Middle school students standing in front of a classroom blackboard

IGCSE

IGCSE students take LAB.CO classes in math, English, science, social studies, and history to work on the IGCSE subjects they study at school.

Find your child's IGCSE syllabus codes and exam sessions, then decide with us which subject comes first.

Curriculum and assessment

The IGCSE is a qualification earned subject by subject

Cambridge IGCSE is a secondary program in which students ages 14–16 study subject by subject, usually over two years, and take an exam in each. Students usually take it in Years 10–11 in the British system, or grades 9–10 in the American system, and some schools use programs from examination boards other than Cambridge.

IGCSE and the next stage
  1. G9–10IGCSECambridge Upper SecondaryThis stage
  2. G11–12AS & A LevelCambridge Advanced

IGCSE subjects your child takes at school

You'll find your child's subjects on the school's course selection sheet.

Sample IGCSE subjects in Grade 9 and Grade 10

G9

  • Math: IGCSE Math
  • Science: IGCSE Combined Science
  • English: IGCSE English
  • Social studies and history: IGCSE History and Geography

G10

  • Math: IGCSE Additional Math
  • Science: IGCSE Bio, Chem, Phys
  • English: IGCSE English Literature
  • Social studies and history: IGCSE History and Economics

The kinds of writing students practice in English

Students practice English writing by type: writing with a purpose for an audience, stories and descriptions, and newspaper articles and leaflets. Your child's school syllabus lists the types they'll have to write on the exam.

English writing materials headed WRITING: Creative and Non-Fiction, listing Writing with Purpose for an Audience, Writing Stories and Descriptions, and Writing Newspaper Articles and Leaflets
Sample writing section from middle school English class materials

What to look for in school materials

Four things to look for in IGCSE school materials: syllabus code and exam session, paper combination, coursework and practicals, and grading scale
  • Item: Syllabus code and exam session

    What to look for: The subject's syllabus code and the exam session your child will sit. The syllabus for that code lists the units and how they're assessed.

  • Item: Paper combination (Core or Extended)

    What to look for: The combination of papers your child will take, and whether they're at the Core or Extended level.

  • Item: Coursework and practicals

    What to look for: The school's notices say whether the subject has this kind of assessment and what's due when.

  • Item: Grades (A*–G or 9–1)

    What to look for: Each subject uses one of two grading scales: A*–G or 9–1.

Before and after changing schools

What to check before your child changes schools

Topic · What to compare with the new school

Exam board and syllabus code
Put the exam boards and syllabus codes used by the current and new schools side by side.
Work in progress
Note how far your child has gotten with coursework, practical, and lab assessments, and pass that on to the new school.

Ask the new school ahead of time whether coursework your child already submitted was checked by the exam board after school marking (moderation), and how the new school will handle those grades.

The steps your child follows to study IGCSE subjects with school materials

Your child moves quickly past what they already understand and goes back over concepts they didn't fully learn.

Four steps in a LAB.CO class: set the scope from school materials, read what the question asks, rewrite answers, and check what was learned
  1. Step: Set the scope from school materials

    What happens: We go through the school syllabus, class notes, and assignments to see how far your child has gotten.

  2. Step: Read what the question asks

    What happens: Your child reads command words like Describe and Explain and checks the mark scheme to work out what to write.

  3. Step: Rewrite answers

    What happens: Your child finds where points were lost on school tests or past papers, then reworks and rewrites those answers.

  4. Step: Check what was learned

    What happens: A quiz every class shows how well your child understood the lesson, and the results decide what the next class covers.

LAB.CO classes and advanced study

LAB.CO classes for IGCSE students

*Click to go to that page.

  • SubjectMath

    What your child learns
    Your child follows the Math Lab British-curriculum sequence and, in Grade 9, also works through sample IGCSE exam questions.
    Go to
    See Math Lab sequences by curriculum

  • SubjectEnglish

    What your child learns
    In Academic English and Write Lab, your child reads the command words in each question, chooses evidence, and writes English answers for each subject.
    Go to
    Explore English classes

  • SubjectScience

    What your child learns
    Using units from the school syllabus, your child writes up experiment designs, interpretations of results, and scientific explanations in English.
    Go to
    Explore science classes

  • SubjectBook Club

    What your child learns
    Your child reads English books matched to their age and reading level, then talks, writes, and debates about them.
    Go to
    See what Book Club covers

Research projects and the step after IGCSE

Beyond school subjects, your child can work on research projects or prepare for outside competitions.

  • OptionGlobal Perspectives
    What it involves
    An optional IGCSE subject in which students prepare an Individual Report and a Team Project.
    Keep in mind
    Not every school offers it.
  • OptionGoing deeper in school subjects
    What it involves
    Your child goes further than school courses into math proofs, interpreting science data, and comparing historical evidence.
    Keep in mind
    Plan anything beyond the school exam scope separately from exam prep.
  • OptionPreparing for AS & A Level
    What it involves
    Your child gets a head start on the concepts, English expressions, and assessment formats of the subjects they'll choose next.
    Keep in mind
    Which IGCSE subjects and grades an A Level subject requires differs by school.

Other curricula

Compare other curricula

  • CurriculumGlobal Pathways: curriculum comparison

    What it covers
    How the five curricula differ and what to check first in your child's situation
    Go to
    Compare all five curricula

  • CurriculumIB

    What it covers
    Subjects and assessment at each stage (PYP, MYP, DP), and what to check when changing schools
    Go to
    Read the IB guide

  • CurriculumAmerican curriculum

    What it covers
    Course plans that differ by school, course grades and assignments, and choosing Honors or AP courses
    Go to
    Read the American curriculum guide

  • CurriculumAP

    What it covers
    The AP courses your child's school offers, a separate exam for each course, and the AP Capstone research program
    Go to
    Read the AP guide

  • CurriculumA Level

    What it covers
    Subject combinations that fit an intended major, assessment methods, and the conditions for carrying AS results forward
    Go to
    Read the A Level guide

Plan your IGCSE student's classes

Tell us your child's IGCSE subjects and syllabi, recent test and coursework results, and next semester's goals. In the consultation, we'll set the first subject and the study order together.

See how enrollment works
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