IGCSE (Sciences for one) are much more demanding than GCSEs

I do not think it can be accentuated enough that the IGCSEs are more rigorous than the GCSEs taught in most schools.
Apart from a few prestigious private schools, the majority of schools only offer GCSEs.

It is disappointing that such distinctively different courses can be regarded as equal by further education colleges, state schools (who were not granted the funding for them), some Universities and other areas of education.

Using science as an example; if one finds this subject a challenging one, then they can opt for the 'double award' GCSE in school instead of the more ambitious 'triple award'.

I came across this extremely informative article on the intensity of the IGCSE Sciences;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2010/jun/30/i-shouldnt-have-done-igcses

and it reaffirmed to me just how incomparable they are to the GCSE.

In hindsight I wish I had urged my son to not battle through these three exams, but to have been content with one science (he took IGCSE Biology a year early) and concentrated on the subjects he excelled in instead.

A friend and fellow home educator, Sam Martell, is devising the Double Award Science (and also the Triple Award) IGCSE course for home educated children.

http://www.sammartell.co.uk/index.htm

 She explained to me it is not as intensive as sitting the three single IGCSEs and the Edexcel board only has two papers. This sounds more accessible (although still challenging) for the student who is keen to study the sciences but has no grand ideas for studying medicine!

For those who are dedicated towards a medical career, then the single IGCSEs would be a valuable prerequisite to further studying.

The Sciences - Chemistry

For Catholic students wishing to study Chemistry either at IGCSE or A level it poses no problems morally!

Chemistry has always been regarded by the majority as the toughest science and most children who study it will have been studying basic Chemistry  for at least three years previously.

From personal experience (and not all positive!) children who wish to study the IGCSE Chemistry really should be very familiar with all the basic formulas and so on and this whole course is extremely rigorous and demands previous knowledge. It is also a course that needs time dedicated to it- at least a year. (It is a two year course anyway so completing it in one academic year is no mean feat!)

As Chemistry is a rather abstract subject it is useful to have various thought provoking programmes on hand as supplements to the course itself. The Khan Academy and Dr Brown's Lab    http://www.docbrown.info/      can provide animated and stimulating lessons on line which may make the science more real for the student.

Again, as with the other subjects, the GCSE requires course work and they are also far less demanding than the IGCSE. As I have mentioned numerous times already, the standard of the IGCSE sciences compared to that of the GCSE is really apparent. They demand more depth and call upon knowledge the student will have studied rather than just facts which are learnt and regurgitated.

The two main boards offering the Chemistry IGCSE are CIE and Edexcel. They consist of three separate exams; multiple choice, an intense theory paper (usually the arduous of the three!), and the alternative to practical paper which is as it sounds, a paper which students take if they're not in school and able to do practical tests. It presents a scientific experiment and the student must answer questions based on this.

A friend and fellow home educator has designed IGCSE courses for the three sciences. She writes;

' I have written distance learning courses to help home educators to study for Biology, Chemistry and Physics as single IGCSE subjects and also for the Double award Science IGCSE. All these courses are available for both the CIE and Edecxcel specifications. There is no practical examination necessary so they are perfectly accessable to private candidates.

 Do take a look at my website www.sammartell.co.uk for more information or email me sam.martell@ntlworld.com. I am a home educating mum, of four myself, and took my BSc Hons degree with the Open University so I understand all about distance learning and studying at home.  '


Many home educators use Sam's courses with success. A list of the required books are given and the student's work is marked by Sam and corrected.

The C.I.E board offers IGCSE Chemistry;
http://www.cie.org.uk/qualifications/academic/middlesec/igcse/subject?assdef_id=840

The Edexcel board offers IGCSE Chemistry too;
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/igcse/igcse09/chemistry/Pages/default.aspx

A sample paper from C.I.E November 2010, not for the faint hearted!;

http://www.cambridgestudents.org.uk/subjectpages/chemistry/igcsechemistry/pastpapers/0620_w10_qp_21.pdf

Chemistry is an absorbing subject yet I honestly believe children need good grounding in all three sciences before embarking on the IGCSE.

Not being a scientist in any shape or form myself  (English, Catechism and Art are my favourites) I especially welcome any wise words on this subject!