IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is an international course developed by the Cambridge University Examinations Authority, primarily aimed at students aged 14 to 16.
It aims to achieve high-level academic standards through practical teaching and balanced subject settings, laying the foundation for advanced courses such as A-Level and IBDP. The curriculum covers core subjects such as mathematics, science, and economics, as well as multiple foreign language options, making it the international preparatory course with the largest number of high school students taking exams worldwide.
The IG exam has three major exam bureaus, namely CAIE, Edexcel, and Oxford AQA. The characteristics of the three major examination bureaus are:
CAIE:The most challenging and academically strong. The questions are flexible and the examination depth is extensive, making it known as the "hardest exam bureau to get an A*". There are two exam opportunities per year (May June/October November).
Edexcel: Modular exams offer many opportunities. There are 3 exam opportunities per year (January/5-6/10-11), and unit retakes are allowed to improve the scores.
Oxford AQA:Language friendly and highly fair. The title is simple and straightforward, reducing language traps, and focusing on examining subject knowledge rather than English reading comprehension. There are 2 exam opportunities per year (January February/May June).
In Chongqing, the IGCSE exam is mainly conducted by two examination bureaus, CAIE (Cambridge) and Edexcel.
The examination fee for IGCSE is not unified nationwide, but consists of examination bureau fees and examination center service fees.
CAIE：
Registration fee: None.
Single subject fee: approximately 2000-5000 RMB each
Evening newspaper name fee: an additional fee of approximately 1000 RMB is required
Edexcel：
Registration fee: Approximately £ 110 (GBP).
Single subject fee: approximately 1000-2000 RMB each
Oxford AQA:
Single subject fee: about 2000 RMB each.
Validity period of Scores
Academic achievements (mathematics, physics, economics, etc.): Lifetime valid.
When applying to university, one usually values grades from the past 2-3 years, but the certificate itself does not expire. But effective grades ≠ always applicable, the longer the time interval, the weaker the competitiveness may be.
English grades (IGCSE ESL/EFL): usually 2 years.
Many British universities (such as UCL, Southampton, etc.) accept IGCSE English B/7 or above as a substitute for IELTS scores, but require that the score be obtained within the first two years of the application date.
Three major exam bureaus focus on Humanities & Sciences:
CAIE：
Science - extremely difficult. Mathematics and science questions often involve complex logical reasoning, which Chinese students often find more difficult than the domestic college entrance examination.
Humanities - have a high A* rate. The probability of achieving high scores in economics at the CAIE exam is relatively high, making it suitable for students with strong logical thinking abilities.
Target audience: Academic overachievers, aiming for top G5 universities, with strong stress resistance, and do not mind "one exam determines lifelong commitment".
Edexcel：
Science - relatively easy. The questions are relatively regular and easy to review step by step, which is suitable for students with a solid foundation in science and who do not like off topic or strange questions.
Humanities - more difficult. Liberal arts subjects often require high English writing and discourse skills in Edexcel.
Target audience: Suitable for students who want to take exams in stages or who want to score through multiple exams.
Oxford AQA:
Science - conventional. The difficulty is between CAIE and Edexcel, with clear questions but strict grading criteria.
Humanities - there are fewer subjects. Mainly focused on basic subjects such as science, geography, and business, with a narrow range of choices.
Target audience: Students with relatively weak English foundation or who do not like excessive "word games" in the questions.
High score rates for different disciplines:
Mathematics: The additional mathematics (0606) of CAIE has an A/A rate of 52.4%, but the general mathematics A rate is only 18.4%. The A * rates of Edexcel and AQA are much higher than those of CAIE's ordinary mathematics, with AQA mathematics achieving a high proportion of 68.9% with a score of 7/8/9.
Science (physical, chemical, and biological): CAIE has a deep theoretical depth, while Edexcel focuses more on practical applications. The overall A * rate between the two is not significantly different. Among them, the chemical difficulty of CAIE is relatively high, the biological memory of CAIE is large, and the biological concept of AQA is clear.
Computer Science: CAIE's A/A * rate is far ahead, almost twice that of Edexcel, and is the most mature in teaching in China.
Humanities & Social Sciences (History, Geography, Economics): Edexcel and AQA have relatively lower difficulty levels and are more likely to score high. The AQA exam style is interesting and the resources are more abundant.
English (ESL/EFL): The ranking of high scores for ESL (English as a Second Language) is: AQA>CAIE>Edexcel. In terms of writing, Edexcel and CAIE have comparable difficulty levels, both higher than AQA.
How should candidates choose?
When choosing an exam bureau, you can focus on the following factors:
(1) First, let's take a look at the school admission regulations:
International schools generally collaborate with specific exam directors for a long time, which is usually the primary determining factor. Although some schools allow cross examination bureau subject selection, most do not support it.
If you are strong in science (especially mathematics, physics, and chemistry) and hope to prove your strength in applying to top universities, the depth and rigor of CAIE will be a bonus.
If one excels in humanities and has active thinking, but slightly weaker control over details, Edexcel and AQA have more flexible and lower difficulty in scoring in humanities.
If the English foundation is relatively weak, Oxford AQA is the most friendly to non-native English speakers and can alleviate language pressure.
(3) Final evaluation of learning style and exam mindset:
Linear thinking: If candidates are suitable for stage sprints and prefer to solve battles in one go, CAIE's centralized assessment mode may be more suitable.
Flexible adaptability: If candidates want to relieve the pressure of preparing for exams or are worried about performing poorly in a certain exam, Edexcel and AQA's modular examination and single subject make-up mechanism can provide candidates with greater toleranceOverall, there is no standard answer to determine which exam bureau is more likely to score high. The depth of CAIE can endorse the academic abilities of candidates, while Edexcel's flexibility makes it easier for candidates to achieve high scores in science, and AQA provides significant high score advantages in mathematics and humanities.
Exam preparation strategy
Precision-Strike Strategy by Subject
The preparation logic for different subjects in IGCSE varies greatly, so it is important to avoid using the same method for all subjects.
Beware of new regulations: If taking the CAIE exam, be sure to note that Paper 1 and Paper 2 have already banned the use of calculators. This means that you need to strengthen your mental and manual calculation skills, especially basic skills such as fraction calculation and radical simplification.
Formula derivation: Do not memorize formulas by rote, understand the derivation process of formulas (such as finding the root formula of a quadratic equation), so that even if you forget it in the exam room, you can deduce it.
Step by step: Even if the final answer is miscalculated, as long as the steps are clear and the formula is correct, most of the scores can be obtained. You must write down the process of solving the problem.
Physics: The core is understanding concepts. Try to explain the laws of physics using real-life examples such as braking distance and sound wave reflection. For calculation problems, it is necessary to list the known conditions, formulas, and substitution process.
Chemistry: The top 20 elements on the periodic table must be fully mastered. Focus on balancing chemical equations and describing reaction phenomena (such as "bubble generation" and "color change of precipitation"). Careful examination of the question is necessary, and if the question asks "pH value changes", do not just answer "becoming acidic".
Biology: This is a "humanities within the sciences" with a huge professional vocabulary. It is recommended to use flowcharts to memorize physiological processes such as photosynthesis and nerve conduction, and accurately memorize the spelling of professional terms to avoid deduction of points due to spelling errors.
English (ESL/EFL): When reading, read the question first and then the article, and circle the keyword positioning. When writing, it is important to accumulate advanced sentence patterns, avoid simple sentences throughout the text, and pay attention to the structure of the article (introduction argument conclusion).
Liberal Arts Essay Question: It is recommended to use PEEL structure to answer the main question:
P (Point): Viewpoint.
E (Evidence): Evidence (data, cases).
E(Explanation): Explain why this evidence supports the viewpoint.
L (Link): Contact (rebate question).
Choosing IGCSE courses and grades is an important 'invisible threshold' for those who want to sprint towards the G5 universities in the UK (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, LSE, UCL). The official requirements may only state 'passing', but the actual 'standard' for admission is much higher.
Based on the latest admission data and preferences of G5 universities, the following are course selection strategies and grade requirements:
When discussing which subject to choose, let's first clarify a benchmark:
Standard grades: Students with a target of G5 typically hold grades of 5-8 A/A's.
Bottom line requirement: Mathematics and English (ESL or first language) must meet at least a C/4 or B/6, which is a mandatory threshold for UCL and LSE.
Number of course selections: It is recommended to select 5-8 courses. Too few may appear to lack academic breadth, while too many (more than 9 subjects) can easily distract one's energy and result in not getting an A *, which is not worth the loss.
Standard course selection combinations for different Majors
1. Science & Engineering(Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Engineering)
This is the most fiercely competitive field for G5, with extremely high requirements for mathematical foundations.
Required core: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry.
Strong bonus points: Computer Science (required for CS application), Additional Mathematics (demonstrating mathematical depth).
Suggested combination:
Mathematics+Physics+Chemistry+Computer science/Additional Mathematics+English+Chinese.
G5 requirement:This direction usually requires 5-7 A's, especially in mathematics and science subjects where full marks are required.
2. Business & Economics (Economics, Finance, Accounting)
G5's business program places great emphasis on its ability in weight analysis.
Required core: Mathematics, Economics.
Strong bonus points: Additional mathematics (proving that your mathematics can handle financial modeling), chemistry/physics (demonstrating logical thinking).
Suggested combination:
Mathematics+Economics+Additional Mathematics+English+One Science (Physics/Chemistry)+Chinese.
G5 Requirement: It is recommended to obtain an A* in Mathematics and Economics, with an overall recommendation of 3-5 A's in each subject.
3. Biomedical (medicine, biology, chemistry, natural sciences)
Required core: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology (usually recommended for dual or triple science subjects).
Strong bonus point: additional mathematics.
Suggested combination:
Mathematics+Physics+Chemistry+Biology+English+Chinese.
G5 requirement: natural science/medicine major, with almost all employees receiving 7-8 A's in the IG stage.
4. Humanities & Social Sciences (Law, Education, Sociology)
Required core: English (first language or literature), mathematics.
Strong bonus points: history, geography, economics.
Suggested combination:
English+Mathematics+Economics/History+Geography+One science subject (to maintain subject balance)+Chinese.
相关单词详解
1.validity
n.有效性；合法性；(正式的)认可；正当；符合逻辑
The criticisms have at least an element of truth and validity.
那些批评至少有一丝真实性和合理性。
2. discourse
n. 话语；语篇；论文；演讲
v. 讲述，著述
He made a speech about his discourse.
他就他的论文发表一篇演讲。
3.comparable
adj.类似的；可比较的
Comparable perfumes would cost far more abroad.
类似的香水在国外价格要高得多。
4.rebate
n.回扣；折扣；返还(退还的部分货价)；退还款
v.削弱；给…回扣；使钝(刀刃)；减少
Now there's an agreement system and we get the rebate immediately we ship.
现在有一种合约制度，在货物装运后，我们立即得到回扣。
5.benchmark
n. 基准
vt. 检测（用基准问题测试）
The truck industry is a benchmark for the economy.
卡车业是衡量经济的一个基准。
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