard Grade in Scotland or Junior Certificate in the Republic of Ireland. The Cambridge IGCSE was developed by University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) in 1988. The examination board Edexcel offers its own version, the Edexcel IGCSE.
The IGCSE prepares students for further academic work including progression to AS Level and A Level study, Cambridge Pre-U and the IB Diploma Programme. It is recognised by academic institutions and employers around the world. The Cambridge IGCSE is recognised as equivalent, grade-for-grade, to the UK GCSE.
On 15 February 2009, 16 Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses received Ofqual accreditation. They are listed on the U.K. National Database of Accredited Qualifications.[1]. For accreditation purposes, the syllabuses are referenced as "Cambridge International Certificates" in the U.K., although they are known across the world as Cambridge IGCSE.
The UK Government announced on 8 June 2010 that the 16 accredited Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses will now be funded in state maintained schools. 300 independent schools offer Cambridge IGCSE in the UK, and it is popular worldwide.
Cambridge IGCSE provides a broad and flexible study program and covers subjects from a variety of areas: Languages, Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Creative, Technical and Vocational. Most IGCSE subjects offer a choice of Core or Extended papers (in Cambridge), and foundation or higher papers (in Edexcel). This is designed to make IGCSE suitable for students with varying levels of ability. In some subjects, IGCSE can be taken with or without coursework. Cambridge IGCSE allows teaching to be placed in a localized context, making it relevant in different regions. It is intended to be suitable for students whose first language may not be English and this is acknowledged throughout the examination process.
In 2010, Cambridge IGCSE papers in more than 70 subjects were taken by students in over 120 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, the United States,El Salvador, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Malaysia, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Hong Kong, India, Bahrain, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, UAE, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Ecuador, Singapore, etc.
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