How to Choose Subjects at IB School and IGCSE Board School

What is IGCSE?

IGCSE is International General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is a globally recognized qualification, at the Class 10 level, similar to the Class 10 examinations of the CBSE and ICSE or the Middle Years Programme of the IB. Education Consultant at Lancers International takes you through the different subject combinations offered at IGCSE School in Gurgaon and IBDP board.

With thousands of students opting for the IGCSE school in Gurgaon in the 10^th grade and IBDP in the 12^th grade, students need more guidance to choose the right subjects. Before deciding on the subject choice and career options, it is important to understand the structure of the IGCSE board and the IBDP.

IB Diploma Programme

The IB Diploma Programme consists of six groups and students choose five subjects each from five groups. In addition to this, the sixth subject may be an arts subject or another subject from groups one to five. Subjects are further classified as High or Standard Level. It basically refers to the number of hours for teaching the subjects. This is obvious that high-level subjects will be harder as compared to standard level subjects.

The six groups are as follows:

1: Language and Literature: English, Literature

2: Language Acquisition: French, Hindi, Spanish

3: Individuals – Societies: Business Management, Economics, History, Geography, Psychology

4: Sciences: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science

5: Mathematics: Math, Math Studies

6: Arts: Visual Arts, Literature and Performance

Typically, a student who wishes to study Engineering at the graduation level should take a combination such as:

HL: Physics, Chemistry, Math

SL: English, Hindi, Business Management

If the student finds the combination difficult, the student can move Business Management at the Higher Level and Chemistry at the Standard Level.

Similarly, if a student intends to go major in Business Administration in college, the student can opt for a subject combination as follows:

HL: English, Business Management, Math

SL: Spanish, Biology, Economics

Many schools in Gurgaon insist that students must have Math at a higher level in order to be considered for future courses. There are universities which are more flexible. They allow choosing any course that you want to at the Bachelor’s level, even if your subject combinations at the IBDP are completely different. However, unless you are quite sure that you are going for an Arts related discipline, experts recommend keeping Math in your subject combination.

If a student does not wish to study abroad, the student again would have to make sure to follow all the guidelines. They include having Physics, Chemistry, and Math as part of combinations to study Engineering later. For example, students who wish to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering must have Chemistry as a high-level subject in IBDP. He must also have Physics and Math as part of the subject combination.

What are the subjects in the IGCSE School curriculum?

The IGCSE exams are 10^th-grade exams conducted by many international schools in Gurgaon. The IGCSE consists of five groups and students must take a minimum of five subjects to qualify for the IGCSE School exam. If students take seven subjects they get an added qualification called the ICE (International Certificate of Education). The groups are as follows:

1: English Language, Hindi

2: Economics, Geography, History, English Literature

3: Physics, Chemistry, Biology

4: Mathematics, Additional Mathematics

5: Business Studies, Information Technology [Creative, Technical & Vocational]

Depending on the international school and subject choices offered, students can add in additional subjects. Hence, a student who wishes to pursue Engineering can opt for combination: English Language, Hindi, Economics, Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Business Studies.

Why should I select IGCSE School for my child?

1. IGCSE is one of the well-known qualifications in the world. It develops and encourages educational skills, including oral skills, inquiry skills, problem-solving, teamwork, and initiative.
2. The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) recognizes the IGCSE programme in India as being at par with CBSE, ICSE, etc.
3. The balance in the curriculum gives an international perspective to studies. It also takes responsibility of differing abilities of students.
4. IGCSE students can take advantage of the Cambridge Checkpoint. It is a diagnostic service comprising of standardized tests that shows a student’s strengths and weaknesses in key curriculum areas.

With a lot of options to choose from, students are now spoiled for choice. It is important, however, that students choose subjects based on their future career choice and not because a particular subject seems easy. Sometimes, a student is uncertain about their career choice but knows that engineering is something he or she will never do. In that case, it’s fine to drop the science subjects as long as Mathematics as a subject is still kept. Finally, if a student is sure of career-based in arts, dropping Math and Science both is an option.

Extra Curricular Activities

A wide range of extra-curricular activities offers plenty of opportunities for students at Lancers. It helps them to get to know each other outside the classroom. Lancers International School is an educational one-stop shop which proves extremely convenient for parents. It gives students the chance to explore their interests and advance their academic careers at their own pace.