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The International General Certificate of Secondary Education, or IGCSE, is an international qualification for school students. IGCSE was ...

International General Certificate of Secondary Education
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The International General Certificate of Secondary Education, or IGCSE, is an international qualification for school students. IGCSE was developed by University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) in 1988, and is currently offered as a qualification by CIE and London Examinations (Edexcel International).

The IGCSE is typically taken by 14 to 16-year–olds, and it prepares students for further academic work, including progression to A Level, AS Level study and the IB Diploma Programme. Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSEs are recognised by academic institutions and employers around the world. UCAS recognises IGCSE as equivalent to the UK GCSE. In both 2006 and 2007 QCA decided not to recognise the IGCSE for league table or funding purposes, although an exception was made with IGCSE maths in 2007, the results for which were included in the level 2 maths totals for that year.

Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSEs provide a broad study programme and cover subjects from a variety of areas: Languages, Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Creative, Technical and Vocational. Most IGCSE subjects offer a choice of Core or Extended papers in Cambridge, and foundation or higher papers in Edexcel. This is designed to make IGCSE suitable for students with varying levels of ability. In some subjects, IGCSE can be taken with or without coursework, making it suitable for schools with less specialised staff.

The IGCSE allows teaching to be placed in a localised context, making it relevant in different regions. It is intended to be suitable for students whose first language may not be English and this is acknowledged throughout the examination progress.

In 2004-05, Cambridge IGCSE papers in more than 60 subjects were taken by students in over 120 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom , India & Bahrain.