Will IGCSEs go ahead

[Summertime2]

Anyone on here with a child taking international GCSEs in the uk and have any info as to whether they will go ahead in June?

We have been told by the school that they are not cancelled. Rather worried about this as it will very much disadvantage these uk kids who've missed so much teaching when they are lumped in with all the many more international students who have been taught as normal - and then examined as if the same...

@muckedip55 our school have said they don’t have a choice to change to teacher assessment and exams will have to go ahead unless the exam board changes it’s decision

Not great for us as many students are distant from the school or abroad and needing to attend the uk base

The way I understand it igcses are going ahead unless they are cancelled by the board. Having read the consultation for GCSEs and A levels, I'm actually quite glad igcses are still exams. At least it's a straight forward target to work towards.

Mmm, looking at the ‘exams cancelled’ thread there’s a number of teachers, especially maths, that think modified exams would be preferred. But like you mucked I’ve no idea if schools have any choice.

I hope it doesn't result in the decision being left to individual schools, because our HT wants the exams. Reduced content would be preferable, DD is nowhere near to finishing the course in some subjects, but I don't think Cambridge will go for that because they are keen to push the rigour of their exams.

Btw, I hope the @ with my name wasn't implying I was bullying. I pointed out that maybe the other poster's first language wasn't English as a possible reason why her replies were difficult to comprehend, it wasn't meant as an insult.

I took your second language comment as being supportive of her. I wouldn’t worry about it.
History igcse has reduced content to now be 3 instead of 4 topics. But the sciences and languages haven’t been reduced. Which i’s is your DC doing?

My DD is doing both Englishes maths history biology chemistry french - her other 2 are gcsce’s. I think they mainly Pearson Ed excel and not sure much content been reduced at all apart from oral french which you would have thought would have been the most useful bit! English doesn’t seem to have been reduced at all. And I don’t understand the advance notice stuff. Does anyone?

Has English lit not been reduced? It was for regular GCSEs again from 4 to 3 ‘pieces’.

Where have you seen ‘advance notice’?

Not sure English has been.. still doing the same number of texts it seems. I though i saw something on a cambridge site about advance notice but not sure how works..

Not heard of it so zero help here. Sorry!

Advance Notice was mentioned in the tweet that @Summertime2 copied into the thread earlier in the week.

"We consulted with schools at the end of last year to understand which contingency arrangements would be most valued for international qualifications. Based on school feedback, we would like to confirm that Advance Notice will be added to the measures we are making available for International GCSE and International A levels to support schools and students. Advance Notice provides information about the topics included in exams to help teachers and students focus their revision."

It just means that topics will be disclosed prior to the exams - quite when, I'm not sure.

@onyourway

Advance Notice was mentioned in the tweet that *@Summertime2* copied into the thread earlier in the week.

"We consulted with schools at the end of last year to understand which contingency arrangements would be most valued for international qualifications. Based on school feedback, we would like to confirm that Advance Notice will be added to the measures we are making available for International GCSE and International A levels to support schools and students. Advance Notice provides information about the topics included in exams to help teachers and students focus their revision."

It just means that topics will be disclosed prior to the exams - quite when, I'm not sure.

That sounds helpful. That was dds preferred outcome - exams but knowing the topics!

Yeah, Edexcel's is just there will be Advanced Notice "in due course" though they're also listing changes to some exams on the site with their Covid updates.

I'm a lil confused why I was tagged. My Y11 DS is taking IGCSEs as an external candidate, not through any school - state or private. I don't really care which ones schools prefer to use, don't think either preference is 'radical' - we just picked an online tutored course that could possibly give him CAGs if they're canceled.

I wonder when they will publish the topics. Sooner rather than later would be good!

Can't find anything official about advance notice on Cambridge website 😔

@NotDonna
DD is doing Chem, Bio, Phys, Eng Lit, History (part coursework) iGCSE and then 4 other GCSE. She has already sat 2 iGCSE and a GCSE.

History igcse has reduced content

Has it? Is this Cambridge? I don't think DD has been told this, though they have a coursework element to their course, whether that makes a difference.

There is a consultation with a survey you can fill in.

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-how-gcse-as-and-a-level-grades-should-be-awarded-in-summer-2021

@onyourway consultation this doesn't apply to iGCSEs unfortunately as they are not regulated by OFQUAL and indeed not seen as GCSES by OFQUAL

@SusannaSpider DDs history igcse is Pearson and reduced. Her other iGCSEs are all 3 sciences with no reductions and Spanish & German - reduction per se but a teacher assessed oral exam, which they did a good while ago I believe. Her other 4 are regular GCSEs.

@Summertime2

Anyone on here with a child taking international GCSEs in the uk and have any info as to whether they will go ahead in June?

We have been told by the school that they are not cancelled. Rather worried about this as it will very much disadvantage these uk kids who've missed so much teaching when they are lumped in with all the many more international students who have been taught as normal - and then examined as if the same...

As far as I am aware, schools have been closed all over the world. My kids do IGCSEs at an international school in Thailand and were closed from Feb to August 2020, back in school from Aug to Dec and have been closed again since Dec 12 with no date for reopening. It's not only in the UK that IGCSE learners have been disrupted.

DD got her Cambridge iGCSE results this morning for 3 early entry subjects. She got her predicted grades (which were high) . Really pleased for her, she has worked so hard against the odds. Makes me feel more reassured about the summer exams, if they go ahead.

Yeah!!! Huge congrats to your DD!
Can I be nosey and ask why she’s taking so many early? How many is she taking in summer? Are you in the U.K. or overseas?

Apologies, you told me she sat 2 iGCSEs & 1 gcse upthread. But still has 9 to take in summer.

It’s quite unusual I think susanaspider to take maths gcse, English iGCSE and science igcse all early. I didn’t even know there was a ‘science’ igcse. Yet, she’s taking iGCSEs in each separate science in summer? Along with English Lit, History iGCSEs plus another 4 GCSEs? And this is a U.K. state school? Sounds like a crazy number of exams.