IGCSE/GCSE/O & A Level/IB/University Student Forum

Teachers and Students => Debates => Topic started by: tabath on February 05, 2010, 08:08:14 pm

Title: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: tabath on February 05, 2010, 08:08:14 pm
Am teaching my child maths and am following edexcel gcse syllabus, however I can't stand the coursework element so am looking at doing either iGCSE or O' level maths .  What are the advantages /disadvantages of both? Which is easier?
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: Saladin on February 06, 2010, 06:24:14 am
IGCSE is the same as O'level when talking in the context of Edxcel. But, IGCSE should be your choice as it is a very new course and also it has many resources.

Below Edexcel tells you exactly what the difference.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CAoQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cie.org.uk%2Fdocs%2Frecognition%2FRecognition%2520and%2520Equivalency%2520Help%2520Pack%2520Feb%252004.pdf&rct=j&q=Edexcel+IGCSE+and+O+level&ei=nwhtS5nhBIrW4gbxw8GqBw&usg=AFQjCNGXS23ilKyfpOzt63vvgbU1CDvsqA (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CAoQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cie.org.uk%2Fdocs%2Frecognition%2FRecognition%2520and%2520Equivalency%2520Help%2520Pack%2520Feb%252004.pdf&rct=j&q=Edexcel+IGCSE+and+O+level&ei=nwhtS5nhBIrW4gbxw8GqBw&usg=AFQjCNGXS23ilKyfpOzt63vvgbU1CDvsqA)

https://studentforums.biz/index.php?topic=736.0;wap2 (https://studentforums.biz/index.php?topic=736.0;wap2)

Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: DrEvil on February 06, 2010, 12:42:59 pm
Am teaching my child maths and am following edexcel gcse syllabus, however I can't stand the coursework element so am looking at doing either iGCSE or O' level maths .  What are the advantages /disadvantages of both? Which is easier?

Forget EDEXEL and go for O Levels or IGCSE whichever suits ur child...
Mathematics of EDEXEL is quite hard...it includes almost 7 new topics that are introduced to students of O Levels in Additional Mathematics...and also don't forget that marking of EDEXEL is very difficult...
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: Saladin on February 06, 2010, 12:50:08 pm
I do not think so, Cambridge is the tougher board, in pretty much all cases except biology.

In mathematics, there is simple and further. It depends on what you choose.

Just remember these courses are optimised for what it required, so if ur son does not plan to study FP in A levels, then dont do it. I have always supported Cambridge because it brings out the most creative. But Edexcel is for the average guy, in my perspective.
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: @d!_†oX!© on February 07, 2010, 05:12:13 am
Dude is right...cambridge is much harder and more importantly better than!!
I would suggest you to take IGCSE for ur son.. :)
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: Saladin on February 07, 2010, 06:08:29 am
yes, but when you do A level, make sure that you take Edexcel, because there is an alternative-to-practical. In Cambridge there isnt.
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: tabath on February 07, 2010, 11:19:11 am
Thanks for your replies, will probably look at taking Cambridge then as she wants to go on to do a'level, and it seems the consensus is that iGCSE is preferred for whatever reason. Anyone suggest the best text book to use for the cmabridge iGCSE?
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: Saladin on February 07, 2010, 03:54:36 pm
IGCSE Mathematics by Dr. David Rayner.

The best book in the world for IGCSE Mathematics for practice. But this is not good if you want to learn it from scratch, like the explanations are not that good.

So if you have a tutor, then the one I suggested, other than that, there are few good alternative.
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: tabath on February 08, 2010, 05:46:16 pm
Yeah  thanks, well i have a maths degree so will be tutoring her myself, just wanted to be sure we had a text book that contains all the curriculum and  was well thought of.
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: tabath on February 09, 2010, 08:36:13 pm
Doesn't taht raynor book just cover the Core which means ony taking 2 exams and being able to get upto grade c or is there a version  that covers all the syllabus? If so whats it called?
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: @d!_†oX!© on February 10, 2010, 12:46:11 pm
no...it is for both core and extended....i did the same..
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: Saladin on February 10, 2010, 12:54:41 pm
Yes, what Aadi said.

There are 2 versions of the book. Take the extended version. Core is just plain useless.
Title: Re: iGCSE or O'level maths?
Post by: SGVaibhav on March 03, 2010, 05:03:46 pm
some kind of representation for those confused between O level and IGCSE along with cambridge and edexcel

Both charts show the same thing in different way.