This guide explains the difference in plain terms and which suits which student.
What happens to the speaking mark
Boards treat the speaking test in one of two ways across IGCSE and International GCSE English. In some qualifications, speaking is a separate endorsement. It sits beside the main grade without changing it.
In others, speaking counts within the overall grade, so spoken performance becomes part of the single result. Knowing which applies tells you how much weight speaking carries.
The board’s official syllabus says which model each qualification uses. This guide explains what each means in practice.
The endorsement model: speaking on its own line
Your child takes the speaking test and receives a speaking result. That result is reported separately, not folded into the overall grade. The headline grade rests on the other components.
This can steady a student who finds speaking the most nerve-wracking part. Because the main grade does not rise or fall on the spoken test, some pressure lifts. Even so, a strong endorsement reflects a real skill and deserves proper preparation.
The count-in model: speaking inside the grade
When speaking counts in, the test contributes to the overall grade. Spoken performance sits beside reading, writing and listening, as the qualification requires.
This rewards a confident, fluent speaker. A student who develops ideas aloud, answers questions naturally and stays accurate under pressure can lift the headline grade. It also means speaking needs the same preparation as the written papers, because a weak performance now affects the overall result.
When the other model suits a student better
The better model depends on the student, and the qualification often fixes it anyway. Where there is a real choice between related codes, a confident speaker is usually better served when speaking counts in, because the strength shows in the headline grade.
A student whose spoken English is weakest, or who suffers badly from nerves, may prefer the endorsement model. The main grade then rests on steadier ground.
Circumstances matter too. A student new to an English-medium school may write accurately but speak less fluently for now.
Separate reporting presents their profile more fairly while their confidence grows. The reverse can be true for a naturally articulate student whose writing lags.
Reading a guide like this helps. A trial lesson shows how it works for your child, one-to-one and online.
Working out which serves your child
If you have a say, ask these questions:
- Is spoken English a real strength for your child, or their shakiest area?
- How do they cope with speaking under observation?
- Does the qualification fix the arrangement, or can you choose a code?
- Which model presents your child’s overall profile most fairly?
If speaking is a reliable strength, letting it count in rewards it. If it is fragile, an endorsement protects the headline grade while the skill grows.
One point surprises many families. The preparation that helps most is the same either way.
Spoken confidence comes from practising real communication: organising thoughts quickly, supporting a point with an example, listening to the question, and recovering from a stumble. The model only changes how much rides on the day.
Our take
We prepare speaking as a real skill in either arrangement, because a good result is worth having whether or not it feeds the grade. We teach students to structure a response, support their ideas and handle follow-up questions calmly.
Where a student can influence the arrangement, we advise honestly. Count speaking in when it is a strength to show, and keep it separate when it is still being built.
Our qualification pages set out how each board arranges speaking. Our speaking and listening prep page explains how we build the skill, and the 0510 versus 0511 guide covers one board’s pair of codes. For ESL students, see our English as a Second Language tuition.
Tuition starts from RM70/hr. Message us on WhatsApp with your child’s qualification and how speaking is handled on it, and we will plan the preparation. Our parent guide on when English is a second language may also help, and you can check our pricing.
To hear how your child sounds under real questions, Book a Trial Class. The one-hour paid trial is with the teacher who would continue.