Exam Information
The IGCSE courses are ultimately preparing students for Edexcel IGCSE syllabus A
When entering students for their exams you will need the following information and exam codes:
Higher Tier – 4MA1 Paper 1H & 2H
Foundation Tier – 4MA1 1F & 2F
Exam dates
November 2024(Final)
Paper 1 – Wednesday 6th November 2024
Paper 2 – Friday 8th November 2024
May/June 2025(Final)
Paper 1 Thursday 15th May 2025
Paper 2 Wednesday 4th June 2025
Differences between IGCSE and GCSE
Both are recognised by Universities & 6th form Colleges and are treated as equivalent qualifications.
The IGCSE was initially designed for international students who do not speak English as a first language, so sometimes the way the questions are worded are in a more straightforward fashion but overall there isn’t a lot to it. These days it is often used by the Home Ed community and I personally prefer the format of the exams which is why the courses are focused towards it rather than the GCSE.
The main differences are:
Number of papers and length of papers
GCSE has 3 Papers all of them 1.5 hours long
IGCSE has 2 papers, each one being 2 hours long
Calculator or Non Calculator?
The GCSE has one paper that is non-calculator, the second and third papers are both calculator based. Whereas the IGCSE ‘s papers are both Calculator, there is no non-calculator paper.
Syllabus
Overall, the 2 qualifications follow the same syllabus, there are small variances, the IGCSE includes an introduction to calculus, sum of a series and the chord theorem but omits topics such as tangent to a circle, quadratic sequences, iteration and circle theorem proof.
Exam Dates
Both the GCSE & IGCSE have exam sittings in May/June & November.
The IGCSE used to have exams in January & May/June but 2023 saw the last January exams, from now on the second exam sitting is in November.
Should we go for Foundation or Higher tier?
It’s usually a very individual decision based on pupils’ capabilities, where they are in life and what grade they need to obtain. If a student really struggles with maths and basic concepts then I usually suggest the Foundation tier. Some believe that it is easier to obtain a Grade 4, a pass, by sitting the Higher Paper, however in my experience, the amount of topics that have to be covered and the stress involved for the Higher Paper far outweighs the easier option of the Foundation paper.
Grades awarded on the papers
Foundation – Grades 1-5 Higher – Grades 4-9
You will find practice papers for either Syllabus below. Do look if you are unsure, it will demonstrate the type of questions involved for both syllabuses.
How do these Grades equate to old style Grades?
Grade 4 is considered a pass, an old style C and is a pass
Grade 5 & Grade 6 equivalent to a B
Grade 7 – an A
Grade 8 is borderline A to A*
Grade 9 – A* though far fewer 9’s are supposedly awarded than A*s were.
I am a registered Learning Partner with Tutors and Exams, if booking your IGCSE mathematics with one of their centres and you are one of my pupils you get a discounted Examination fee. Please mention Penny Chivers Online Maths when booking with Tutors & Exams.
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