Complete List of IGCSE Subjects: The 2026 Guide for Parents

Choosing IGCSE subjects is one of the first big academic decisions your child will make. And it's harder than it should be, because there is no single place that lists every IGCSE subject clearly. Schools hand out a shortlist of what they offer. Exam board websites bury the full picture across dozens of pages.

This guide fixes that. Below you'll find the complete list of IGCSE subjects for 2026 — all of Cambridge's roughly 70 subjects and all 37 Edexcel International GCSE subjects — with syllabus codes, subject groups, and plain-English advice on how many to take and how to choose. It's written by Educifly's IGCSE specialists, who have tutored international school students through these exact choices since 2018.

Quick answer: how many IGCSE subjects are there?

Cambridge offers around 70 IGCSE subjects, including more than 30 languages. Pearson Edexcel offers 37 International GCSE subjects. No school offers all of them — most international schools run 15 to 25 subjects from one board. Students usually take 7 to 10 subjects, and almost every school makes English, Mathematics, and at least one science compulsory.

That's the short version. Now let's go through the full lists.

First, a quick definition

IGCSE stands for International General Certificate of Secondary Education. It's a two-year programme for students aged about 14 to 16 — Years 10 and 11, or Grades 9 and 10. Two exam boards dominate:

• Cambridge IGCSE, run by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). The original, taken in 160+ countries.

• Edexcel International GCSE, run by Pearson. Designed for international schools and studied in 80+ countries.

Both lead to the same destinations: A-Levels, the IB Diploma, or other pre-university routes. If you want a full comparison of the two boards, we've written one: Cambridge vs Edexcel IGCSE.

One more thing before the lists. Many Cambridge subjects come in two versions — a traditional A*–G graded syllabus and a newer 9–1 graded syllabus with a different code. The content is nearly identical. Your school picks the version, not you. To keep things simple, we list the classic codes below.

The five Cambridge IGCSE subject groups

Cambridge sorts its subjects into five groups. Knowing the groups matters, because a balanced IGCSE programme — and the Cambridge ICE award, which we explain later — pulls from across them.

Here is the full list, group by group.

Group 1: Languages (30+ subjects)

This is Cambridge's biggest group. Languages come in three flavours, and the difference matters:

• First Language — for students who speak it natively. Tests deep reading and writing skill.

• Second Language — for fluent non-native speakers. Includes listening.

• Foreign Language — for learners. Tests listening, reading, writing, and speaking from scratch.

And that's just the common ones. Cambridge also offers IGCSEs in Afrikaans, Bahasa Indonesia, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Thai, Turkish, and many more — over 30 languages in total. If your child speaks a home language, there's a good chance an IGCSE exists for it. An extra A* for a language they already speak is one of the easiest wins on a report card.

Almost every school makes English compulsory. If your child needs help getting from a B to an A* in essays and comprehension, our IGCSE English tutors work on exactly that.

Group 2: Humanities and Social Sciences

Two notes from our tutors:

Economics (0455) is the sleeper hit of this group. It's new to almost everyone at 14, so nobody starts behind. It also feeds directly into IB Economics and A-Level Economics, which universities love for business, finance, and law. Our IGCSE Economics tutors see more demand for it every year.

Global Perspectives (0457) is graded on research and teamwork projects, not just exams. Good for students who hate timed papers. Less useful as a university signal.

Group 3: Sciences

The big decision here is separate sciences vs combined science:

• Separate sciences mean three full IGCSEs — Biology, Chemistry, Physics — each with its own grade.

• Combined Science (0653) squeezes all three into one IGCSE grade.

• Co-ordinated Sciences (0654) covers all three and counts as two IGCSE grades.

Here's the honest advice: if your child might want medicine, engineering, or any science degree, take separate sciences. IB schools and A-Level providers strongly prefer them. Combined and Co-ordinated are fine for students who already know science isn't their path.

Each science needs different exam habits. IGCSE Biology rewards labelled diagrams and precise wording. IGCSE Chemistry is about moles and equations — get those two topics solid and the grade follows. IGCSE Physics is applied maths in disguise, so weak algebra shows up fast.

Group 4: Mathematics

Mathematics (0580) is the standard course nearly every student takes. It comes in two tiers. Core covers the basics and caps the grade at C. Extended covers the full syllabus and opens up A*. Any student heading to IB or A-Levels should be on Extended.

Additional Mathematics (0606) is the stretch option, taken alongside 0580 by strong students. It introduces calculus, advanced functions, and trigonometry — the exact topics that make the jump to IB Math AA or A-Level Maths feel easy instead of brutal. If your child is aiming at engineering, computer science, or any maths-heavy degree, Add Maths is the single most valuable extra IGCSE on this page. It's also genuinely hard, which is why our IGCSE Maths tutors spend more hours on 0606 than any other syllabus.

International Mathematics (0607) is a graphing-calculator-based alternative to 0580, designed for IB-bound students. Fewer schools offer it.

Group 5: Creative, Technical and Vocational

Three call-outs:

Computer Science (0478) teaches real programming and theory. It's not the same as ICT (0417), which is about using software. Universities and IB Computer Science treat 0478 as the serious one.

Business Studies (0450) covers marketing, finance, HR, and operations. It pairs naturally with Economics, and the two together set up IB Business Management beautifully. We tutor it as a dedicated subject — IGCSE Business Studies.

Art & Design (0400) is mostly coursework. A gift for creative students, a grind for everyone else. Don't take it for an "easy grade" — the portfolio hours are real.

The complete Edexcel International GCSE subject list (all 37)

Pearson Edexcel offers 37 International GCSE subjects. The table below is the full official list, with the exam sessions each subject runs in. (Edexcel runs two sittings a year: May–June and November. From June 2026, some subjects — starting with History — are also moving to onscreen assessment.)

A few Edexcel-only quirks worth knowing:

• Mathematics A (4MA1) is the standard course. Mathematics B (4MB1) is an older-style, more formal syllabus that some schools prefer.

• Further Pure Mathematics (4PM1) is Edexcel's answer to Cambridge's Additional Maths — and it goes even deeper into calculus. Superb A-Level and IB preparation.

• English Language A vs B: Spec A uses an anthology of set texts; Spec B works from unseen passages. Same qualification, different exam feel.

• Human Biology is a separate subject from Biology — Cambridge has no equivalent.

• All Edexcel International GCSEs use 9–1 grading (9 is the top grade, roughly an A**).

Cambridge vs Edexcel: subject choice at a glance

Your school has already chosen its board, so this table is mostly for understanding what's on the menu. Some schools mix boards — Cambridge for sciences, Edexcel for maths, say. That's completely fine. Universities don't care which board a grade came from.

How many IGCSE subjects should your child take?

Most students take 7 to 10 IGCSE subjects. Cambridge allows anywhere from 5 to 14, but more is not better past a point.

Here's the realistic breakdown:

• 5–6 subjects — the minimum for most pathways. Fine if there's a good reason (a sport, a move, a health issue), but it limits options.

• 7–8 subjects — the sweet spot. Enough breadth for any A-Level or IB route, with time to actually do each subject well.

• 9–10 subjects — standard at selective international schools. Manageable for organised students.

• 11+ subjects — almost never worth it. Eight A*s beat twelve Bs in every admissions office on the planet.

That last point deserves repeating, because it's the most common mistake we see. Parents add subjects to look impressive. Universities read it the other way: they see grades first, count second.

Which IGCSE subjects are compulsory?

The IGCSE itself has no compulsory subjects — but nearly every school requires:

1. English (First or Second Language)

2. Mathematics

3. At least one science

Many schools add a humanities subject and a foreign language to that core. Everything else is your child's choice. The Cambridge ICE award (International Certificate of Education) formalises this balance: it's an extra certificate for students who pass seven subjects spread across all five groups, including two languages.

How to choose: match subjects to the destination

The smartest way to pick IGCSE options is to work backwards from what comes after. Here are the combinations our tutors recommend for the most common pathways:

The "undecided" row is the most important one. At 14, most students genuinely don't know what they want — and that's fine. A balanced spread keeps every single A-Level and IB door open. The only truly hard-to-reverse mistake is dropping all sciences or dropping Extended Maths, because science degrees and IB Math AA become very difficult to reach afterwards.

And if the IB Diploma is the likely next step, your IGCSE choices matter even more. We've mapped exactly how each IGCSE feeds into IB subjects in our guide to moving from IGCSE to IB.

Core vs Extended: the choice inside the choice

Many Cambridge subjects — Maths most famously — split into two tiers:

The trap: Core caps the grade at C no matter how well your child performs on the day. Schools sometimes place a struggling Year 10 student on Core "to be safe," and the family only discovers the cap when university requirements ask for a B. If your child is borderline, the better move is usually Extended plus targeted support, not Core. This is one of the most frequent reasons parents book a trial class with us — a tier decision is coming and they want a specialist's read on it first.

When are IGCSE exams in 2026?

• May–June 2026 — the main session for both boards. Papers run from late April to mid-June.

• August 2026 — results.

• October–November 2026 — second session, used for retakes, additional subjects, or schools on a different calendar.

• Cambridge also runs a March session in India only.

Most students sit all their subjects in one May–June session at the end of Year 11. Some schools enter students for one or two subjects a year early — common for first-language IGCSEs.

What about grades?

Quick version, since this is a list guide:

• Cambridge uses A* (highest) to G, with 9–1 versions of many syllabuses.

• Edexcel uses 9 (highest) to 1.

• Rough equivalence: 9/8 ≈ A*, 7 ≈ A, 6 ≈ B, 5/4 ≈ C.

Grade boundaries shift each session with paper difficulty. A subject is never "graded easier" just because it's on one board or the other.

The bottom line

There are around 70 Cambridge IGCSE subjects and 37 Edexcel International GCSE subjects, but your child's actual decision is much smaller: roughly 15–25 subjects their school offers, of which 3–4 are compulsory. That leaves four or five real choices. Make them by working backwards from the likely next step, keep the spread balanced if that step is unknown, and choose Extended over Core whenever it's a close call.

And if one of those choices — Add Maths, separate sciences, Economics — feels like a stretch right now, that's a solvable problem. Educifly matches students with a specialist tutor for exactly one subject, the same tutor every week. Nine out of ten families renew. Book a free trial class and see whether the stretch option is closer than it looks.

FAQ: IGCSE subjects

How many IGCSE subjects are there in total?

Cambridge offers around 70 IGCSE subjects, including more than 30 languages. Pearson Edexcel offers 37 International GCSE subjects. No school offers the full catalogue — a typical international school runs 15 to 25 subjects from its chosen board.

How many IGCSE subjects should my child take?

Seven to ten is the normal range, and 7–8 is the sweet spot for most students. Cambridge permits 5 to 14. More subjects do not impress universities — higher grades in fewer subjects beat lower grades in many, every time.

Which IGCSE subjects are compulsory?

The qualification itself has no compulsory subjects, but almost every school requires English, Mathematics, and at least one science. Many add a humanities subject and a foreign language. The rest are free choices.

What is the difference between Core and Extended?

Core covers the simpler part of a syllabus and caps the grade at C. Extended covers the full syllabus and allows grades up to A*. Students heading to A-Levels or the IB should take Extended wherever it's offered, because the Core grade cap can block university requirements later.

Are Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSE subjects the same?

The popular subjects — sciences, maths, English, languages, humanities, business — exist on both boards with very similar content. Cambridge has far more languages and unique options like Global Perspectives. Edexcel has unique options like Human Biology, Further Pure Mathematics, and Commerce. Universities accept both equally.

Which IGCSE subjects are best for medicine?

Biology, Chemistry, and Extended Mathematics are the core three, with Physics strongly recommended. Take the sciences as separate subjects rather than Combined Science — IB and A-Level providers prefer it, and medical pathways effectively require it.

Is Additional Mathematics worth taking?

For students aiming at engineering, computer science, physics, economics, or IB Math AA — yes, more than any other optional subject. It pre-teaches the calculus and functions that make post-16 maths feel manageable. For students heading to essay-based or creative pathways, it's optional effort with little payoff.

What is the easiest IGCSE subject?

There's no universally easy subject — it depends on the student. Statistically, students score highest in first-language IGCSEs (a language they already speak at home) and in subjects with coursework that suits them. Be careful with "easy-sounding" choices like Art & Design: the coursework hours are heavy.

Can a student mix Cambridge and Edexcel subjects?

Yes. Grades from both boards carry equal weight, and some schools deliberately mix — for example, Edexcel Maths with Cambridge sciences. Universities and IB admissions look at the subject and the grade, not the exam board logo.

When are the IGCSE exams in 2026?

The main session for both boards runs from late April to mid-June 2026, with results in August. A second session runs in October–November 2026, typically used for retakes and additional subjects. Cambridge also offers a March session in India.

Do universities care which IGCSE subjects you take?

Mostly they care about English and Maths grades, plus evidence of breadth. But A-Level and IB entry — the step in between — often does have subject requirements, such as separate sciences for IB HL sciences or Extended Maths for Math AA. Choose IGCSEs for the next step, and university follows naturally.

What does a 9 mean in IGCSE grading?

A 9 is the top grade on the 9–1 scale, awarded to roughly the strongest scripts — slightly above a traditional A*. The two scales align roughly as: 9/8 ≈ A*, 7 ≈ A, 6 ≈ B, 5/4 ≈ C. Both Cambridge and Edexcel publish grade boundaries after every session.