The Student Room Group

Urgent help needed with Home-Education and doing IGCSEs at home!

Hi,

I am undergoing social anxiety and a lot of stress which is wrecking my self confidence and my ability to do everyday things. (I am 15, which means I am in year 10.)

My family has decided to let me get home educated once more (I learned at home for about 8 months after quitting my previous school but I wasn't well prepared as it was a sudden decision, and I didn't learn well as I didn't have the resources ie: right books.)

If I do quit school and decide to learn at home then I will have to pay for my IGCSEs (my family are aware of this and we know it is roughly £200-£600 per IGCSE), and I wont be able to do regular GCSEs. I need to know the differences between the two, I know that IGCSE is international, but is it more difficult?

I need to know if doing this different type of exam is going to make it more difficult or not as I don't want to quit school before considering everything.

Please help me out if you can, it is much appreciated!
-Emese :smile:
xx
Original post by Emashay
Hi,

I am undergoing social anxiety and a lot of stress which is wrecking my self confidence and my ability to do everyday things. (I am 15, which means I am in year 10.)

My family has decided to let me get home educated once more (I learned at home for about 8 months after quitting my previous school but I wasn't well prepared as it was a sudden decision, and I didn't learn well as I didn't have the resources ie: right books.)

If I do quit school and decide to learn at home then I will have to pay for my IGCSEs (my family are aware of this and we know it is roughly £200-£600 per IGCSE), and I wont be able to do regular GCSEs. I need to know the differences between the two, I know that IGCSE is international, but is it more difficult?

I need to know if doing this different type of exam is going to make it more difficult or not as I don't want to quit school before considering everything.

Please help me out if you can, it is much appreciated!
-Emese :smile:
xx


IGCSE isn't more difficult, no. The main thing to consider when taking exams privately is where you will sit them. If you can find a school or centre who will accept you and you know you'll be able to get there come exam time then it's just the same as sitting your GCSEs through a school. I was taught at home between 12 and 16 and I didn't sit my GCSEs privately as we couldn't afford it, but I did cover the GCSE syllabus (thanks mainly to revision guides) and then joined a sixth form college to sit my GCSEs in one year (I only sat 3 and a BTEC as the programme was designed for students doing resits) but I managed to pass them, get my A levels and get university offers. So you can either sit exams privately or wait until you're 16 and sit them for free at a sixth form college (or further education college). Good luck whatever you decide to do!
Reply 2
Original post by Emashay
If I do quit school and decide to learn at home then I will have to pay for my IGCSEs (my family are aware of this and we know it is roughly £200-£600 per IGCSE), and I wont be able to do regular GCSEs. I need to know the differences between the two, I know that IGCSE is international, but is it more difficult?

I need to know if doing this different type of exam is going to make it more difficult or not as I don't want to quit school before considering everything.xx


You can still do GCSEs in the subjects with no controlled assessment (e.g. Maths, RE). IGCSEs are meant to be the same standard as GCSEs but I'd say Sciences are harder but English is possibly a bit easier.
Reply 3
Thank you so much. :smile: It's good to know that i'm not the only one doing this. So how does it work? As soon as I'm 16 I can do all my IGCSEs for free? Will that set me back a year in sixth form as I would do my GCSEs later then everyone else? Sorry but Im just a bit confused. xx
Original post by Emashay
Thank you so much. :smile: It's good to know that i'm not the only one doing this. So how does it work? As soon as I'm 16 I can do all my IGCSEs for free? Will that set me back a year in sixth form as I would do my GCSEs later then everyone else? Sorry but Im just a bit confused. xx


If you joined a sixth form college or further education college at 16, then you could do them for free (they would also be regular GCSEs, not IGCSEs). If you study at home once you're 16 you would still have to pay to sit them. It would put you back a year, but I wasn't the only person at my sixth form who was studying my A levels between 17 and 19 rather than 16 to 18 and when you get to university a lot of people are 19 or 20 at the start of their degree.
Reply 5
How would I be able to join a sixth form college if I have no GCSEs? Would I just sit the exam there and then join after? :smile:
Original post by Emashay
How would I be able to join a sixth form college if I have no GCSEs? Would I just sit the exam there and then join after? :smile:


I just called my local sixth form college and explained that I had been home educated and wanted to sit my GCSEs. They asked me to come in for a chat and I got a place to study my GCSEs with them (you enrol as a GCSE/level 2 student and actually take classes at the sixth form as well as sitting your exams). And further education colleges allow you to study for GCSEs in the same way. Again, you just call and explain that you were home educated and want to study for GCSEs.

I ended up getting offers from Cambridge and Durham among other universities even though I only had 3 GCSEs and 1 BTEC alongside my A levels. They seemed to be interested in my home education, because it involved a lot of self discipline which is exactly what you need for university.

Quick Reply