Clarendon’s parents still refer to them as O levels, so the nuances and differences between iGCSEs and GCSEs would probably make their head explode. Nevertheless, beyond the fact that the ‘i’ stands for international (the GCSE stands for General Certificate of Secondary Education – FYI), there is still a lot of mystery around the differences between these two qualifications. We’re here to clear that up.
What are the differences between iGCSEs and GCSEs?
iGCSEs can be sat in the UK and in over 150 counties worldwide, whereas GCSEs can only be sat in the UK. As a result, iGCSE syllabi tend to have a more international outlook, which can be seen in set texts for English Literature, History topics and Geography topics. Furthermore, iGCSEs often tend to include more coursework.
Which boards offer iGCSEs?
Cambridge and Person Edexcel.
What are the grading differences?
If you are sitting a GCSE or an iGCSE in the UK, then you will receive your grade in the 9-1 format. If you’re sitting the iGCSE outside the UK, it’ll be the A*-G grading system.
To see the equivalence between the two grading systems, see the table below:
Are iGSEs easier than GCSEs?
iGCSEs have tended to be viewed as easier due to the higher levels of coursework. However, we have looked at the results for 2024 in Maths, English Language, English Literature, Biology, Physics and Chemistry to see whether the results bear this out.
% of grades at 9-7 or A*/A
So there it is. By attainment, GCSEs are quantitatively harder than iGCSEs. These results are skewed somewhat by the fact that nearly all independent schools – in the UK and globally – tend to sit iGCSEs.