The Student Room Group

IGCSE's harder than GCSE's?

Scroll to see replies

Original post by deadpinkfluffycat
\

Ooh right well most schools I know take Edexcel...and a few of my friends used to live in the US and their schools did Edexcel too (they went to a British school).

Well, I never said that what I said was law. All that was just my opinion, soooooo yeah. What's with the neg rep? :frown:


I didn't neg you :smile: I only neg people who explode when you try to discuss. In fact, I don't even think I disagree with you in any way! :tongue:

Ah well, here CIE's a lot more popular and respected. To each continent their own! :wink:
Original post by GreenLantern1
I am sorry but if universities treat them the same ....you are you to argue with all these intellectuals.

Just proves who stupid some people (especially The Unique Bloke) are being!!!!


Universities have to treat them the same because not everyone has the opportunity to do IGCSE's, as I am aware, IGCSE's are normally offered to students at private schools and not at state.

Do not see how what I said makes me stupid considering I did both. Our teachers who are also intellectuals also told us they were harder, considering they had spent many years teaching the gcse syllabus, they are in a better position to know.

Just because I say something is harder does not mean I am implying that the alternative is easy, so stop being so sensitive.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Sheldor
IGCSE's are the international version of gcses. They have no coursework, no modules, all the exams are taken at the end of the course. They also have a higher course content, which go beyond GCSE's and better preparation for a level. I don't know if state schools are allowed to do them, but most private schools do.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App


Umm... just saying that i'm taking iGCSE and it DOES have coursework which also has a high percentage of the final grades... for english lit it's like 30% or more i think, for others 20%, tho u can choose NOT to take the courseworks and instead take the 'alternative to coursework' exam
btw both should be very easy... so don't worry to much!
Original post by nelsonloklok
btw both should be very easy... so don't worry to much!


IGCSE further maths was much harder than GCSE normal maths.. The iGCSE course had a-level content in.... :/


This was posted from TheLightbulbKid - voicing an opinion and attempting to give advice :smile: on the iPad/iPod app
Original post by TheLightBulb
IGCSE further maths was much harder than GCSE normal maths.. The iGCSE course had a-level content in.... :/


This was posted from TheLightbulbKid - voicing an opinion and attempting to give advice :smile: on the iPad/iPod app


you can't really compare further maths to normal maths though. Further maths will still probably be harder whether or not you do a GCSE or IGCSE.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by Sheldor
So, as I'm going into year 10 this September and starting a mix of igcses and gcses, I was just wondering if there is any large difference in workload between the 2 qualifications. I've already started my IGCSE,s in the three seperate sciences, which I've found incredibly challenging and have had to work very hard for as there is a lot of course content. Other people on TSR often say that they found GCSE's incredibly easy, or that you only need to revise if you want above a C. I know that with the igcses I've started, not revising would get me a U. Is this because IGCSE's are harder than normal gcse's?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App


Personally, having just taken Edexcel IGCSE Maths and CIE IGCSE English Literature and English Language, I think that IGCSEs are harder. The content is a lot broader and we studied it in more depth. The courses also overlap with A-Level work. Plus, it's all examined in the Summer. You don't get modules which makes the exams a lot harder to revise for. That being said, for Maths, an A* is usually around 82% and and A is something like 64% so the grade boundaries are quite low (keeping my fingers crossed anyhow :colondollar: - freaking out for Results Day). On the other hand, for English we were told that the grade boundaries are 90% for an A* and 80% for an A :s-smilie: which makes it a lot more difficult to attain the same grade at IGCSE than at GCSE because of the high grade boundaries and more difficult content. I think it varies from board to board and subject to subject. But this is just my opinion. :tongue:
I take IGCSEs cos I'm in an International school, and I think they're much harder than GCSEs for Maths and the three Sciences. But for English and Lit they're slightly easier, and for the other subjects they're about the same.
But if you think IGCSE Maths is hard, try IGCSE Additional Maths. And the funny thing is that it's one of the more popular subjects in our school.
Ha. My entire year group (excluding extension set) did the Maths IGCSE when we were in year 11 to see how we would do. Nobody got higher than a B and even that was only about 5 out of 250. This is including people predicted A*s
Reply 69
I don't know if IGCSEs are harder than GCSEs because I've never done the latter; but in IGCSE I did a subject called Additional Mathematics which was basically C3 A2 Pure Mathematics, so I suppose if GCSE students don't have Additional Mathematics, then there is a difference in difficulty.
Reply 70
Original post by sellerofdreams
I take IGCSEs cos I'm in an International school, and I think they're much harder than GCSEs for Maths and the three Sciences. But for English and Lit they're slightly easier, and for the other subjects they're about the same.
But if you think IGCSE Maths is hard, try IGCSE Additional Maths. And the funny thing is that it's one of the more popular subjects in our school.


Oh, you posted this before me :sad: IGCSE Maths is a joke compared to Add Maths, us Add Maths students used to sleep in (Extended) Maths class :colondollar: Not proud of it but such was life. I think out of 30ish Extended Maths students, only 2 weren't doing Add Maths and they were the ones who had to work throughout the course.

And if you're Malaysian as stated in your location, I'm not surprised. There's so much discrimination against those who take Arts subjects as opposed to Science subjects, so if you're considered smart, you'd be expected to take Add Maths/the pure Sciences anyway. I bowed down to this pressure and it was easily the worst mistake I made in my entire life. My A-Level subjects showed that I indeed did learn from my regrets :p:p

Anyway, that was not in anyway related to this topic. Hahaha.
Original post by asparkyn
Oh, you posted this before me :sad: IGCSE Maths is a joke compared to Add Maths, us Add Maths students used to sleep in (Extended) Maths class :colondollar: Not proud of it but such was life. I think out of 30ish Extended Maths students, only 2 weren't doing Add Maths and they were the ones who had to work throughout the course.

And if you're Malaysian as stated in your location, I'm not surprised. There's so much discrimination against those who take Arts subjects as opposed to Science subjects, so if you're considered smart, you'd be expected to take Add Maths/the pure Sciences anyway. I bowed down to this pressure and it was easily the worst mistake I made in my entire life. My A-Level subjects showed that I indeed did learn from my regrets :p:p

Anyway, that was not in anyway related to this topic. Hahaha.


Oh, you're Malaysian too? I'm not exactly Malaysian though, just living there. Ahhahaha that's true, igcse maths is a joke. All of us who take add maths don't even listen during the classes. It's basically what we learnt in the earlier years anyway. Yup your entire comment makes total sense:smile: well, a lot of people are taking a mix of subjects but there is a disproportionately large amount who take three sciences. But I think most people find add maths hard and just take it cos it makes a level maths so much easier.


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
IGCSE is significantly harder, owing to the greater complexity and depth of syllabus. The grade boundaries are not adjusted such that it is equally easy to obtain an A* in both exams. The "I" in IGCSE stands for international, it is an exam taken throughout many countries across the globe and, subsequently, has no relation to the "British" GCSE exam. The exam boards are completely different and make no attempt to align themselves in terms of how hard it is to achieve an A* in each. In fact, IGCSE marks are moderated down more than "standard" GCSE marks are as, generally speaking, students who take the IGCSEs are more likely to obtain top marks*.

I have taught both syllabi and now work on the IGCSE exam board, working towards distribution throughout the UK.

*students who sit IGCSEs in the UK are generally from leading independent schools and, internationally, the exam is very popular in leading schools in Hong Kong and China.
Original post by goa101harry
IGCSE is significantly harder, owing to the greater complexity and depth of syllabus. The grade boundaries are not adjusted such that it is equally easy to obtain an A* in both exams. The "I" in IGCSE stands for international, it is an exam taken throughout many countries across the globe and, subsequently, has no relation to the "British" GCSE exam. The exam boards are completely different and make no attempt to align themselves in terms of how hard it is to achieve an A* in each. In fact, IGCSE marks are moderated down more than "standard" GCSE marks are as, generally speaking, students who take the IGCSEs are more likely to obtain top marks*.

I have taught both syllabi and now work on the IGCSE exam board, working towards distribution throughout the UK.

*students who sit IGCSEs in the UK are generally from leading independent schools and, internationally, the exam is very popular in leading schools in Hong Kong and China.


Which is the harder out of Edexcel & CIE/Cambridge? I've heard that Cambridge is harder, but then all the top private schools in England use Edexcel for the sciences + Maths.
Reply 74
Original post by cheeriosarenice
Which is the harder out of Edexcel & CIE/Cambridge? I've heard that Cambridge is harder, but then all the top private schools in England use Edexcel for the sciences + Maths.


I do CIE and i think it's marginally harder than Edexcel.
Well, I do IGCSE English Lit and it seems that there is less to do than GCSE English Lit but it may be harder. I'm on the AQA exam board and had a look on the website. The IGCSE encourages more independent study and is a better preparation for A level English Literature so it may be harder..
Not sure. There is a higher percentage of A*s achieved in igcse in comparison to gcse. A lot of independent schools do it though


Posted from TSR Mobile
There is no doubt that IGCSEs are harder.


Posted from TSR Mobile


I ve already read that article. Its a lot easier for teachers because there is no controlled assessment. I do both and the content in IGCSE is definately more challenging, but less papers. I ve seen gcse because my sis does it and there s no doubt igcse is harder. If you re doing gcse this year, i wish you good luck with the upcoming exams!

Quick Reply