IGCSE English Exam Preparation (with a 98% Success Rate)

October 30, 2023 |  1 year | Hacks & Tips

Understanding the IGCSE English exam

If you are looking for this kind of information, you probably already know what are (I)GCSEs, but are also seeking extra help to prepare for them.

English is one of the most popular subjects chosen by students sitting for IGCSEs, especially those taking the exam from abroad. However, there is not a single exam to sit for, as there are different variables to choose from.

Before enrolling on a course, it is important to understand what the exam is like in order to prepare accordingly.

What is the difference between English A and B IGCSE?

Edexcel offers two different English IGCSE examinations. While in other subjects, exam variations usually represent greater requirements, in the case of English, these two variables offer alternatives with different tasks, methodologies and organisation.

The main difference between English A and B is the paper composition. Specification A is made up of two papers, and offers the option of replacing one of these with a coursework, while specification B is a single paper without optional coursework. At CloudLearn, students sit for specification B, as it is more practical from an organisational perspective, allowing students to distribute solving time as they find most useful. Additionally, specification B assesses students only through unseen texts, without the need to read specific material prior to the exam.

This might help students focus on the theoretical topics and concepts evaluated instead of having to dedicate time to reading.

What is the marking scheme for an IGCSE English exam?

Specification B of the English (I)GCSE covers all 100 marks in only one paper, distributing them over three sections. Section A consists of long - and short-answer questions with 1 or 2 marks each, adding up to 40 marks, while sections B and C include writing tasks, with 30 total marks each.

What does the English IGCSE consist of?

The English IGCSE consists of reading comprehension and text writing. It assesses students' ability to identify style and literary elements within a text, compare texts from different sources, and write content suitable for a specific audience, level of formality, and purpose. For this reason, section A in the exam makes students analyse texts and find references to specific literary features, and then write long and short questions including quotations. On the other hand, sections B and C assess students’ capacity to write their own texts using ideas from an external booklet as well as their own original ideas. For more details about the topics and skills evaluated, have a look at the following list and visit CloudLearn’s exam syllabus:

Audience and purpose
Form
Organising Ideas
Writing skills
Creative writing techniques
Argumentative/Discursive writing
Literary and poetic devices in non-fiction & transactional writing
Writer's perspective
Figures of speech
Descriptive writing
Narrative writing.

What are key skills for English IGCSE?

Reading

One of the main skills assessed in the English IGCSE is reading comprehension and the capacity to reflect your understanding of texts when answering questions. Questions in the exam usually refer to identifying elements within a text, analysing the author’s style and comparing texts from different authors.

Writing

The writing skill is assessed by the way students answer questions and the clarity with which they express their ideas, as well as by their ability to create original fictional or non-fiction content. Examiners assess exams from the most general to the most specific perspectives, analysing how the texts are organised, and how ideas are expressed, but also detecting typos and small grammar mistakes. For this reason, it is important to keep in mind all the layers that make a text correct and well organised.

Speaking and listening

These two skills are not assessed in the English IGCSE, but they are of utmost importance for your use of the language. Strengthening these skills helps you to have a broader understanding of the language, enabling you to communicate orally with other English speakers and to access audiovisual material.

How to prepare for IGCSE English Language: 7 Recommendations

Preparing for the exam

Prepare a study plan

CloudLearn’s English (I)GCSE course online breaks down the topics into bite-size bits to make studying easier. Once you have decided on the exam date, calculate how many weekly hours you need to dedicate to studying and create a calendar to distribute topics within the time you have. This way, you will create a scheme to make sure that no topics are left out during the study. Use our study calculator to do this calculation easily.

Practise past papers

As this exam is mainly based on reading comprehension and written expression, the most useful study method is practice. Look for past papers, especially those of specification B which include text booklets and writing prompts for extracts. In addition, you can search for writing tasks in other sources. For example, some blogs offer advice for amateur writers who want to improve their skills. There are even Twitter and Reddit accounts dedicated to this!

Get feedback from your tutor

Writing is a process that takes time and requires constant revision to achieve improvement. Therefore, having feedback is essential. The Mock Exams will give you the opportunity to submit written work to your tutor for grading and feedback.

Revise and rewrite previous texts

Because learning to write is a long process, revising and rewriting can provide insights into what you need to improve and the path to follow to succeed. Reading past works can help you understand where you started from, and rewriting allows you to keep track of your progress.

During the exam

Manage your time with a writing plan

Writing a text from scratch can be time-consuming, and it might be difficult to fit it into a set time frame. This is why we recommend defining a strategy to keep the process organised and save time.

We suggest starting with an outline of your writing ideas. Make notes about what you want to include in your text and how you will connect everything. This should take about ten minutes, at most, and will help you set a path to follow when you start writing your text. This will prevent you from losing focus along the process, and you will know how much you have left to finish.

When practising at home, it can be a good idea to write a draft of your text and make as many annotations as you see fit, which will later be omitted and incorporated into the final version. However, on exam day, it is advisable not to spend time writing drafts, but to go straight into the final version. Nevertheless, always keep the final fifteen minutes to check that there are no spelling mistakes, that everything is clear, and that no sections are missing.

Keep the prompt in mind at all times

When writing a text from scratch, it can be easy to drift away in the process and lose focus on the question you have to answer. For this reason, it is a good idea to revise your text every now and then to check that you are still on the right track to give the examiners what they expect from you.

Remember your tutor’s recommendations

It’s normal that you don’t detect your own mistakes when writing a text, which is why having tutor support is really important, as they can help you identify your weakest points and how to tackle them. If this is your case, keep their recommendations in mind for the day of the exam and concentrate especially on these points to ensure that your text is outstanding.

Conclusion

In conclusion, even if English is our first language, preparing for the English IGCSE is as essential as for any other subject. Unlike other exams, English requires continuous and repetitive work to improve, but all the effort is worthwhile once you read your perfectly written text with a 9 grade on it! Find out about CloudLearn’s GCSE English online courses here!

FAQs

What is the difference between IGCSE English and GCSE English?

The main difference between English IGCSE vs GCSE is where students can take the exam. The International GCSE is the examination taken by foreign, homeschooled or adult students who are not in the traditional school system and may be looking to prepare for GCSE resits. In terms of qualification and content, these two versions of the exams are equivalent.

Is English IGCSE hard?

IGCSE English is not hard, but requires a great deal of effort and commitment, as it requires preparation and practice to improve your writing skills. With lots of practice and the help of your tutor, you can easily achieve outstanding grades.

How many English Language IGCSE papers are there?

There are two versions of the English Language IGCSE offered by Edexcel: Specifications A and B. The CloudLearn IGCSE English course follows specification B and consists of a single 3-hour exam paper.

What is the format of the IGCSE English exam?

The IGCSE English exam is purely written. In the case of specification B, the exam contains a single exam paper with comprehension questions based on the given texts, and two writing sections to create your own texts based on prompts.

What are the types of writing required for the English IGCSE exam?

The written exam includes questions, essays, letters or short stories related to the provided texts, and also completely original content. Pay attention to the prompts to follow indications correctly and not to make avoidable mistakes.

How long should an IGCSE English essay be?

The word count in any IGCSE task is usually stated in the prompt. Students are usually expected to write about 400 words per task, which is the average that can be written in one hour. Pay attention to whether the length is average or maximum, as exceeding a stated maximum could lower your grades.

What is the pass mark for IGCSE English?

As with all other GCSEs, the passing mark for IGCSE is a 1-9, a Grade 4 is equivalent to the old C grade.

How do you get an A in IGCSE English?

Getting good grades in any IGCSE takes a big commitment and effort, but following CloudLearn’s syllabus and recommended study hours will make this process easier. Follow our study recommendations above and you will succeed.

Is it hard to get an A* for IGCSE English?

Achieving a 9 grade, equivalent to a higher A*, is difficult as it implies studying hard and dedicating time to the subject. However, enrolling in CloudLearn’s courses and following our advice increases your chances of getting excellent grades. 37.7% of our students achieve grades 8 and 9 in (I)GCSEs!

How to answer IGCSE English Language questions?

When answering questions in an English (I)GCSE, you need to keep in mind whether you are really answering the questions in terms of content, but also pay attention to the way you write, making sure you do not make grammatical or spelling mistakes. Remember that you cannot use a dictionary to check your orthography!