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When selecting IG subjects, there is a lot of information that one needs to know about each subject: What is its code? When is it written? Is it available to private candidates? Is it available at core and extended levels? This article explains these issues and summarizes the information for all the subjects in a convenient table.

Bookmark this page and use it as an index and quick reference for all available IG level subjects!

Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) offers many different subjects at AS and A level to suit the needs of a wide range of students as they prepare for tertiary studies or work. Although the full range of subjects is not available to private candidates, there are enough that are available to make Cambridge International AS and A levels a worthwhile choice for most private candidates. Cambridge International offers two exam sessions per year: the May/June exam session and the October/November exam session. There is also the March exam session which applies to India only. Most subjects are examined in both sessions, but again not all. In the table below, I have listed all the subjects that are offered by Cambridge International, giving their codes, when they are examined and whether they are available to private candidates.

Bookmark this page and use it as an index and quick reference for all available AS/A level subjects!

The Cambridge International IG biology course (Code 0610) is a comprehensive course that covers many interesting and exciting topics. It is designed to be a practical and relevant study pertaining to the student's own environment and circumstances, so keep South Africa's beautiful and diverse habitats in mind when you work through the course.

A student will appreciate the study much more if they have a good foundation in the study of biology built up over the earlier school years. Cambridge International recommends that students have met the requirements of the key stage 3 of the national curriculum for England or a local equivalent. Using the English key stages as a basis and my own experience in teaching the IG biology syllabus to my own children and others, I have compiled the following list as a suggestion for what students should already know before starting the IG biology of the course. Some of the material can be introduced as early as Grade R, but the material needs to be developed to at least a Grade 10 level before starting on IG.

The list is by no means exhaustive but aims to give a general idea of the subject matter that should have been dealt with before starting on IG biology. This may help some of you to know what to look for when evaluating biology textbooks and curricula for the earlier grades.

All students wanting to study at a South African university must obtain a university exemption to be admitted into tertiary studies. No university in South Africa will accept a student without this exemption. The exemption indicates that a student has met the basic requirements and conditions at secondary school level in order to be admitted to study a degree at a university or other tertiary institution. For school-going children writing the NSC (National Senior Certificate), the university exemption is issued automatically by Umalusi with their 'matric' results if they meet the necessary requirements. However, students with a foreign qualification like the Cambridge IG and AS/A Levels need to apply to Universities South Africa (USAf) and in particular to the matriculation board for exemption. USAf will issue conditional or full exemptions to students who meet certain requirements in terms of the Higher Education Act (Act 101 of 1997) no 1317 dated 5 December 2008.

In this article, I discuss the USAf requirements for exemption as they relate to the homeschooler with Cambridge IG and AS/A Level subjects, and how to apply for such an exemption.

Qualifications issued by Cambridge Assessment International Education (Cambridge International) are well known for their educational quality as well as their widespread recognition, making Cambridge International an excellent choice for the final years of secondary schooling. But deciding to enrol for a Cambridge International qualification is only the beginning. The real challenge comes in mastering the various curricula and in preparing yourself for the final exams. In this regard it is important to understand what Cambridge International does and does not do.