Cambridge IGCSE
Cambridge IGCSE is the International General Certificate of Secondary Education, a two-year qualification for students aged 14–16 and the most widely taken international curriculum at this level. Each subject is certificated on its own, and the results form the academic foundation for the IB Diploma or A Levels rather than a leaving certificate in their own right.
Key facts
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ages | 14–16, over two years |
| Subjects | Over 70, in any combination |
| Grades | Eight grades, A* to G; some syllabuses use a 9–1 set |
| Tiers | Core papers reach grade C; Extended papers reach A* |
| Series | June and November each year |
| Awarded by | Cambridge International Education, University of Cambridge |
| Status | A stage before the final two school years, not a diploma |
How the paper tier sets the ceiling
An entry decision taken a year before the exam can cap a grade. In tiered subjects, Core papers are graded C to G and Extended papers A* to E, so a student entered for Core cannot be awarded a B however high the mark. The overlap of C, D and E exists so that a student who performs above or below expectation still lands on the scale. Tiers are chosen subject by subject, which lets a child sit Extended mathematics and Core physics in the same series. Below the bottom of each tier the result is ungraded rather than a low grade. Cambridge International publishes the tier rules syllabus by syllabus.
What a parent should check
Three things differ between schools that all say they offer IGCSE: the subject list actually taught this year, the tier students are entered for, and which grade set is in use. Ask for the current cohort’s entries, not the prospectus list. Treat the qualification as a stage rather than a finish line — universities read it alongside the final two school years, not instead of them — and remember that two sittings a year mean a subject can be re-entered in the next series without losing a year. Our academic programme shows where it sits.
At Schloss Krumbach
Schloss Krumbach International School is an accredited Cambridge International Education School offering IGCSE and Advanced Level. The qualification sits in the upper Middle School years, ahead of Grade 10, the pre-diploma year in which the language of instruction becomes English across the programme and students choose between the IB Diploma and Cambridge A Levels for Grades 11–12. The groundwork is laid earlier than the exam: sciences are taught as separate disciplines from Grade 7, and English and German are each split into language acquisition and literature. Supervised homework periods every evening are where tiered subjects are actually kept on track. For the current subject list and entry tiers, ask Admissions.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cambridge IGCSE a diploma?
No. Each subject is certificated separately at 14–16, before the final two school years. A diploma or A-Level certificate comes later.
How does IGCSE differ from GCSE?
IGCSE is written for an international cohort and examined twice a year, in June and November. GCSE serves schools in England and is examined in one summer series.
Can a student retake an IGCSE subject?
Yes. With two series each year a student may re-enter a subject in the next one. Schools set their own rules on which retakes they support.
Free PDF guide
IGCSE, IB or A Levels: which route fits your child?
The routes from Grade 9 to university side by side: what each qualification involves, how universities read it, and the questions to ask any school.
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