An introduction to IG

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IG) from Cambridge International Education or Pearson Edexcel is a highly respected qualification throughout the world, and forms an important foundation for further studies at AS/A-Level. In South Africa, IG is recognized as equivalent to the South African Grade 11 and the IG marks can therefore be submitted along with the university application as Grade 11 marks.

What is the IG qualification? Why should a student write the IG exams? When should a student write the IG exams? What IG subjects should a student write? These are some of the questions I will answer in this article.

What is IG?

IG is a common abbreviation for International General Certificate of Secondary Education.The IG is a qualification that is issued by two British exam boards namely Cambridge International Education and Pearson Edexcel. Both these examination boards offer the IG exams in South Africa (as well as other countries) in two exam sessions - May/June and October/November. An IG certificate from either examination board is accepted by USAf and universities in South Africa and is respected throughout the world. See article on obtaining a South African university exemption using IG, AS/A-Level.

Interestingly, IG is one of three equivalent qualifications offered by Cambridge International Education as part of  their Upper Secondary pathway which is aimed at 14-16 year olds. The other two qualifications offered by Cambridge International Education are O levels and the United Kingdom's GCSE. These three qualifications will differ in syllabus content and schemes of assessment, but are at the same academic level.

IG was developed was for a multicultural audience making it a useful international qualification that can be used all over the world. The IG exams offer the widest range of grades of all three qualifications. Students taking the IG exams can achieve a grade between A* (90-100%) and a G (20-29%) whereas in the O-Levels, students can achieve between A* and E (40-49%). Students with a wide range of ability are therefore able to use the IG qualification. The main difference between the UK GCSE and IG is that the UK GCSE has compulsory coursework making ongoing assessment possible, whereas, the IG is usually examined only at the end of the study period - a summative assessment.

Pearson Edexcel offers both the UK GCSE and the IG.

Cambridge International Education offers about 70 subjects at IG level. See the article on Cambridge International Education IG subjects and codes for a list of IG subjects offered. Pearson Edexcel offers about 37 subjects at IG level. It is possible to do some subjects with one examination board and other subjects with the other examination board. For example, Pearson Edexcel does not offer Afrikaans. It is therefore possible to write IG Afrikaans through Cambridge International Education and the other subjects through Pearson Edexcel.

Some IG subjects, but not all, are offered at two levels - core and extended. Students taking core will cover the core content of the subjects and will be eligible for grades up to C (60-69%). Students taking extended will cover the core material as well as the supplementary material in the syllabus; they will be eligible for grades up to A* (90-100%). The certificates of results will not indicate core or extended. Where subjects are not offered at core and extended, then candidates are eligible for the full range of grades (A*-G). Please consult the particular subject's syllabus to see if a subject is offered at core and extended level.

Both Cambridge International Education and Pearson Edexcel now offer some IG subjects with a different grading system. Instead of the A to G grading system, these subjects offer a grading system 9 to 1 where 9 is the highest grade and 1 is the lowest grade. Some countries prefer the A to G grading system, while other countries prefer the 9 to 1 grading system. South Africa accepts the A to G grading system. Note that the syllabus content of these two different grading system is still the same. It is only the grading system that is different and this is indicated by a different subject code.

It is important for homeschoolers to realize that both Cambridge International Education and Pearson Edexcel work primarily with associated schools that offer the teaching and formative assessments in preparing students for the exams. However, since both exam boards do allow private candidates to write a number of their subjects, homeschoolers are able to write the IG exams as private candidates. Subjects not available to private candidates usually require practical work or coursework that is evaluated internally by the school and then moderated by the examination board. Make sure that the subject you choose to study is available to private candidates before embarking on the studies.

 IG is foundational to further studies at AS/A-Level. Although there are a few AS/A-Level subjects like AS Psychology, that do not need prior knowledge, most AS/A-Level subjects require the prior knowledge and skills developed in the IG subjects.Students who study AS/A-Level subjects without the necessary background obtained in the IG study do themselves a great disservice. I would strongly recommended that students complete the IG level before moving onto the AS/A Level in a particular subject.

Why should a student write the IG exams?

There are a number of good reasons why students wanting the British International qualification as their school leaving certificate should write the IG exams.

As mentioned above, the IG qualifications provide the foundation for AS/A-Level work. It is important that the students have this background before attempting to move onto AS/A-Level. Without this important foundation, the student will find AS/A-Level very difficult indeed. It is also worth mentioning here, that many IG subjects also require prior knowledge, making it important to structure the homeschool programme from primary school very carefully so that the student is well prepared for IG level. Working through the IG course material and passing the exams will help to make sure that the student is able to make the next step to AS/A-Level.

Most homeschoolers are not used to formal exams and so the IG exams give them the experience they need before taking AS/A-Level exams. But do not be fooled, the IG exams are extremely important for their own sake. Students can get provisional placement in a degree programme based on their IG results. It is even possible to get a bursary for tertiary studies based on IG results. Please do take these exams seriously.

In South Africa the IG is considered to be equivalent to Grade 11. The IG marks can therefore be submitted as Grade 11 marks with a student's application to study at a university. This is essential for selection courses where universities want to see a student's progress over Grades 11 and 12 to ensure that a student can work consistently. This also means that a student can apply to university in the year that he/she completes AS/A-Level since they have some marks to present to the university. The university needs to assess a student's academic ability before admitting them to a degree programme. The IG marks can also contribute along with AS/A-Level subjects to the USAf exemption certificate. See the article on obtaining a South African exemption using IG, AS/A-Level.

When should a student write the IG exams?

The IG exams are aimed at students between the ages of 14 and 16 depending on when they started schooling. In South Africa children start formal schooling in the year they turn 7 and therefore South African students should aim to write the IG exams when they are 16 years of age. Other countries start formal schooling at the age of 5 and therefore write IG at the age of 14.

I have noticed a trend in the South African homeschool community of starting to prepare for the IG exams from the age of 12. Students often take four years then in preparing for the exams and miss out on developing the well roundness of education that should be part of early high school.

In South African high schools, students in grades 8 and 9 are encouraged to explore a wide variety of subjects including the sciences (physics, chemistry and biology), maths, English and a second and perhaps even a third language, history, geography, computer, and accounting to mention but a few. This gives the student a chance to experience these subjects before having to choose six subjects in Grade 10 to take to matric. I think this is educationally sound as it develops the child's thinking in a number of disciplines before specializing.

My advice to homeschoolers would be to embrace the early high school years and explore these subjects. There are very good resource materials out there that will prepare the child for life and give them an education - a personal encyclopedia of knowledge and experience. This is going to be drawn upon when working at AS/A Level and students without this important general background are going to find themselves deficient.

When a student reaches Grade 10 (15 years old turning 16 years old), then it is time to choose the subjects for IG and start preparing for the IG exams. If a child has a solid foundation is the primary school years and early high school years, then preparing for the IG exams in twelve to eighteen months is not that difficult. Too often students start IG course with no background and so the tutor has to give the background and the course material simultaneously which can make IG seem much more difficult than it ought to be.

How many IG subjects should a student take?

The number of IG subjects chosen by a student depends on a number of factors. Some countries require their students to take anything between ten and sixteen IG subjects. I would recommend that South African students take at least six IG subjects to compare with their counterparts doing the National Senior Certificate where six subjects is compulsory. They can then take at least four of the subjects to AS-Level or two or three subjects to A-Level to meet the USAf exemption requirements. Remember this is a minimum and students can take more than six subjects.

Students should ideally take English, a second language, maths and then at least three other subjects of their choice. Remember that the IG results will count as Grade 11 marks in the university application process, so it is important to show that the student will meet the minimum requirements of USAf.. See article on USAf subject groups.

Private candidates should expect to work for between 4 to 6 hours per subject per week. Depending on the student's background, an IG level course can take between 1 and 2 years to complete. Many subjects do require prior knowledge and it is important that students have this prior knowledge before starting their IG studies.

IG Exams

Cambridge International Education and Pearson Edexcel offer two exam sessions per year: the May/June exam session and the October/November exam session. Note that not all subjects are available in both sessions. Cambridge International Education have an additional exam session offered in March, for India only.

Private candidates must write the exams at an approved Cambridge exam centre or Pearson Edexcel exam centre that allows for private candidates and can accommodate the subjects the student wants to write.

Registration for the May/June exams usually opens early in January while registration for the October/November exams usually opens in June.

Enjoy your IG studies!