The examination boards that offer (I)GCSE Mathematics examination include Edexcel, AQA, OCR and CIE. Most students studying in the UK will sit the GCSE examination at the end of either Year 10 or Year 11. Some students in the UK and those who study outside UK will study (I)GCSE Mathematics (I = International). Students studying the Mathematics (I)GCSE curriculum in Hong Kong usually take the Edexcel or CIE (I)GCSE examination board. Within each examination board, there are also different certificates in Mathematics as well as different levels (Standard/Core or Higher/Extended). Some schools allow more able students to study the Edexcel (I)GCSE Further Pure Maths or CIE (I)GCSE Additional Maths, which further bridges students into higher level Mathematics.
The (I)GCSE Maths is not particularly challenging for most students in Hong Kong, should they employ an effective study method whilst simultaneously completing routine practice on past paper style questions. Avoiding careless mistakes and laying a solid foundation for your GCE A-Level or IB studies are the major areas that students need to work on, so that they can do well not only in the (I)GCSE but also in higher qualifications.
How to get a 9 in (I)GCSE Mathematics
Whilst the content is similar, the questioning styles are different for different exam boards. CANA's IGCSE Mathematics tutors will make sure students' knowledge on the topics are up to standard, before introducing examination techniques and skills with past examination questions and plenty of exam-like exercises. Once students are able to tackle examination questions, we will then introduce more challenging problems to further enhance their knowledge and problem solving proficiency.
Commonly Asked Questions
If you originally studied DSE Maths and want to transfer to IGCSE Maths, you will of course have to spend time preparing and studying extra material. However, the amount that you need to do depends on how many components you originally studied in DSE Maths.
DSE Maths consists of a compulsory unit called Core Maths, and two elective units called Extended Module 1 and Extended Module 2. There are three possible tracks that students can take:
Core Maths only
Core Maths and Extended Module 1
Core Maths and Extended Module 2
If you took DSE Core Maths and Extended Module 2, it will be the easiest for you to transition to IGCSE Maths, having already covered 90% of their syllabus. Students who took these components have basically studied all the material covered in IGCSE Maths, except for a topic called Sets and Venn Diagrams. You would need to study this topic in your own time because it is not covered comprehensively in DSE. Fortunately, Sets and Venn Diagrams is not a challenging topic. Besides this topic, DSE students who took Core Maths and Ex Mod 2 do not need much further prep.
If you took DSE Core Maths and Extended Module 1, you will already have studied 80% of the IGCSE syllabus. You will need to prepare for Sets and Venn Diagrams, the same as above. In addition, you would need to self-study Vectors (a topic which is covered in DSE Extended Module 2). Since Vectors concerns algebra, it is not covered in Extended Module 1 which focuses primarily on statistics. If you cover the two topics, you will be able to get on the same level for IGCSE.
If you are a DSE Core Maths student who did not take any Extended Modules, transitioning to IGCSE Maths will take a bit longer for you. Similarly to the other students who took Extended Modules, you will need to study Sets and Venn Diagrams, and Vectors. In addition, you need to study Calculus (differentiation topic only, no integration). This topic will be completely new to core-only DSE Maths students. It is not a very challenging topic and only covers fundamental, beginner’s concepts, e.g. requiring students to find turning points, or relate calculus concepts to physics calculations (aka. Kinematics calculations), or apply differentiation to different questions. Students who studied Ex Mods 1 and 2 will already have studied this topic, but Core Maths students have not - therefore, they will need more time than their peers to learn the material.
Overall, DSE Maths has a 70-80% overlap with IGCSE Maths, so students do not have to spend a ton of time to make up the difference. Even if you only took Core Maths at DSE, transitioning to IGCSE Maths is definitely achievable.
When preparing for IGCSE Maths exams, it is important to know how to study according to your goals. Whether you are taking AQA, CIE, or Edexcel, all IGCSE Maths topics are generally split into two sections. The easier topics are under the Foundation section, and the harder topics are under the Extended section in the syllabus. Most students take both Foundation and Extended, though this varies between different schools and classes.
If you download the syllabus, you will see the Foundation section at the beginning of the syllabus. If you are a Foundation-only student, the highest grade you can achieve is a 5. If you are taking the Extended exam as well, the highest grade you can achieve is a 9. Different syllabuses have different phrasing, so the Extended syllabus is also known as Higher Tier.
Foundation topics in IGCSE Maths are generally considered to be easier. Examples include Algebraic operations, Expansion, Factorisation, Indices, etc. Most students, no matter if they are Foundation-only or Higher Tier students, perform the same way in Foundation topics. They will have mastered these concepts well.
Higher tier/Extended topics in IGCSE Maths are generally harder, and truly differentiate the students by their levels of ability. Topics include Calculus, Differentiation, Kinematics, Vectors, Functions, 3D Trigonometry, Probability, Sequences and Series, and Circle Theorems. Higher tier topics target the more challenging concepts, e.g. in Circle Theorem you may be presented with a circle and a few lines bisecting it, and required to calculate the angles between the lines on the circle etc. Usually, the difference between a level 7, level 8, and level 9 student will be how they approached the harder concepts and whether they revised in enough depth for these extended topics.
If you are a student who is aiming for the higher grades, you will need to target the Extended/Higher Tier topics and revise well. A typical IGCSE exam will focus on harder topics during the last 5-6 questions. We recommend that you download sample papers and past papers to try some examples. If you feel that you don’t have time to complete all the questions on these past papers, you can just attempt the last 5-6 questions of each paper. This is because the questions of the first half are typically easier, e.g. algebra operations. Students who are aiming high generally shouldn’t have a problem with them, and can spend their time more efficiently by skipping easy questions and training higher tier topics only.
Conversely, if you are not aiming for the higher grades in Maths and want a 5 or lower, we recommend that you focus on Foundation topics. If you revise well and are confident with Foundation topics, you won’t make mistakes and can get a solid grade in the Foundation part of the exam. During the exam, you could have a look at the Higher Tier topics and see if you can attempt to earn a few marks here and there. But for revision, don’t worry about the Higher Tier stuff and just concentrate on building fundamentals.
Most importantly, identify what kind of student you are and what your aims are. The tactics one may take to ensure their target grade will be different for each student.
Here at CANA Elite, we truly believe that every student is unique and has the potential to reach their goals with the right guidance. Academic excellence is derived from both passionate teachers and eager students. That is why we provide a unique learning experience tailored to each individual student. Named after the location of the first miracle in the Bible, we hope CANA elite can be the place of miracles for all our students, allowing them to achieve their dreams.
