https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... iversities

Interesting read, though not new.

Good to finally see recognition that IGCSE's are much easier.

3 out of 4 IGCSE entries come from private schools, despite private schools only accounting for 7% of the cohort.

Students at private schools are 136 times more likely to sit IGCSEs

91% of IGCSE Entries in English, Maths and Science were from private schools.

40k a year Eton only uses IGCSEs for EBACC subjects.

37k a year Sevenoaks and 17k a year Abbey school in Reading only use IGCSEs

We need one set of exams for all Y11s.

There is absolutely no reason for two now that coursework has been removed from the new GCSES. DG

Yep I read this too. It's true.

In the course of my work I teach the AQA, EDEXCEL, OCR syllabuses and also the Pearson(edexcel) IGCSE and the CIE curriculum in English language and Literature. I can categorically state that the latter two are massively easier. It's actually scandalous, IMO.

I've been teaching GCSE since the early/ mid 90s and have implemented many different versions and permutations of the syllabus. The new 1 - 9 GCSE course is the hardest ever, by a mile.

DG: there is still a coursework component for the literature IGCSE. What's Gove got to say about that I wonder.

That is very interesting Piggys.
Good to have it confirmed by someone who really knows the facts.
I expect unis will realise the difference in standards.
We know a couple of people who have moved from independents to grammar sixth forms this year.
They needed extra help to get them up to the standard at the beginning of sixth form.

The top flight Universities will take it into consideration, I know for a fact that Manchester Medical School will be . The Indie sector will not be allowed to get away with doing easier exams and expect the same credit.

The new 9-1 gsce's are much closer to the old 'o' levels than igcse's..and much harder....the private sector have shot themselves in the foot by trying to game the system.

Given the upping of the game, A level wise (and everyone keeps saying how much more rigorous the IB is in comparison anyway, don't they?), surely all easier GCSEs get you is possibly a more impressive looking clutch of year 11 results, but a rather harder time at the next stage?

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Toady, for medicine you are much better off doing STEM A levels than the IB in the UK anyway.

IB, is a great qualification for the 'liberal arts' or humanity degrees but not for STEM/medicine/dentistry/vet-sci degrees in the UK.

BTW.....Happy New Year.

Happy New Year to you and yours, too, Catseye .

Yep, the only young person I know personally who did the IB realised as soon as she started her Bioscinces degree that A levels would have been a better preparation for the course.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx