Which IGCSE Subjects Should I Choose?

Ahh, the dreaded IGCSE subject selection. The subjects you choose to take can have a huge impact on your future academics and your career path, although it’s probably not as important as it feels to you right now. 

If you’re a Kenyan student ready to choose your IGCSE subjects, what do you do? While this choice is going to come down to you personally, there are a few great strategies you can use to narrow down your choices and think strategically. Let’s jump into how IGCSE subjects work and how you can make a great choice for your future. 

How Do IGCSE Subjects Work?

The IGCSE system works in a similar way to the Kenyan CBC system, offering students a variety of subjects with the choice of what to study. There are some compulsory subjects and a lot more optional courses, with you as the student having the ultimate choice of what you want to mix and match.

Here’s an overview of how it all works:

Available Subjects 

There are over 70 subjects offered under the IGCSE curriculum. Most Kenyan schools, and all other Cambridge schools worldwide, don’t offer all the available IGCSE subjects. Instead, they offer all the required subjects and whatever other subjects they are able to. 

Foreign languages are the most common subjects to be left out simply because there are more than 30 different foreign languages offered in the IGCSE curriculum. You’ll be able to find languages like German, French, Chinese, and Spanish, and Swahili (no surprise) at a lot of larger schools. 

For all other subjects, you need to look at what each school offers individually. No school offers everything, but every school will offer different combinations. 

Subject Combinations 

Unlike the CBC curriculum, IGCSE doesn’t have specific subject pathways or limits to what you can combine. You’re generally free to take any IGCSE subjects offered by your school, even if they’re completely unrelated to each other. 

Required Subjects 

Some IGCSE subjects are required for every student, but you still have some flexibility in how you handle these required subjects. 

There are 3 required subjects in Kenya: 

1. English: In Kenya and everywhere else, English is a required subject for the IGCSEs. English is sometimes bundled in with literature, but that is not a required subject. You can take English as a first or second language in Kenya. 
2. Math: Math is bundled into either core or extended maths. With core maths, you cannot get a grade higher than C, while extended allows you to score any marks up to A*. While it’s technically an option, core is usually only reserved for those who struggle intensely with maths. 
3. Science: Science is divided into separate sciences, combined science, and co-ordinated sciences. While all three involve biology, chemistry, and physics, the difference is all in how the subjects are broken down. With combined science, all 3 are bundled into a single subject. Co-ordinated sciences makes these into 2 subjects and separate sciences keeps all 3 as independent subjects. 

All IGCSE students have to take these subjects, but you can choose how you do it. 

Minimum Subject Numbers 

Kenyan schools usually want students to complete a minimum of 5-7 subjects, including the required subjects. Some schools may have a higher minimum, especially if they are aiming to get you into higher education abroad. 

You’ll probably end up taking more than the minimum of 5-7, especially if you choose to take separate sciences or you want to add foreign languages to your other units. 

Maximum IGCSE Subjects

Cambridge schools in Kenya don’t usually limit how many IGCSEs you can take. At least, not in a way that’s likely to give you any problems. Most students run into time, energy, and capability barriers before school limits get in the way. 

Taking on more than 10-12 subjects at once is too difficult for most people, so your advisors and teachers are likely to steer you away from that. You’re not likely to need more subjects than that, no matter what you plan to do in the future. 

Average Subject Numbers 

Most students take between 8-10 IGCSEs subjects, with at least 3 of those being required subjects. Ambitious students may choose to take closer to 12 subjects. It’s up to you to decide what you can handle and to go with that. 

How to Choose Your IGCSE Subjects 

With so many options in front of you, how can you narrow it down? Be strategic! 

Here are a few methods you can use to help you choose your optional subjects and lock into a path you actually want to follow. 

Method #1: Career focus 

You can choose subjects that align with your future career. This method works well if you want to go into a field with strict professional requirements. Think engineering, law, medicine, architecture, and others. 

Unfortunately, this method only really works if you have an idea about what kind of career you’re interested in. What do you do when you have no clue what you want to do as a career?

Method #2: Interest-based 

If you’re a little less sure what you want to do in the future, you can take a variety of different subjects you’re interested in that give you a broad range of choices later on. 

This method is going to be helpful if you’re unsure about what you want to do or you’re deciding between a few wildly different options. Choosing what you’re interested in helps you engage more in what you’re learning and perform better overall, leaving you with more options moving forward.

Sounds great, but is it practical? For most people it will probably work, but you may want to look ahead and see what you’re facing for higher education as well. 

Method #3: University requirements 

Already know which schools you want to apply to or have some idea about it? Choose your IGCSE subjects based on the entry requirements for the programs you want. 

Universities ask for a minimum of 4-5 IGCSEs, depending on the program you’re looking for. If you want to get into a top school, you probably want to shoot for 7-9 different IGCSEs that you can perform well. At the end of the day, most of the top schools look more at how you performed rather than what you took.

All this being said, make sure you do your best on your required subjects. These are the first things universities will look at before they care about your optional subjects! 

Method #4: Choose your competencies 

Is it better to get 5 A*s or 8 mixed grades? 

With IGCSE exams, it’s important to do well, even if you only take a few subjects. It’s also not just true for college or university admissions. How well you do in the exams is often more important than how many subjects you take. 

Knowing this, you can choose to focus on subjects that you know you’re good at so you can count on getting better overall results. If you know what your strengths are, focusing on those can help you keep your grades top notch, even if you end up taking on similar subjects. 

Method #5: Soft skills development

Ask yourself: what can you learn from the subjects you’re taking beyond the actual academic materials? 

Accounting may teach you how to work with financial numbers, but it also gives you more confidence in managing money, budgeting, setting financial goals, and planning. History can help you understand how to analyze the past and learn how to do deep research using proper information sources. 

Which soft skills might help you reach your goals? Look for subjects that can help you develop foundational soft skills you can use everywhere else in your life. 

Method #6: Reach for what you can get

Does any selection method really matter if your school doesn’t have a lot of options? 

Keep yourself grounded by basing your choices off what you actually have access to. Top Cambridge schools in Kenya might offer a wider variety of subjects, but no school offers everything. Some schools might also have more restrictions on what you can and can’t do.

Be realistic and make sure you’re deciding based on choices that are actually available to you. 

The Best Method Is… All of Them?

IGCSE subject choices are personal to you. It’s up to you to understand your situation and choose the best subjects based on what you want and the options available to you. Use these methods to guide your selection rather than using them as firm rules you have to follow.

Mix and match, narrow down your options, and make your final choice carefully. Following a process to help you decide will make you more confident in your decision, knowing you’ve considered all your options well beforehand. 

Changing Your IGCSE Subjects 

Can you change your IGCSE subjects after choosing them?

Short answer: Yes, you can change your IGCSEs. 

But, like everything in life, there is some nuance to it. 

Timelines

There are likely deadlines for when you need to drop, change, or add subjects. Check those ahead of time in case you want to give something a try and still switch later on. 

Remember that you need enough time to study for your IGCSEs. You don’t want to leave yourself unprepared for the tests because you didn’t give yourself enough time to learn all the material and study well enough. 

Testing 

Exams to get your IGCSE certificate are only held twice per year in Kenya, in June and November. If you decide to change your courses, you need to have enough time before your IGCSE exams to register for testing. If you don’t register in time, you won’t be eligible for the exam and will have to wait for the next one. 

School Requirements 

Your school might have specific requirements if you want to change your IGCSE subjects. Check ahead of time so you know what your options will be before you lock into a subject. 

Be Serious, But It’s Not that Serious 

Take your IGCSE subjects seriously. But, it’s not the end of the world if you make the “wrong” choices. Be strategic about what you’re choosing to give yourself the best chances, then commit to doing your best in what you’ve selected. 

Remember, the grade on your IGCSE certificate is often more important than the subject. As long as you do well in your cores and stick to subjects that make sense for you, you’ll find a way to make it work!