Igcse vs gcse

I am doing all GCSE's I already sat 5 exams between year 9-10.I am in year 11.I would like to know whether you think the iGCSE is better in terms of understanding and other things,so i can get a clear picture what the difference is and why the majority of private schools choose it in comparison to state schools who seem to favour the GCSE.

Reply 1

BobBobson

3

There's pretty much no difference. IGCSE is just taken by some schools because they think it's better but it's really not.

Reply 2

Bubs051213

18

I did all GCSEs, I have a friend who did all iGCSEs, I have many friends who did a mixture. TBH, I really don't think there's any difference! People who did iGCSE will often claim that iGCSEs are harder/more respected whereas GCSE students will claim (you guessed it!) that GCSEs are harder and more respected. I have heard that iGCSEs require less contextual understanding (for example, you wouldn't be required to learn about brewing beer on a science papers due to Islamic countries with low drinking rates) but this is quite probably a pack of lies! I wouldn't worry about it at all, just do your best in whatever exams you take. :smile:

Reply 3

SiaMat

3

Original post by Anonymous1502

I am doing all GCSE's I already sat 5 exams between year 9-10.I am in year 11.I would like to know whether you think the iGCSE is better in terms of understanding and other things,so i can get a clear picture what the difference is and why the majority of private schools choose it in comparison to state schools who seem to favour the GCSE.

I take a mixture of GCSES and IGCSES and in my opinion IGCSEs are much harder, there's so much more content and the exam questions are generally more complicated. However, this does mean that the grade boundaries are slightly lower than GCSEs.

Reply 4

IsaacSlate

3

Original post by Anonymous1502

I am doing all GCSE's I already sat 5 exams between year 9-10.I am in year 11.I would like to know whether you think the iGCSE is better in terms of understanding and other things,so i can get a clear picture what the difference is and why the majority of private schools choose it in comparison to state schools who seem to favour the GCSE.

The only real differences between IGCSE and GCSE are that IGCSE has no coursework and is not broken down into exams throughout the year but - instead has compiled all the work into the end of year exams in year 11 at the end of a 2 year course. I doubt that the majority of private schools choose it over GCSEs over than the fact that they are internationally recognised (international-general-certificate-secondary-education).

Reply 5

helloman1

12

iGCSEs in terms of the A*-G GCSE grading system are much harder however the new 9-1 GCSEs are much harder than that of iGCSE. Also if you looked at the new 9-1 iGCSE in maths for Edexcel and compare it to the new 9-1 GCSE for maths from Edexcel the GCSE is much harder - iGCSE has formula sheet and easier questions. Ofqual, the examination regulator does not regulate iGCSE. So I'm afraid if your doing GCSE in 2017 then GCSE is harder than iGCSE.

Reply 6

helloman1

12

Original post by IsaacSlate

The only real differences between IGCSE and GCSE are that IGCSE has no coursework and is not broken down into exams throughout the year but - instead has compiled all the work into the end of year exams in year 11 at the end of a 2 year course. I doubt that the majority of private schools choose it over GCSEs over than the fact that they are internationally recognised (international-general-certificate-secondary-education).

Just to clarify GCSEs are internationally recognised. Pearson and CIE Cambridge examination boards use the 'iGCSE' as a gimmick. There's no difference. Also controlled assessment is being phased out in the new 9-1 GCSE system and as I said before iGCSEs are now easier than the 9-1 GCSEs. My maths teacher even said.

Reply 7

Pepsi71

4

Private schools tend to do IGCSE so that their results are not published and compared to state GCSE results simple

Reply 8

HighOnGoofballs

16

Original post by helloman1

iGCSEs in terms of the A*-G GCSE grading system are much harder however the new 9-1 GCSEs are much harder than that of iGCSE. Also if you looked at the new 9-1 iGCSE in maths for Edexcel and compare it to the new 9-1 GCSE for maths from Edexcel the GCSE is much harder - iGCSE has formula sheet and easier questions. Ofqual, the examination regulator does not regulate iGCSE. So I'm afraid if your doing GCSE in 2017 then GCSE is harder than iGCSE.

Bruh...what are you on about. I do Edexcel IGCSE maths, i looked at the new 9-1 GCSE maths papers that the GCSE kids were hyping up, and they're not as bad as everyone is making them about to be. IGCSE will always be harder, period.

Reply 9

ibsy

7

I have done both gcse and igcse exams. Igcse are so much harder than gcse. For example in languages you are asked much more topics in igcse and there is no coursework so you have no idea what your oral and writing exam is going to be on. Gcse on the other hand you are allowed a dictionary and told the topic of your exam 2 weeks in advance. It's such a joke.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 10

marwaumar

2

Original post by Anonymous1502

I am doing all GCSE's I already sat 5 exams between year 9-10.I am in year 11.I would like to know whether you think the iGCSE is better in terms of understanding and other things,so i can get a clear picture what the difference is and why the majority of private schools choose it in comparison to state schools who seem to favour the GCSE.

In my opinion, IGCSEs are a lot harder than GCSEs because most of the IGCSE subjects do not contain coursework nor unit/end-of-chapter tests which break down your work load and enable you to achieve a better grade. All of my subjects involved written exams taken at the end of either 2 or 3 years of course study. I had no coursework, projects nor unit tests which means ALL of the content I learned the past 2 or 3 years is tested within 1.25-2.5 hours.

Moreover, IGCSE syllabi contain more content and are more in-depth than GCSEs.

Frankly speaking, it is better for you in the long run to choose IGCSE over GCSE because although it is harder, it decreases the jump in difficulty between year 11 and sixth form/AS/A levels.

Reply 11

Rferdous

5

The board regulating GCSE make sure that 18-20% of top student receive A-A* whilst iGCSE's are not regulated as such. As a result, iGCSE can award more A-A* and 2/3 of students for Maths and English achieve them

Reply 12

Doones

21

Original post by Rferdous

iGCSE can award more A-A* and 2/3 of students for Maths and English achieve them

Source?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 13

esrever

20

Original post by Doones

Source?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Statistics. Proprotion of people getting A* in maths or English (first language) are < 20%. There are some subjects which have a huge proportion getting A* but that's likely due to fewer people appearing for the exams.

Reply 14

Doones

21

Original post by esrever

Statistics. Proprotion of people getting A* in maths or English (first language) are < 20%. There are some subjects which have a huge proportion getting A* but that's likely due to fewer people appearing for the exams.

not 2/3rds though.

Reply 15

esrever

20

Original post by Doones

not 2/3rds though.

Chinese, Italian and Greek are over 2/3 but not maths, English.

Reply 16

Doones

21

Original post by esrever

Chinese, Italian and Greek are over 2/3 but not maths, English.

Yes I'm aware. I was making the point regarding the OPs assertion :wink:

(the bit I specifically bolded.. )

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 17

AhmadRAZOR

4

Basically, I had been studying igcse for 2 years (9-10) in pakistan and then i switched back onto GCSE in year 11 when i moved back to england. Trust me, im not being biased or anything but IGCSE is quite harder than simple GCSE. I didnt have to study ANYTHING in year11 because i had already completed the gcse course by doing half the IGCSE books. Igcse goes into much more detail. e.g. biology in gcse explains the lungs on two pages whereas its a whole chapter in IGCSE. Hopefully i helped. bye

Igcse vs gcse

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