IB vs. IGCSE: Curious Which is Better?

International school education programs and educational systems include IB (International Baccalaureate) and IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education). However, each of them takes a distinct academic stance and is even organized differently. 

IB (International Baccalaureate) 

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), formerly known as this organization, was established in 1968 and has its main office in Geneva, Switzerland. There are around 159 nations where the International Baccalaureate (IB) educational system is in use. It provides four distinct programs to its pupils, which we shall examine in more detail in the next sections.

IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education)

IGCSE is one of the stages of Cambridge Pathway and covers:

• Cambridge Lower Secondary
• Cambridge Upper Secondary

The exams are conducted in English language starting from Class 6 till Class 10. In classes 11 and 12, IGCSE gets replaced with “AS” Level and “A” level exams respectively.

The exams are conducted by:

• Pearson Edexcel International and
• CAIE (Cambridge Assessment International Education)

After gaining success in this exam, students can opt for:

• “A” level exams (Class 12)
• “AS” level exams (Class 11)
• Cambridge Pre U exams
• BTEC Level 3
• IB Diploma Program (Classes 11 and 12)

*All the above mentioned exams have a Class XII equivalency.

After clearing the IGCSE exam in Class 10 the students either get a CIE certification or an IGCSE certification, which entirely depends upon their school. 

What Exactly is IB Curriculum?

IB is an educational system and it offers four educational programs to its students, which are:

• IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) for students between the age of 16 and 19 years
• IB Career Related Programs for students between the age of 15 and 19 years
• IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students between the age of 11 and 16 years
• IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students between the age of 3 to 12 years

Subjects Covered in IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)

The MYP program of IB has duration of 5 years and requires teaching time of at least 50 hours/year for each of its eight subjects, which are:

IB MYP

• Language acquisition
• Language and literature
• Individuals and societies
• Sciences
• Mathematics
• Arts
• Physical and health education
• Design

The students, who are able to clear their MYP subjects, are eligible to enroll themselves into either the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) or IB Career Related Programs.

Subjects Covered in IB Diploma Programme (IBDP)

The DP program of IB has duration of two years and consists of six different subject groups, which are:

IBDP

• Language and Literature
• Language Acquisition
• Individuals and Societies
• Sciences
• Mathematics
• Arts
  

What Exactly is IGCSE Curriculum?

The curriculum of IGCSE (also known as Cambridge Pathway) is divided into four different stages, which are taken by the students as per their age groups. A list of all these three stages is mentioned hereunder:

• Cambridge Primary
• Cambridge Lower Secondary
• Cambridge Upper Secondary

Stages of IGCSE

Further, it must be noted that after passing the IGCSE exams in class 10 or we can say after clearing the Cambridge Upper Secondary Stage, a student gets promoted to Cambridge Advanced (Age 16+), which comprises:

• Cambridge International
• AS & A Level (55+ subjects)
• Cambridge AICE Diploma
• Cambridge IPQ

IGCSE offers an International Certificate of Education (ICE) to the students in three grades, which are Distinction, Merit and Pass. Further, it is necessary to secure seven subject passes in the following:

• Two passes in the group of languages and
• One pass in each of the other five groups

Key Differences between IB and IGCSE

IB and IGCSE are different from each other and have the following stark differences:

Founded By: 

IB: By International educators

IGCSE: University of Cambridge International Examinations

Curriculum:

IB: Operates four different programs, which are: IB Diploma Programme (IBDP), IB Career Related Programs, IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)

IGCSE: Also operates four different programs, which are: Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary, Cambridge Upper Secondary, Cambridge Advanced

Outcome:

IB: After clearing the IBDP exams, students can get admission in universities and complete their graduation

IGCSE: Enables the students to become eligible for exams like A/AS level, BTEC Level 3, Cambridge Pre-U, IB Diploma Program

Pros & Cons of IB

IB has a demanding curriculum that strives to enhance the knowledge base of the students. It is highly popular across the world and is followed by several students. The various advantages of IB are:

• Highly Flexible: The curriculum of IB is not prescriptive and this allow the teachers to:

• Personalize it as per the requirements of the students
• Use their imagination and maximize the learning outcomes
• Choose the best curricular design

• Practical Approach: IB follows a practical approach, and focuses on skill development, application and understanding of the subject. It does not follow a content based approach, which promotes rote learning.
• International recognition: IB is accepted in almost all the countries. This enhances the chances of the IB students to get enrolled in any prestigious foreign university.

Despite its popularity and wide acceptance, it is still criticized and has a few disadvantages, which are:

• Frequent Revisions: With an aim to provide the latest education to its students, IB has a habit of revising its curriculum quite often. This makes it tough for the teachers to adapt and leads to errors in judgements.
•  Lacks Proper Implementation: Presently, the Indian schools are finding it quite tough to implement all the IB programmes. Some have only PYP and MYP, while others have only IBDP. However, this scenario is quickly changing.
• No Career Related Programmes: Out of the four academic programmes offered by IB, only, IBDP, PYP and MYP are currently operating in India.

• IB Workshop Leaders