IGCSEs

First Language English - 0500

Cambridge IGCSE First Language English is designed for learners whose first language is English. The course enables learners to:

• develop the ability to communicate clearly, accurately and effectively when speaking and writing
• use a wide range of vocabulary, and the correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
• develop a personal style and an awareness of the audience being addressed.

Learners are also encouraged to read widely, both for their own enjoyment and to further their awareness of the ways in which English can be used. Cambridge IGCSE First Language English also develops more general analysis and communication skills such as inference, and the ability to order facts and present opinions effectively.

World Literature - 0475

Cambridge IGCSE World Literature encourages learners to explore literature from different countries and cultures. Through study of great novelists, poets and dramatists from around the world, learners acquire lifelong skills in interpreting and evaluating texts. They learn how to develop and communicate an informed personal response to literature.

The syllabus has been designed to be flexible: schools and teachers can choose texts relevant to their learners’ circumstances and teachers’ own specialist interests. The aims of the syllabus are to develop learners’ ability to enjoy, understand and respond to literature written in English or in English translation from different countries and cultures.

Mathematics Extended – 0580

An essential subject for all learners, Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics encourages the development of mathematical knowledge as a key life skill, and as a strong basis for more advanced study. The syllabus aims to build learners’ confidence by helping them develop competence and fluency with mathematical concepts, methods and skills, as well as a feel for numbers, patterns and relationships. The syllabus also places a strong emphasis on solving problems and presenting and interpreting results. Learners also gain an understanding of how to communicate and reason using mathematical concepts.

Co-ordindated Sciences – 0654 (double)

Cambridge IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences gives learners the opportunity to study Biology, Chemistry and Physics within a cross-referenced, scientifically coherent syllabus. It is a double award qualification, earning two grades. Learners gain an understanding of the basic principles of each subject through a mix of theoretical and practical studies, while also developing an understanding of the scientific skills essential for further study.

They learn how science is studied and practised, and become aware that the results of scientific research can have both good and bad effects on individuals, communities and the environment. As well as focusing on the individual sciences, the syllabus helps learners to understand the technological world in which they live, and take an informed interest in science and scientific developments.

Computer Science – 0478

Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science helps learners develop an interest in computational thinking and an understanding of the principles of problem-solving using computers. They apply this understanding to create computer-based solutions to problems using algorithms and a high-level programming language. Learners also develop a range of technical skills, and the ability to effectively test and evaluate computing solutions.

Studying Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science helps learners appreciate current and emerging computing technologies, the benefits of their use and recognise their potential risks. It provides an ideal foundation for progression to Cambridge International AS & A Level and is valuable for other areas of study and everyday life.

Design and Technology – 0445

The Cambridge IGCSE Design and Technology syllabus enables learners to identify, consider and solve problems through creative thinking, planning and design, and by working with different media, materials and tools. As a result, learners gain greater technical and design awareness, while developing skills such as initiative, resourcefulness, enquiry and ingenuity. They also develop the communication skills central to design making and evaluation.

Cambridge IGCSE Design and Technology provides an ideal basis for further study, and prepares learners for their future within a rapidly changing technological society. Changes to the syllabus will apply from the June 2007 examination session.

Environmental Management – 0680

The syllabus is designed to teach learners about sustainable development in a world where the security of resources and life-sustaining systems is endangered by human impact. It draws upon disciplines such as biology, Earth science, geography and economics.

Learners gain an understanding of the Earth’s natural systems and how people use natural resources; they then investigate the impact of human development on the environment and learn how the environment can be managed sustainably in the future, from a local as well as a global perspective.

Enterprise – 0454

Global Perspectives – 0457

Meeting government ministers, organising a local river clean-up project and writing to the United Nations about climate change, are just some of the activities learners are pursuing through the Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives course.

Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives is a groundbreaking and stimulating course that stretches across traditional subject boundaries and develops transferable skills. It is both cross-curricular and skills-based and taps into the way learners of today enjoy learning, including team work, presentations, projects, and working with other learners around the world. The emphasis is on developing the ability to think critically about a range of global issues where there is always more than one point of view.

Art and Design – 0400

The Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design syllabus aims to encourage a personal response by stimulating imagination, sensitivity, conceptual thinking, powers of observation and analytical ability. Learners gain confidence and enthusiasm as they develop technical skills in two and three dimensional form and composition, and are able to identify and solve problems in visual and tactile forms. They also learn how to develop ideas from initial attempts to final solutions. An ideal foundation for further study, Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design also develops a greater awareness of the role played by the visual arts in society and in history, broadening cultural horizons and individual experience.

Spanish – 0530

This syllabus is designed for students who are learning Spanish as a foreign language. The aim is to develop an ability to use the language effectively for practical communication. The course is based on the linked language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, and these are built on as learners progress through their studies.

The syllabus also aims to offer insights into the culture of countries where Spanish is spoken, thus encouraging positive attitudes towards language learning and towards speakers of other languages.