Qualifications

IGCSE English qualifications, board by board

English course materials arranged for comparison.

Three qualifications (First Language English, English as a Second Language and Literature in English) across the three boards sat in Malaysia: Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel and OxfordAQA.

IGCSE and International GCSE English is not one qualification but three. Malaysian international schools enter students for different ones, depending on the school and the student.

First Language English is taken by students who already read and write English comfortably and are aiming for strong grades. English as a Second Language (ESL) is built for students still building their English. It assesses clear communication across reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Literature in English develops close reading and essay writing through poetry, prose and drama.

Each of these is offered by three boards sat in Malaysia: Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel and OxfordAQA. The boards differ in paper structure, wording and, for some, whether grades use the A*–G or 9–1 scale.

We teach to the exact board and qualification your child is entered for. Detailed assessment facts on each page below are taken from the board's official syllabus.

First Language English

For students already fluent in English, assessed on close reading and controlled writing.

Cambridge International 0500

First Language English · graded A*–G

Cambridge International 0990

First Language English · graded 9–1 · 9–1 twin

Pearson Edexcel 4EA1

First Language English · graded 9–1

Pearson Edexcel 4XEA1

First Language English · graded 9–1 · modular route

OxfordAQA 9270

First Language English · graded 9–1

English as a Second Language

For students building fluency, assessed across reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Cambridge International 0510

English as a Second Language · graded A*–G

Cambridge International 0511

English as a Second Language · graded A*–G

Cambridge International 0991

English as a Second Language · graded 9–1 · 9–1 twin

Cambridge International 0993

English as a Second Language · graded 9–1 · 9–1 twin

Pearson Edexcel 4ES1

English as a Second Language · graded 9–1

Pearson Edexcel 4XES2

English as a Second Language · graded 9–1 · modular route

OxfordAQA 9280

English as a Second Language · graded 9–1

Literature in English

Poetry, prose and drama, with essay technique and an unseen paper.

Cambridge International 0475

Literature in English · graded A*–G

Cambridge International 0992

Literature in English · graded 9–1 · 9–1 twin

Pearson Edexcel 4ET1

Literature in English · graded 9–1

OxfordAQA 9275

Literature in English · graded 9–1

Not sure which qualification your child sits?

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