Cambridge IGCSE online classes

How Cambridge IGCSE works

Cambridge IGCSE is the most widely followed international qualification at this stage — and the single most consequential thing about it is the tier your child is entered for.

Many Cambridge IGCSE subjects split candidates into Core and Extended. It is a grade ceiling, not a difficulty setting: entered for Core, the highest grade available is a C no matter how well the papers go; entered for Extended, the full A* to G range is open. That decision is usually made by the school, often earlier than families expect, and it quietly determines what your child can walk away with. If they are aiming at A Level sciences and have been placed on Core, it is worth raising promptly — entries can normally still be amended.

The sciences add a practical component that every candidate sits, but centres choose the form: either a supervised laboratory test or a written Alternative to Practical, both carrying the same weight. For students learning online the written alternative is usually what their centre offers, and it rewards something specific — reading an experiment critically rather than performing one. Spotting the uncontrolled variable, reading a scale correctly, explaining why a result is anomalous rather than just noting that it is.

Several Cambridge syllabuses were restructured for 2026, so it is worth checking that your child’s notes and past-paper practice match the current version. Every course here is taught from the current specification document.