- IGCSE Courses
- Biology IGCSE
- Business IGCSE
- Chemistry IGCSE
- Economics IGCSE
- English IGCSE
- English Literature IGCSE
- French IGCSE
- Geography IGCSE
- German IGCSE
- History IGCSE
- Human Biology IGCSE
- Maths IGCSE
- Physics IGCSE
- Science (Double Award) IGCSE
- Science (Single Award) IGCSE
- Spanish IGCSE
- GCSE Courses
- GCSE Business
- GCSE English
- GCSE English Literature
- GCSE Latin
- GCSE Maths
- GCSE Psychology
- GCSE Sociology
What are IGCSE courses?
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) offers students a comprehensive curriculum which in most cases covers similar ground to the GCSE.
We use the Pearson/Edexcel examination board and the IG’s that we offer should not be confused with those offered by the Cambridge exam board, especially when booking exams. They are NOT the same.
IGCSEs provide an excellent foundation for future education, such as A level , BTEC vocational courses and other qualifications that are recognised by employers internationally and by the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Grade for grade, they are equivalent to GCSEs.
Available to students in over 150 countries worldwide, IGCSE qualifications are increasingly gaining popularity in the UK and are often preferred to GCSEs by many reputable independent schools. Approximately 300 British independent schools now offer IGCSEs. Over 1.5 million students from around the world take IGCSE exams annually, with over 40,000 entries in the UK alone.
GCSE or IGCSE? – Why we make the choices we do
Our choice of GCSE and IGCSE courses is now largely historical. GCSE exams used to include controlled assessments completed under supervised conditions. These controlled assessments were impractical for home educated students and so we chose to offer IGCSE distance learning, where 100% of the assessment is done by examination.
In the core subjects of Maths and English you now have the choice of either GCSE or IGCSE and you will find more detail on this under the individual course headings.
To find out more about our IGCSEs, take a look at our blog on ‘GCSE and IGCSE: what’s the difference?‘
IGCSE Examinations
Unlike GCSEs where only English and Maths are available in November, most of our IGCSE courses can be examined in either summer or November. However, please be aware that your choice of exam centre could be more limited for November exams.
All schools, colleges and private centres that can offer the Edexcel GCSE can also offer IGCSEs.
Some advantages of IGCSE
- 100% of the assessment is by examination in all subjects that we offer
- They are held in equal regard to GCSE by employers, FE and Universities
- They are backed by Pearson/Edexcel, the UK’s largest examination board
- Pearson/Edexcel exams are available through their network of worldwide examination centres not just in the UK
IGCSE Science Suite
The IGCSE Science Suite offers a wide range of options for the budding Scientist, whether you want to go to university or just a basic grounding.
English Language and Literature
English is the world’s most important and widely-used language. Studying English in any form will...
Maths Courses
Maths is one of the cornerstones of modern life. Whether you want to be an engineer or just want to understand statistics pesented to you by the press, Studying Maths....
FAQ's
- Oxford Open Learning Trust is a long-established educational trust that prides itself on
- treating every student as an individual
- our friendly and experienced customer service
- the quality of our courses
- We provide online and printed resources so you can study your way – other providers do not give you that choice.
- We’re rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot by students who have studied with us.
- We make it easy for anyone to home-educate with our flexible schedule, tutor support, and interest-free payment plan.
- Every year we help hundreds of students who have left mainstream education obtain the qualifications they need to progress and achieve their goals.
- We are a not-for-profit trust so you can be sure that your course fees are spent on either your tuition or on improving our courses.
- We want you to be comfortable with your choice before taking a course and so we encourage questions and discussion before you start your journey with us. We certainly do not employ any high-pressure sales techniques and you will find that our friendly and experienced staff are always available to give help and advice in person on the ‘phone or by email if you prefer.
There is no difference in the way GCSE or IGCSE qualifications are seen in the world of education. We offer both in some subjects but this is mainly historical and these days you will find the most choice in IGCSEs.
When we talk about them, the terms GCSE or IGCSE are interchangeable. The topics required and the standards expected for different grades are often indistinguishable.
You can sit exams as a Private or External candidate at numerous centres throughout the UK, either local schools or colleges or at a private centre. How far you have to travel to sit an exam is actually a matter of luck. There may be a helpful centre in your local neighbourhood or you might have to go to your nearest big city. Certain subjects, particularly foreign languages, are tricky because of the oral element and you do need to be prepared to travel.
Unlike many of our competitors we do not restrict our students to an associated exam centre in a big city. We can give you information on around 30 centres around the UK where you will certainly find an exam place for any subject and booking is quick and easy, often with a discount for our students. If you are prepared to search and you find a helpful local school or college, you may get a better deal. This is especially true if you live near the place you went to school or where your children go.
We have an exam centre map in the Student Information section on our web site which shows you our “guaranteed centres” and also those centres who have helped our students in the past. Please remember that circumstances change all the time and if you are looking for a bargain you will need to devote some time and effort to shopping around. Our knowledgeable advisers have lots of useful tips.
Not surprisingly, many people find the idea of sitting an exam with a group of 16 year olds very intimidating but you are quite likely not to be alone.
There is no denying that it can be uncomfortable for a grown up to sit in what is likely to be the cheapest place; a school. Also because of safeguarding, many schools will no longer allow unknown grown ups in to their premises, but there are other options.
The private commercial exam centres all allow grown ups to sit and consequently although you will be in the minority, you will probably not be the only one. Some private schools are still happy to accommodate adults and they will be likely to have the most experienced exam officers.
Exams are not easy for anyone but at least as an adult you will probably have done it before and have the life experience not to panic.
There is no upper age limit to studying for an IGCSE and we get students who are retired and in their 70’s even 80’s. They often just want to study to keep their brains active and many don’t actually go the expense of sitting the exam. Our tutors love what they can learn from these students
However, most students have just started work and need an extra subject to progress or want to switch to a job which requires a qualification they do not have.
If you are under 18 years old then you need our sister company Oxford Home Schooling.
First fill out our website application form giving as much relevant information as possible and at this stage you have not committed to anything. Once the application has been received and assessed by our Admissions Department, a Student Adviser will contact you to discuss the application, answer any more questions you may have and confirm your subject selections and cost before you get started.
We want you to be comfortable with your choice and clear about the way forward, therefore we do not employ any high pressure sales techniques and you are free to take your time before you commit to investing in any study programme.
Once you are ready, you can pay your Student Adviser in full or arrange to pay in instalments.
You can enrol any time you like, the earlier the better. The important thing to think about is when you wish to sit your exam and to give yourself plenty of time to work through your materials and revise successfully. Our cut-off dates for enrolment are usually November for the following summer exams or March for November sittings.
There are November exams for most IGCSEs and the deadline for booking them is the 4th October.
Once you have enrolled, you will get immediate access to your course online and your printed course materials will arrive a few days later.
