IGCSE Exams — The philosophy behind any endeavour should be to strive for excellence! It does not mean that we have to be perfect in everything we do. The aim should rather be to focus on our personal growth and ensure continuous efforts to achieve our personal best in whatever we do.
This principle holds true for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (or IGCSE exam) as well. This article focuses on how to study for the IGCSE exam and bring out your best personal performances, so that you are well-prepared for your academic journeys ahead.
How To Ace Your IGCSE Exams
Success in the IGCSE exam hinges on a comprehensive grasp of the subject matter and a well-structured preparation strategy. Effective study habits in students, consistency and a proactive approach to identify their weaker points and a will to address them play a crucial role in acing these exams. In this article, we will discuss the best IGCSE exam preparation strategies that would enable them to effectively demonstrate their knowledge and skills to the best of their abilities. Here’s a list of the best study tips for IGCSE students –
- Creating An IGCSE Study Schedule for IGCSE Exams
- Foundational Understanding
- Active Recall Techniques
- Past Paper Practice
- Time Management for IGCSE exams
- Effective Study Habits
Creating An IGCSE Study Schedule
Balancing coursework and exam prep for IGCSE can be challenging. The first rule during IGCSE exam preparation is to be easy on yourself and not stress yourself out by overscheduling. One needs to be realistic and make a balanced schedule that includes an effective study routine alongside breaks and leisure activities to avoid burning oneself out. Allocate specific time slots for each subject depending on your strengths and weaknesses. Prioritise your tasks based on challenging topics and their difficulty levels.
Foundational Understanding
Foundational understanding serves as the cornerstone for overall success of a child in the IGCSE exams. Start by carefully reviewing the entire IGCSE curriculum and the syllabus for each subject. Students must make an effort to get an overall idea of specific topics, subtopics and the learning objectives of the IGCSE curriculum. Learn the IGCSE exam layout well, know the assessment criteria and pick up the main topics to concentrate more on them. Based on these factors, they can create an effective study schedule for their test preparation.
Active Recall Techniques
Active recall techniques must be employed throughout the duration of the course for better preparation for exams later. Additionally, the implementation of different revision techniques contribute significantly to a student’s academic performance in the IGCSE. Here’s our recommendation on how to go about it –
- Effective Note-Taking for IGCSE – Read your textbooks thoroughly, pay attention to key concepts and take down notes of important topics and material by summarising them in a language that is easiest for you to understand and remember.
- Teach a Friend – Another technique that works like a dream is to explain the concepts to someone like a friend, parent or even your pet. This reinforces your understanding of a topic and in the process, you may just discover an area that needs more review.
- Mind-Mapping – Mind-Mapping involves creating visual connections between different concepts using mind maps. It helps you to see the bigger picture and to connect the dots between two or more topics and also remember them more effectively.
4.Flashcards – Create flashcards to remember important dates, key words and formulas and practice them regularly.
IGCSE Exams — Past Papers Practice
Another aspect that students must stress upon is consistently practising past papers. Acing exams is not just about having a comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter, but also about whether you are able to effectively present your knowledge within the allotted time frame in your answers. Time yourself during IGCSE past papers practice to simulate IGCSE exam conditions and see where you stand by analysing your performance and identifying pain points. This helps you understand the IGCSE exam structure, identify question types, seek feedback and develop strategies that suit you.
Time Management For IGCSE Exams
Time Management is one of the most crucial aspects in acing the IGCSE exam. One has to be astute while planning a time schedule. Follow the tips below for effective time management during the study period –
- Be flexible and don’t overburden yourself.
- Allot time to each subject based on your strengths and weaknesses in them.
- Break down large tasks by splitting them into smaller, more manageable chunks.
- Try out time management techniques like Pomodoro and Eisenhower Matrix.
- Begin your revision early to avoid last minute chaos and stress.
Effective Study Habits For IGCSE Exams
- Stay organised by maintaining a planner to keep up with deadlines and to track your progress.
- Create a dedicated study space in a quiet and clutter free environment to stay focussed.
- Keep a check on the schedule by reviewing and adjusting your schedule to ensure it’s still effective as planned.
- Leverage digital tools to create interactive schedules using reminders.
- Reward yourself after reaching a deadline or completing a task to keep yourself motivated.
- Minimise distractions by turning off phone notifications and avoiding social media during study sessions.
- Get enough rest to maintain focus and concentration and to achieve maximum productivity.
- Stay positive and believe in your abilities to succeed.
- Stay healthy by eating nutritious meals and engaging in regular physical activities to keep your body and mind fresh.
- Seek help from teachers, tutors and peers whenever required.
An IGCSE Exam Guide
In this section, we aim to give you some valuable insights into the IGCSE exam format, marking schemes and the common mistakes that one must avoid –
The IGCSE Exam Format
| Exam Type | Type of Question/Assessment |
|---|---|
| Written Examination | Multiple-Choice Questions, Short-Answer Questions, Essay Questions, Structured Questions |
| Practical Assessments | Laboratory Work, Coursework |
| Oral Examination | Assesses students’ speaking and listening skills including comprehension, fluency and pronunciation. |
The IGCSE Marking Scheme
Each subject in IGCSE has its own marking scheme and is tailored to its specific assessment objectives and content. By and large, answers are awarded marks based on knowledge & understanding, application, analysis & interpretation and communication & presentation. They are marked on accuracy, clarity, precision, evidence & support and their completeness. Partial credit may be given for subjects where one can demonstrate understanding of the topic, for example, showing the calculation steps in Mathematics.
Common Mistakes In IGCSE Exams
- Getting Anxious – Anxiety can lead to a lot of issues like racing of the heart, difficulty in concentrating and blank moments. Prepare well from the start, practice meditation and take deep breaths during exams to avoid getting anxious.
- Inadequate Preparation – Failing to prepare well or insufficient revision can lead to confusion and lack of confidence during the exam. Being unfamiliar with the exam format, question types and timing could also impact a student’s performance.
- Misinterpreting Questions – This is a common mistake especially because students tend to rush through key instructions, miss sub-parts of questions and overlook key words like why/what/analyse/compare/contrast and so on.
- Poor Time Management – Not allocating time effectively across different sections of the test may lead to time constraints towards the end impacting their overall performance negatively.
- Lack of Planning – Hasty responses to questions without planning or outlining them can lead to incoherent and disorganised answers and responses. In English and History that require essay-writing, the most common error seen is the lack of proper structure in the essays with introduction, body paragraphs with supporting evidence and a conclusion.
- Careless Mistakes – Students tend to make careless errors especially in Mathematics and Science while calculating numericals. Grammatical and spelling errors are common in languages. In Mathematics, not demonstrating the steps in
calculations may cost them some partial credits even when the final answer is incorrect.
Subject-Wise IGCSE Exam Preparation Tips
Aside from the general IGCSE exams preparation tips listed above, here’s a list of subject-wise IGCSE preparation tips –
| Subject | Preparation Tips |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Practise problem-solving regularly from textbooks, past papers and online resources for IGCSE preparation.Grasp important concepts & their applications. Do not memorise them, use logic.Build a strong foundation in core subjects like algebra, trigonometry, statistics & geometry. |
| Science (Physics, Chemistry & Biology) | Stress on conceptual understanding and avoid rote learning.Use visual learning using diagrams, charts and demonstrations along with mind mapping to understand complex concepts & processes.Understand difficult theoretical concepts using real-world applications and examples. |
| English Language | Cultivate a reading habit of diverse texts to improve your vocabulary, usage, grammar and faster reading-comprehension required during exams.Practise different writing formats like essays, creative pieces, letters, stories, notices, reports and so on.Practise usage of grammar rules, use flashcards, word lists and reading to build your vocabulary. |
| English Literature | Pay attention to literary texts & analyse them by paying attention to the plots, character development, themes, stories, morals, authors’ writing styles, literary devices etc.Interpret and analyse literary texts to develop your critical thinking skills and practise literary criticism.Practise in-depth essay writing based on your analyses of texts and support your arguments with evidence. |
| History | Understand the chronology of historical timelines and events. Use mind-mapping if required.Analyse primary and secondary sources to weigh their reliability and bias.Practise structured essay-writing on historical events and interpretations. |
| Geography | Practise map reading and interpretation skillsPractise analysing and interpreting geographical data from maps, graphs and charts.Understand the significance of environmental issues and how they impact the world. |
| Languages (Other than English) | Practise the language by immersing yourself into it by conversing with peers, watching documentaries, movies, listening to music and reading books in the language.Learn their grammar rules and vocabulary through continuous practice. |
IGCSE Exams Day Tips
At Home
- Get enough sleep the previous night to stay fresh on the exam day. Wake up early and review your notes if required.
- Hydrate yourself well, starting with the night before, to avoid getting sick on exam day.
- Eat a light breakfast and meditate by taking a few deep breaths.
- Freshen up and get ready on time.
At the IGCSE Exams Venue
- Reach the exam venue well in time to look for your designated seat, settle-in well and to calm down from pre-exam anxiety. Leave your worries at the door.
- Once the paper is given, read the instructions carefully for each question, understand the task and note the time allotted for each section.
- Divide your time effectively across all sections of the exam. If you get stuck on a question, move on. Come back to it in the end.
- Answer the questions neatly and concisely. Use diagrams when applicable.
- In Mathematics, show how you worked out the problem even if you don’t get the correct answer. You may be credited for the steps.
- Review your answers in the end for any errors or omissions.
Ascend Now – Your Perfect Support System
Ascend Now has more than 40 senior IGCSE tutors and examiners who specialise in giving personal help to students, based on their needs by filling in learning gaps. We make difficult topics easier for you and help you identify and address potential pain points based on your initial performances.
90% of our students who enrolled in IGCSE tutoring showed at least 1 letter grade improvement and 85% got an A or better in at least two subjects. Be it subject mastery, acing your IGCSE exams, projects and assignments, mastering exam techniques or stress management during the IGCSE exams, we’ve got you covered.
