Choosing IGCSEs

What do I need to consider?

The choices you make will matter because:

You'll be sticking with these subjects for the next two years. Pick wisely, because two years is a long time to study something you don't enjoy or value!

Your IGCSE subject choices could affect which post-16 courses you are eligible for (A Levels, IBDP, SACE, HSC, etc). For example, you would not be accepted to study A Level Physics without IGCSE Physics. 

The tertiary (post-18) pathway you are eligible for could be affected by which subjects you studied at A Level/Diploma level. For instance, if you plan to study medicine, you'll almost certainly need to do all three sciences at A level or at least two sciences and Mathematics. So, if you already know which tertiary path you want, you need to work backwards to see which IGCSEs might be required in order to get you the A Levels need.

However, don't stress!

Many post-16 pathways (college courses, etc) don't tend to specify subjects, but they do specify grades - most require a minimum of credits (that's a Grade C or above) in at least 5 subjects. What this means is that you should therefore choose subjects in which you feel most likely to do well, rather than choose subjects just because you feel you 'should'.

Universities are very unlikely to specify the IGCSE subjects they require applicants to have taken - again, they are more concerned about how many credits you achieved, not the subjects you achieved them in.

Most young people - including YOU - may change their minds about "what they want to do when they grow up" numerous times between the ages of 14 and 20. Choosing your IGCSE subjects based on a very fixed view of what you presume you will spend the rest of your life doing is likely to be a bad plan. Instead, try to keep your options open: pick a broad range of subjects if you can, always asking yourself, "Will I enjoy studying this?"

Which IGCSEs are needed for which career path?

We need to bear in mind that the nature of  ‘career paths’ is evolving rapidly, and things are likely to be very different for those of you entering the workplace in the next five to ten years. 

The idea of carrying out the exact same job for your entire professional life is becoming less viable; instead, a world where employees are defined not by their 'job title' but by their contributions to a project is emerging. Jobs and roles exist only for the duration of that project, and you could have five or more different such jobs during your working life. Thus, trying to plan for a career path that does not recognise this is ill-advised.

In this context, transferable skills, character and flexible capabilities will carry far more importance than exam grades and purely academic qualifications.