Many students, as well as parents, underestimate the significance of choosing the right electives. Usually, these decisions are purely subjective and are in some cases influenced by a desire to avoid certain subjects.
In reality, the set of IGCSE electives serves as the academic basis which determines the possible A-Level or IB course combination, which in turn determines the possible fields of study at the desired university 4 years later. It is much more convenient to work backward!
The core before the electives
Before thinking about what electives to take, a student needs to understand what the International GCSE core subjects are in their education system. Typically, that is a set of mandatory subjects, such as Mathematics, English Language, and Science(s). These subjects are fundamental for multiple reasons, including the fact that the grades in the core subjects are what the admissions team looks at first, so it is necessary to ensure that they meet the requirements of the target university.
Having identified the core subjects, a student can move on to choosing three or four electives. It is the set of subjects that indicate to the university what academic path the candidate is inclined to pursue. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully consider whether you want to position yourself as a prospective scientist, a linguist, a historian, or if you want to pursue another field of education or combine different areas of expertise.
By the way, the mistake that many students make is to think that electives are a reward for hard work in the core subjects. In reality, they are the means of conveying to the admissions team what area of expertise the student wants to pursue. This is why it is essential to learn about facilitating subjects.
Facilitating subjects: What are they really?
Some subjects at IGCSE are traditionally useful for further studies at degree level. They are called facilitating subjects, and it is a good idea to learn what they are and whether they are required by the target university, as well as how to optimally combine them. Facilitating subjects at IGCSE are typically Mathematics, Sciences, History, Geography, English Literature, and languages.
The reason why these subjects are considered facilitating is that they train students in critical thinking and analytical reasoning, as well as in-depth reading and essay writing, which are vital skills for most degree-level studies. Therefore, the knowledge and skills gained through them provide a solid basis for further studies at the university, as well as a good foundation for studying other disciplines within the framework of the chosen degree.
That is why taking facilitating subjects as electives is much better than, say, business or media studies. Even if the student takes history or physics at the IGCSE together with core subjects, this will prepare them better in terms of critical thinking for the challenges of higher education than, for example, taking media studies at IGCSE. Of course, nothing forbids a student from combining different subjects to demonstrate their varied skills and talents to the admissions team. However, choosing one or two electives outside of the facilitating subjects, to put it mildly, risks sending the wrong signal.
In addition, IGCSE grades in core and elective subjects are indicators of the student’s chances when applying to the university. Therefore, if the grades were low, the student should not be afraid to take the IGCSE resit course to improve their results.
Compounding early decisions: Choosing the right track
While the selection of IGCSE electives is more of a long-term strategic decision, some decisions can be made right away. For example, if a student has a specific degree in mind, then the choice of electives is relatively straightforward. If a student wants to study economics or business, then they will need a set of subjects that can be used for the future degree path. For example, the optimal choice of electives would be two humanities and two mathematics/science subjects. In doing so, a student will have an equal opportunity to study not only business but also other humanities, such as history, at the university.
If the student wants to study a humanities or social science-related course at the university, then IGCSE gives almost no restrictions, as, in most cases, almost all the choices are easily adjustable at A-Level. The student may, for example, miss out on the opportunity to study something they were interested in at the IGCSE because they did not choose it, but it will be relatively easy to make up for this at A-Level. It is the other way around that is much more problematic and is discussed below.
It is much more dangerous to close off potential future pathways by selecting IGCSE subjects. There are many students who pay for their studies at a “resit-specialist” school, since at the IGCSE they did not take any subjects they were interested in, while the ones that could potentially be of interest to them at A-Level are now unavailable to them.
Core versus Extended: What level to choose?
IGCSE has a two-tier system of exams, core and extended. In principle, the placement of a student on one tier or another should be based on the assessment of their preparation, taking into account the results of the control tests and mock exams in the core and extended syllabuses. However, because of the subjective perception of results at different schools, the system of placing students on the core and extended tier can be abused. Some schools try to use the placement on the tier as an indicator of student performance throughout the school year: this is especially noticeable when there is a need to improve the statistics of the Sixth Form, so that more students are placed on the extended tiers.
On the other hand, some schools have the opposite motivation: if the target grade is high, then many students must be placed on the extended tier. Finally, at some schools, the staff does not pay any special attention to the tier distinction, so it is entirely up to the students to decide whether to apply for the core or extended IGCSE exams. Regardless of the situation at the student’s school, they should always be aware that the results of the IGCSE are, in most cases, the best predictor of the results at the AS-Levels. This factor and an honest assessment of their own strengths, as well as a conversation with the IGCSE tutor, should help in choosing the right tier.
Avoiding the over-specialization trap
It seems ideal to have IGCSE electives that clearly indicate what the student wants to pursue. However, there is a trap that many students fall into – choosing an elective subject that is too specialized for further studies at the University of Cambridge or Oxford. In reality, an over-specialized student cannot be accepted for a wide range of courses because they do not have the necessary academic background.
A typical example is a child who wants to choose business as their future profession and takes Business studies, Economics, Accounting, and Enterprise studies as electives. As a result, they are out of contention at all the faculties except for the Business School. The same mistake is made by many students in the STEM area: choosing the four science subjects, they indicate that they only want to study the sciences, which is not the case for the humanities and languages.
Choosing the right mix: a solid foundation and flexibility
A good combination of IGCSE electives should be based on a few simple rules. First, electives should be chosen so that it is possible to continue developing in the selected direction in the future. Second, it is necessary to choose at least one facilitating subject. Finally, it is a good idea to keep a language or take two languages at the IGCSE and reserve one or two other elective subjects for your interests. In total, four subjects should be enough to build a strong foundation for further studies at university.
Keeping a language: more than just a skill
When choosing electives, students may be tempted to abandon foreign languages since taking these subjects is associated with additional effort. However, this unwise decision may significantly limit their opportunities for applying to the University of Cambridge or Oxford in the future. In addition, a good command of a foreign language opens up many opportunities for finding jobs in Europe or continuing studies abroad.
A foreign language is an important skill for every modern student, and it should be taken into account when choosing IGCSE electives. The IGCSE encourages students to take two or more languages in parallel; therefore, there is no reason not to take advantage of this opportunity. Although the study of languages requires much effort, the effort is rewarding since it pays off both for those who plan to use their linguistic skills in the short and long term.
First of all, knowing two languages means understanding two writing systems, two sets of grammar and punctuation rules, and often two cultures and traditions. For universities, this broadness of thinking and openness to other cultures is very important, especially given the increasing popularity of global study options (students now have the opportunity to combine different areas of knowledge from different universities around the world).
Therefore, skipping the language option to get a fourth science or second humanities subject is a decision that requires careful assessment of the current situation and future prospects.
Choosing electives by balancing interests and abilities
A realistic choice of IGCSE electives is a complex task, and most students and their parents underestimate the importance of this challenge. A student who has struggled all their school life with written assignments may have a great interest in history. Given the right support, this interest could well be applied to the study of history at IGCSE, since, in fact, the history of IGCSE is much less demanding in terms of writing than other humanities. However, it would be a mistake to encourage such a student to get four exam-oriented electives, in which they will receive poor grades and suffer.
A realistic choice of electives should be based on the student’s own assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as a clear definition of the goals that they want to achieve. The following exercise can be used to do this: for each elective, students should relate their current grades to whether they tend to use a deep or a shallow learning approach when studying the particular subject.
This should be relatively straightforward if a student studies both paper and project-based subjects during Grades 9 and 10. Based on the data obtained, it should now be much easier to identify electives in which the student is more likely to use deep rather than shallow learning. In addition, one elective should be selected in accordance with the need to expand the range of subjects in which the student can demonstrate deep learning.
Ultimately, every child in Grade 9 has a rough idea of their strengths and weaknesses in each subject. Therefore, using the Grades 9 and 10 report card, the student, as well as their parents, should identify these strengths and weaknesses and use them to analyze the optimal choice of electives.
How universities interpret the academic profile
Let’s go back to the basic concepts once again, clearly defining the purpose of choosing the right IGCSE electives. For UCAS or its equivalents, GCSE qualifications serve partly as predictors of a student’s success at the university (for UCAS, GCSE grades are a critical criterion when comparing two applicants with similar A-Level scores). Therefore, IGCSE grades are much more important than many students or their parents actually realize.
Students should understand that choosing the right IGCSE subjects is a decision that shapes their future, not only as an applicant but also as a university student: this is reflected in their grades when entering the higher education system, as well as in their ability to choose their options within the framework of the selected university course. Therefore, from this perspective, choosing the right IGCSE electives should be considered a strategic decision both by students and parents.
The choice of the subjects themselves, as a rule, depends on the educational goals of students and on the specific characteristics of the admission policy followed by the target university. In addition, an IGCSE grade may have a much more significant impact on a student’s future than their AS-Grade or A-levels. Thus, for an admissions committee reviewing IGCSE results, the choice of the subject combinations and the final grades received are decisive.
This is especially true for students who are denied access to the most selective degree programs in their chosen fields of study, for whom grades at the IGCSE level act as indicators of their potential for future studies.
It is also worth considering that for each subject taken at GCSE, the student will have to do 35 hours of preparation per year or, on average, 1 hour of classwork and 2.5 hours of homework per week. Therefore, it is a responsible decision to choose four exam-oriented IGCSEs and to risk getting a grade lower than expected.
Ultimately, IGCSE is an important academic step for every student: the decisions made when selecting electives, as well as the effort spent on study and examinations, will benefit the student several times over when applying to the university. And the best way to ensure that all IGCSE achievements are put to the best possible use is to perceive this challenge as a process of continuous learning and self-development, which, in turn, would shape the student’s future path and academic prospects.
Category: Education
Tessa Dodson is the Senior Writer at 
