iGCSE syllabus explained: what students study

Ask ten iGCSE students what they're being tested on and you'll get ten slightly different answers. That's not because the syllabus is a mystery. It's because most students never open the official document that tells them exactly what they'll be assessed on.

An iGCSE syllabus is the official specification published by an awarding body for a specific subject. It's the source of truth. It tells you the content, the papers, how each paper is marked, and what an examiner is looking for. The two big awarding bodies for iGCSE are Cambridge International (part of Cambridge Assessment International Education) and Pearson Edexcel. Each publishes its own set of syllabuses (or specifications, depending on which one you're talking to), and each has its own numbering system, paper structure, and grading approach.

This guide walks through what's inside a syllabus, how to find the one for your child's course, and how to use it as a revision tool rather than a document that sits in a folder unread until March of the exam year.

Every iGCSE syllabus follows a fairly consistent structure, regardless of which awarding body publishes it. Once you know what to look for, they become much easier to navigate.

Subject content by topic. This is the bulk of the document. Each topic is broken down into sub-topics, and each sub-topic is broken down into learning objectives, the specific things a student should know and be able to do. This is the checklist that matters. Everything on a paper comes from this list.

Paper structure. The syllabus explains how the subject is assessed: how many papers there are, how long each one is, and what type of questions appear on each. For example, a Cambridge science iGCSE typically has a multiple-choice paper, a structured questions paper, and an alternative-to-practical paper.

Assessment objectives. These describe the skills being tested, usually a mix of knowledge and understanding, application, and analysis or evaluation. Each paper weights these differently.

Mark allocation and weighting. The syllabus tells you exactly how many marks each paper is worth and what percentage of the final grade it contributes. Useful if you're deciding where to focus revision time.

Grading scale. Cambridge iGCSEs are graded A* to G (or 9-1 for some subjects). Edexcel International GCSEs use 9-1 across the board.

You can find every Cambridge syllabus on cambridgeinternational.org under the qualifications section, and every Edexcel International GCSE spec on the Pearson qualifications site. Both are free to download as PDFs, and both include past papers and mark schemes further down the page.

Cambridge International uses a four-digit code for each iGCSE subject. Once you know your subject's code, finding the right syllabus is straightforward. Some of the most common ones:

• Biology 0610
• Chemistry 0620
• Physics 0625
• Combined Sciences 0653
• Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award) 0654
• Mathematics 0580 (Core and Extended tiers)
• Additional Mathematics 0606
• English as a First Language 0500
• English as a Second Language 0510 (speaking endorsement) and 0511 (count-in speaking)
• English Literature 0475
• Business Studies 0450
• Economics 0455
• Geography 0460
• History 0470
• Computer Science 0478

Pearson Edexcel uses a different format. Its International GCSE codes typically start with a number followed by a subject letter, for example, 4BI1 for Biology, 4CH1 for Chemistry, 4PH1 for Physics, 4MA1 for Mathematics (with Foundation and Higher tiers), and 4EA1 for English Language A. Different codes, same idea: each one points to a specific specification document.

It's worth checking with your school which awarding body they use before downloading anything. Some schools enter students for Cambridge in the sciences and Edexcel in English, or the other way around. If in doubt, ask the head of subject or check the school's exam entry information.

Most iGCSE subjects are assessed through two or three written papers, usually sat at the end of Grade 10 (equivalent to Year 11 in the UK system). The mix of paper types depends on the subject.

Cambridge sciences typically split into three: a multiple-choice paper, a longer structured-answer theory paper, and either a practical paper or an alternative-to-practical paper for students without lab access. Cambridge Maths 0580 has two papers at each tier, either two shorter papers (Core) or two longer, more challenging papers (Extended).

English First Language 0500 has two papers plus an optional coursework component. English Literature 0475 uses two papers with a mix of essay and passage-based questions. Business Studies and Economics both use two structured-answer papers, with data-response and extended-writing questions.

Edexcel's papers follow a similar pattern but often with a different balance, for example, Edexcel Mathematics A (4MA1) is assessed through two papers per tier, both calculator-allowed. Always check the specific spec for your subject and awarding body, as paper structures do occasionally change between syllabus versions.

One of the most useful thing a student can do with a syllabus is turn it into a checklist. Copy the learning objectives into a document (or print the content pages), and tick each one off as you cover it. Anything you can't confidently explain becomes your revision priority.

This works because iGCSE exams are tightly scoped. Examiners can only test what's in the syllabus. If you can do everything on the list, you've done what the exam can ask of you.

A good workflow: start with the content section, go topic by topic, and for each learning objective check that you can (a) explain the idea in your own words and (b) apply it to a past paper question. If you're using online notes as a study resource, cross-reference them against the syllabus to make sure the coverage matches. Cognito's iGCSE notes are structured around the Cambridge specifications for the sciences and Maths, which makes this cross-checking simple, each topic maps to a specific point in the spec, so nothing gets missed.

Past papers work best after this checklist stage rather than before. Once you've closed the gaps in your knowledge, past papers become a tool for practising exam technique rather than a way of discovering topics you haven't studied.

If you're revising for Cambridge iGCSE sciences or Maths, Cognito's notes and quizzes are mapped topic-by-topic to the official specifications, so you can work through the syllabus checklist and know your coverage is aligned with what's examined. Try Cognito free and see how it fits your child's revision.