Categories: Blog Microsite

Top 10 Tips to Prepare for the IGCSE Exam

 

IGCSE or the International General Certification of Secondary Education, as the name suggests is one of the Cambridge Pathway and covers

  • Cambridge Lower Secondary – for students between the ages of 11 and 14 years
  • Cambridge Higher Secondary – for students between the ages of 14 and 16 years

This can be perceived like the IB MYP, the only difference being that IGCSE follows a specific curriculum whereas IB just provides the framework.

After completing the IGCSE levels- grades 6th to the 10th, IGCSE gets replaced by “AS” level (11th grade) and “A” level (12th grade)

The students need to clear the exams conducted by Pearson Edexcel International or CAIE (Cambridge Assessment International Education) to be able to take the “AS” or the “A” levels. They have an option to take the IB Diploma programme too. After the completion of IGCSE examination in the 10th grade, a student gets either a CIE certification or an IGCSE certification, which entirely depends on the school he/she is attending.

IGCSE offers up to 70 subjects to its students, including more than 30 languages. Students can take them in any combinations. The groups under which the subjects are ordered are

  • Group 1 – Languages
  • Group 2 – Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Group 3 – Sciences
  • Group 4 – Mathematics and Business
  • Group 5 – Creative and Professional and Vocational

Students have to choose 2 languages, one subject each from groups 2 to 5. The 7th subject can be chosen from any group 2 to 5.

Apart from giving an international education certificate, high scores on the IGCSE have other benefits too

  • High job opportunities and expertise
  • Higher education in countries abroad
  • Work skills to adapt to social life

So, now how does one prepare himself for the IGCSE examinations and ace them? Let us explore the various tips to the prepping.

 

Tips To Prepare for IGCSE Exam

Start the Preparation Well in Advance

The more time you have, the more relaxed you can be and the better you can prepare and understand what you need to get good grades.

 

Making a Revision Table

Revision tables are extremely important to the success of your education. To make the perfect revision timetable, out need to follow the process of:

  • Prioritize challenging subjects
  • Minimize revision for the easier ones
  • Add breaks
  • And stay calm

There is no point in scheduling 20 hours of study for the day, yet you need to be aware of the ground you have to cover and plan for a tough but realistic schedule. Setting a goal before your study session is a good way to keep yourself on track. This way you will be able to review your progress.

 

Take Notes

As you prepare take notes. This is an important skill to have. These notes should cover the key aspects of each subject – key concepts, equations or examples associated. Do not try to cover in detail as it will be difficult for you to remember. Once the notes are jotted down, create summaries, and keep going over them. As you recall the points, you will be able to recall the details associated with them too.

Are You Planning to Prepare for IGCSE?

Book a Free Demo

Understand Your Learning Style

The method of study varies from student to student. Some may be comfortable studying in home and some may study when they are outside. Some would prefer to study late night and others may prefer to study early morning. Understanding and discovering your style may take many trials and errors. But in the end the most suitable pattern of study for you will be the most effective one. Further it is also beneficial to understand what study tools are best suited for you. When you are able to identify whether you are visual, auditory, reading/writing, or kinesthetic learner, you will remember and retain the new information better.

 

Grades Booster Programme

Save you time and energy by enrolling in grades booster programmes, where the expertise and experience of the teachers can be used efficiently to learn strategies and techniques that will help you prepare for the IGCSE examinations.

 

Take Your Teacher’s Help

Opening a question paper in the examination hall is always a nerve-wracking moment. The way you teacher can help you prepare for the exam.

  • Your teacher can set up a specimen question paper to make you aware of the style of paper.
  • He can help you think about roughly how much time to spend on each question
  • If there are choices to a question, he can help you with tactics to pick up the right question to answer
  • He can give you extra practice questions to mark

 

Work Practice on the Past Question Papers

It is highly recommended that you work on the past question papers rather than the questions in the textbooks. Questions in the textbooks mostly test the fundamental concepts while the questions in the past papers are a real deal. Practice as many papers as you can. This will make you more familiar with the question structure and style and the exam format. Also, when you are practicing the question papers, you can time yourself and prep as you would for an actual exam. And after much practice you will find yourself comfortable handling the time pressure.

After finishing the paper, mark your answers diligently against the answer sheet. The answer sheet also works as model on how the Cambridge would want to mark the answers.

Look for the past papers online at the Cambridge IGCSE Past Exam Papers.

 

Stimulate Your Mind

Ensure that you get enough exercise and sleep to be focused have improve concentration.

 

Day of the IGCSE Exam

The day or night before the IGCSE examination can be very stressful for you. A few tips for you

  • Have a good night’s sleep: There is no need to burn the midnight’s oil and sacrifice your sleep for the next day’s exam.
  • Be very sure of the date, time and venue of the examination.
  • Make sure to wake up early so that you have enough time to get ready with no rush and get to the examination venue early as well.
  • Read the questions carefully.
  • Skip the questions you are that you are unable to solve and return to them at the end of the paper.
  • Make time to recheck your paper after you have finished. Start checking from the back of the paper where most marks are allocated.

 

Move Ahead

After the paper is over, do not look back and dwell on the mistakes or the questions you couldn’t attempt. You need to focus on the next exam and try extra hard for the upcoming paper.

Looking for a good online tutoring and Cambridge endorsed practice materials for your IGCSE subjects. Look no further and enroll for a free demo class today at:
https://www.manyagroup.com/academic-tutoring

 

Manya – The Princeton Review Advantage

Manya – The Princeton Review offers end-to-end study abroad services encompassing admissions consulting services, test preparation, English language training, career assessment, and international internship opportunities to study abroad aspirants. Founded in 2002, Manya holds an impeccable track record of enabling more than 4 lac students to accomplish their study abroad dreams through its network of 47+ centers across India.

Manya has formed long-lasting global alliances with several market leaders in the education industry in order to maximize the benefits of its large service portfolio. Their list of esteemed partners and affiliations includes – The Princeton Review (TPR), Cambridge University Press (CUP), Cogito Hub, British Council, Tuding to name a few. Manya has also forged 600+ partnerships with international universities across top study abroad destinations.

Sharing is caring:

Recent Posts

10 Strategies to Increase Your GRE Score by 20 Points

  Several factors decide admissions into a good Grad school and course. One major determiner…

4 days ago

AP Exam Experience: What to Expect on Your First Test Day

  What is the AP exam? Advanced Placement or AP exams are an essential component…

6 days ago

Top Free Resources for AP Exam Preparation

  Who should take the AP exams? Advanced Placement or AP exams have been very…

6 days ago

GMAT Integrated Reasoning (Data Insights): Key Strategies for Success

  With the introduction of the GMAT exam - Focus Edition, the GMAT Integrated Reasoning…

1 week ago

How to Prepare for the GMAT | Exam Easy Self-Study Plan

  Going ahead and preparing for the GMAT by yourself may seem a bit of…

3 weeks ago

A Complete Guide to Prepare for the IELTS Exam | Tips and Strategies

  How to prepare for IELTS? Regular practice of every module on the IELTS is…

3 weeks ago