IB (International Baccalaureate) and IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) are both education systems and international school education programs. However, both of them follow their own academic approach and are even structured differently. Let’s take a brief look ib vs igcse and choose which on is the best fit for your child.
IB (International Baccalaureate)
Formerly known as International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), it was founded in the year 1968, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
IB is an educational system and is operating at an international level in about 159 countries. It offers four different programs to its students that we will study in detail moving forward.
IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education)
IGCSE is one of the stages of Cambridge Pathway and covers:
- Cambridge Lower Secondary
- Cambridge Upper Secondary
The exams are conducted in English language starting from Class 6 till Class 10. In classes 11 and 12, IGCSE gets replaced with “AS” Level and “A” level exams respectively.
The exams are conducted by:
- Pearson Edexcel International and
- CAIE (Cambridge Assessment International Education)
After gaining success in this exam, students can opt for:
- “A” level exams (Class 12)
- “AS” level exams (Class 11)
- Cambridge Pre U exams
- BTEC Level 3
- IB Diploma Program (Classes 11 and 12)
*All the above mentioned exams have a Class XII equivalency.
After clearing the IGCSE exam in Class 10 the students either get a CIE certification or an IGCSE certification, which entirely depends upon their school.
What Exactly is IB Curriculum?
IB is an educational system and it offers four educational programs to its students, which are:
- IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) for students between the age of 16 and 19 years
- IB Career Related Programs for students between the age of 15 and 19 years
- IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students between the age of 11 and 16 years
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students between the age of 3 to 12 years
Subjects Covered in IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)
The MYP program of IB has duration of 5 years and requires teaching time of at least 50 hours/year for each of its eight subjects, which are:
- Language acquisition
- Language and literature
- Individuals and societies
- Sciences
- Mathematics
- Arts
- Physical and health education
- Design
The students, who are able to clear their MYP subjects, are eligible to enrol themselves into either the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) or IB Career Related Programs.
Subjects Covered in IB Diploma Programme (IBDP)
The DP program of IB has duration of two years and consists of six different subject groups, which are:
- Language and Literature
- Language Acquisition
- Individuals and Societies
- Sciences
- Mathematics
- Arts
The curriculum of IBDP can be studied at two different levels, which are the standard level and the higher level. Both these levels have their own requirements that are mentioned hereunder:
| Level | Minimum Number of Hours | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| Higher | 240 hours |
|
| Standard | 150 hours |
|
*The data above represents the current syllabus and pattern. However, this can change owing to the pandemic situation.
What Exactly is IGCSE Curriculum?
The curriculum of IGCSE (also known as Cambridge Pathway) is divided into four different stages, which are taken by the students as per their age groups. A list of all these three stages is mentioned hereunder:
| Groups | Name of the Group | Number of Subjects | Age Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Cambridge Primary | 10+ | 3+ |
| II | Cambridge Lower Secondary | 10+ | 11+ |
| III | Cambridge Upper Secondary |
|
14+ |
Further, it must be noted that after passing the IGCSE exams in class 10 or we can say after clearing the Cambridge Upper Secondary Stage, a student gets promoted to Cambridge Advanced (Age 16+), which comprises:
- Cambridge International
- AS & A Level (55+ subjects)
- Cambridge AICE Diploma
- Cambridge IPQ
Let us know have a look at the subjects of the IGCSE stage of the Cambridge Pathways:
| Cambridge Pathways | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Primary and Lower Secondary (the name of the subjects remain same in both the levels and only the difficulty level varies) |
|
| Upper Secondary |
|
IGCSE offers an International Certificate of Education (ICE) to the students in three grades, which are Distinction, Merit and Pass. Further, it is necessary to secure seven subject passes in the following:
- Two passes in the group of languages and
- One pass in each of the other five groups
Key Differences between IB and IGCSE
IB and IGCSE are different from each other and have the following stark differences:
| Parameters of Differences | IB (International Baccalaureate) | IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) |
|---|---|---|
| Founded By | By International educators | University of Cambridge International Examinations |
| Age Group | 3 to 19 years | 3 to 19 years |
| Curriculum | Operates four different programs, which are: IB Diploma Programme (IBDP), IB Career Related Programs, IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) | Also operates four different programs, which are: Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary, Cambridge Upper Secondary, Cambridge Advanced |
| Prescriptive curriculum | No, as there are no fixed textbooks | Yes, as it provides prescribed readings |
| Schools covered in India | 201 | Over 400 |
| Outcome | After clearing the IBDP exams, students can get admission in universities and complete their graduation | Enables the students to become eligible for exams like A/AS level, BTEC Level 3, Cambridge Pre-U, IB Diploma Program |
Pros & Cons of IB
IB has a demanding curriculum that strives to enhance the knowledge base of the students. It is highly popular across the world and is followed by several students. The various advantages of IB are:
- Highly Flexible: The curriculum of IB is not prescriptive and this allow the teachers to:
- Personalize it as per the requirements of the students
- Use their imagination and maximize the learning outcomes
- Choose the best curricular design
- Practical Approach: IB follows a practical approach, and focuses on skill development, application and understanding of the subject. It does not follow content based approach, which promotes rote learning.
- International recognition: IB is accepted in almost all the countries. This enhances the chances of the IB students to get enrolled in any prestigious foreign university.
Despite its popularity and wide acceptance, it is still criticized and has a few disadvantages, which are:
- Frequent Revisions: With an aim to provide latest education to its students, IB has a habit of revising its curriculum quite often. This makes it tough for the teachers to adapt and leads to errors in judgements.
- Lacks Proper Implementation: Presently, the Indian schools are finding it quite tough to implement all the IB programmes. Some have only PYP and MYP, while others have only IBDP. However, this scenario is quickly changing.
- No Career Related Programmes: Out of the four academic programmes offered by IB, only, IBDP, PYP and MYP are currently operating in India.
Wanted to read about IGCSE Vs CBSE?
How Litera Centre helps IB/IGCSE Students?
Having a 100% pass rate and the trust of more than 2,250 graduating students (still counting), Litera centre is an established online educational project, which offers expert guidance to the students of IB and IGCSE.
For IB we provide the following services:
- Pre-IB Boot Camp Programme: Our experts guide the students to smoothly transition from their existing school boards to IB
- Subject Tuition for MYP 1 to MYP 3: Online personalized sessions are organized for the students of classes 6 to 8, which are “MYP 1 to MYP 3” in IB.
- Exam Preparation for MYP and DP: We run several expert assisted courses, which prepare our students for:
- E-Assessment at the end of Grade 10 (final year of the MYP programme) and
- Diploma exams at the end of Grade 12 (final year of the DP programme)
For IGCSE:
Litera centre organizes several online preparation sessions, which help the students of Grade 9 and Grade 10 to understand the concepts with precision.
What Makes Us Unique?
We strive to deliver the best and have produced more than 600 subject toppers. All this is made practical by our experienced:
- Teachers
- Heads of Departments (HODs)
- Curriculum Leaders
- IB examiners
- IB Workshop Leaders
Litera centre is a result-oriented institute and offers:
- 1-1 classes
- Classes in small groups
- Online tutoring
- Feedback sessions
If you want to ace your IB and IGCSE examinations, try us out and gain from our years of experience and accumulated knowledge. Please visit us at www.literacentre.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Which one is better IB or IGCSE?
Both IB and IGCSE have different outcomes. Students can choose them as per their requirements.
Which is harder IB or IGCSE?
IB and IGCSE are based on practical curriculums and discourage rote learning. They have the same difficulty levels.
How is IGCSE different from IB?
The IGCSE is a stage of the Cambridge Pathway, which comprises three different programs that are Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary, and Cambridge Upper Secondary. After obtaining an IGCSE certification, a student gets promoted to AS & A Level Examinations. On the other hand, IB offers four different programs, which are, PYP, MYP, IBDP, and Career-related programs.
Does Harvard accept IB?
IB enjoys excellent international recognition and is even accepted by Harvard.
Is IB American or British?
IB is neither American nor British. It was founded in 1968 and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Do universities prefer IB or A levels?
It is an established fact that universities prefer IB more, as it is more intense and develops the analytical skills of the students besides enhancing their knowledge base.
Is IB the hardest high school program?
IB is certainly one of the toughest programs. Maths HL, for instance, has its reputation for being tricky, complex, and tough.
Is shifting from IGCSE to IB possible?
The students of IGCSE can also make a move to the IB Diploma Programmes (IBDP) for Class XI and Class XII.
References
- https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-upper-secondary/cambridge-igcse/
- https://www.ibo.org/programmes/
