Overview
Cambridge IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is a subject-by-subject school qualification for 14 to 16 year olds. It is set and awarded by Cambridge Assessment International Education, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, not by a UK exam board. Cambridge created IGCSE more than 30 years ago, and it is now taken in thousands of schools across more than 140 countries.
Unlike the UK GCSE, Cambridge IGCSE is mainly offered by international and private schools rather than government schools, including a large number of international schools in India. Each subject is certificated on its own: there is no overall pass or fail for the qualification as a whole, and students build up a set of individual subject certificates.
Who can apply
Students do not apply to Cambridge directly. A school has to be a registered Cambridge school, and the school enters its own students for Cambridge IGCSE subjects. Candidates are typically 14 to 16 years old, and most have completed Cambridge Lower Secondary (broadly ages 11 to 14) or an equivalent lower-secondary programme before starting Cambridge IGCSE courses, which normally run over one or two years.
Exam pattern
Cambridge offers more than 70 Cambridge IGCSE subjects, including over 30 languages, and schools can combine them freely: there are no compulsory subjects. Cambridge's own guidance for universities notes that students commonly take between 5 and 14 subjects, though most schools settle on a smaller core combination (such as English, mathematics and at least one science) alongside other choices.
Each subject syllabus has its own code (for example, 0580 for Mathematics or 0625 for Physics) and its own mix of components, which can include written papers, oral assessment, coursework and practical assessment, depending on the subject.
Many science and mathematics syllabuses offer Core and Extended tiers:
| Tier | Aimed at | Grades available (A*-G syllabuses) |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Students expected to achieve grades C to G | C, D, E, F, G |
| Extended | Students expected to achieve grades A* to E | A*, A, B, C, D, E |
Papers are also offered in separate time-zone variants (for example, Paper 12, 22 or 42) and in different exam series, so the same syllabus can be sat in several sittings a year.
Marking and results
Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses are awarded on one of two grade scales, chosen by the subject's syllabus version:
A*-G scale: A* (highest) down to G, with U for ungraded.
9-1 scale: 9 (highest) down to 1, with U for ungraded.
Once a school enters a candidate on one grade scale for a syllabus, it cannot switch that candidate to the other scale after the entries deadline for that series. Grade boundaries (grade thresholds) are set separately for each subject and each exam series, based on that series' papers, and Cambridge publishes the threshold tables for each series on its website. Results are released to schools through Cambridge International Direct, the schools' own Cambridge portal, rather than directly to candidates.
Important dates
Cambridge IGCSE exams run in the June and November series worldwide. Cambridge also runs a March series for schools in India specifically, giving Indian Cambridge schools three exam opportunities a year for most syllabuses. Exact entry deadlines and timetables are set by Cambridge for each series and published to schools through Cambridge International Direct; check there or with your school for the dates that apply to a given series.
Fees
Students do not pay Cambridge directly. A school must first pay Cambridge an annual registration fee to maintain its status as a Cambridge school, and it then pays a separate entry fee for each subject, for each candidate, in every series it enters. The exact amounts are published to Cambridge schools through Cambridge International Direct and are not listed publicly, and they vary by country and by syllabus. Schools typically pass some or all of this cost on to parents as part of school fees, so the amount a family pays varies from school to school.
How to apply
Confirm your school is a registered Cambridge school; only such schools can enter candidates for Cambridge IGCSE.
Discuss subject choices with your school, since there are no compulsory subjects and schools decide which combination of the 70-plus subjects they offer.
Your school registers you and submits entries to Cambridge for each subject and exam series within Cambridge's entry deadlines.
Your school receives your results through Cambridge International Direct once a series' results are released.
After the exam
Cambridge IGCSE is designed to prepare students for the next stage of school: Cambridge recommends it as prior learning for Cambridge International AS & A Level and Cambridge Pre-U courses, which are usually taken in the two years after IGCSE. Many students also use Cambridge IGCSE results to move into other national or international post-16 programmes offered by their school. Universities and employers worldwide accept Cambridge IGCSE certificates as evidence of subject-level attainment, and in the UK, Cambridge IGCSE is accepted as equivalent to GCSE.
Preparation tips
Decide early, with your school, whether a subject's Core or Extended tier (where offered) fits your level, since the two tiers lead to different grade ranges.
Check which grade scale (A*-G or 9-1) your school has entered you for in each subject, since you cannot switch scales after the entries deadline.
For subjects with coursework or oral components, start that work well before the written paper, since internally assessed work usually has its own internal school deadlines ahead of the exam series.
Use Cambridge's own past papers and grade threshold tables for your subject and series to see how marks have translated into grades previously.
FAQs
Is Cambridge IGCSE the same as the UK GCSE?
No. Cambridge IGCSE is set by Cambridge Assessment International Education, not a UK exam board, and it is mainly taken in international and private schools outside the UK state system. In the UK, it is accepted as equivalent to GCSE.
How many subjects do I have to take?
There is no fixed number set by Cambridge. Schools choose which of the 70-plus subjects to offer, and Cambridge's guidance notes that students commonly take somewhere between 5 and 14 subjects, built around a core such as English, mathematics and science.
Can I take Cambridge IGCSE exams more than once a year?
Cambridge runs the June and November series worldwide, and an additional March series for schools in India, so most Indian Cambridge schools can offer three sittings a year for many subjects.
Who pays the exam fees?
Your school pays Cambridge an annual registration fee plus a per-subject entry fee for each candidate. Schools usually build this cost into the fees they charge parents, so the amount a family pays depends on the school.