There has been a minor revolution in the world of International GCSEs and it’s a change that will have a profound effect on students studying for their examinations and the outcomes of them.
Until now, students encountering their first ‘serious’ examinations had to revise and recall two years of information from their lessons across an average of eight or nine subjects – no wonder exam stress exists! Critics rightly note that the two hours or so of examinations sat after two years of study is a small snapshot of what a student knows and, despite the best efforts of the examiners, it’s hard to assess effectively their understanding of the subjects instead of just knowledge recall.
If a student is studying International A Levels, examinations in most subjects are unit based, or modular, meaning that students take exams a year or a unit at a time and only in what they have studied that year. Sciences and Maths are even better placed with three units available each year, and which can be taken at three different times.
Now the rationality of the IAL system is finally coming to the IGCSE system with English, English Literature, Religious Studies, History and Geography, Accounting and Business being available in a modular format for examination from this summer. Maths and the sciences will follow next year.
There are, however, caveats, and the most frustrating of these is that the modular IGCSEs are only available to schools outside of the UK for the foreseeable future. However, students studying with an online school located outside of the UK such as Elea High, can study for the modular qualifications and take the examination at a UK centre as long as this has been pre-agreed between the school and the examination centre.
Imagine, halving the stress of exams, the possibility of retaking part of the exam if a student didn’t perform as well in that unit. Whilst this isn’t a reform in the manner that most schools have been seeking, it is of incalculable benefit to students.
Another benefit from this reform, and one which possibly explains why it’s not initially available in the UK, is that it’s predicted to lead to a significant improvement in exam grades and could lead to another ‘grade bubble’ akin to the pandemic year.
Whatever the perspective, it’s clear that this will pass the advantage back to schools and their students. It’s been a while coming, but all credit to the examination boards which have adopted this approach, let’s see what the outcome is when the first results are released next August. In the meantime, if you want to do all you can to help your child perform to the best of their ability, find an online school that offers this route.
