When it comes to the education of our children, we don’t want anything lesser than the best which lies within our means. We often ponder upon which school to choose for our kids that would impart the good education and lay a strong foundation for their future. In recent scenarios, parents come to the crossroads where they need to choose not only the school but also what board the education institution is associated with. If not the CBSE, parents often face the dilemma whether to go for IB or IGCSE board for their children.
Let’s compare these two popular programs.
The IGCSE program:
Cambridge Primary (5–11 years)
Cambridge Secondary 1 (11-14 years)
Cambridge Secondary 2 (14-16 years)
The IB program:
Primary Years Programme (PYP, 3-12 years)
Middle Years Programme (MYP, 11-16 years)
IB Diploma (16-19 years)
IB or IGCSE – Making It Simple
Most of us are aware of the CBSE board and their education pattern, student-teacher interactions and curriculum. However, in recent years, many schools have adopted IB or IGCSE boards, sometimes along with the CBSE, which gives parents a choice to opt for these boards for their children. The decision often is not so easily made as the resources and information that the parents have to make this decision is not adequate.
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Without further delay, let us shed some light on these two boards that cause immense dilemmas for the parents while choosing the school for their children. To start with, we shall look at what these boards really are and then we will move to the prominent nitigrities so that we could get a full understanding of this matter and are in a better position to decide what we wish to set forth for our children.
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IB Board
Initially, in 1968, the International Baccalaureate® (IB) board started as an organisation providing diploma programmes to ensure the students between the age of 16 to 19 are instilled with the in-depth and vast knowledge of the programme they choose to study.
Later in the year 1994, IB started the Middle Year Programme (MYP) for the age group of 11 to 16 years where the focus was to establish the connection between the things we study at school and how they are useful to us in the real world. Keeping in mind the importance of practical, programmes were created that could benefit the students of all interests and abilities.
In 1997, it further expanded to the Primary Years Programme (PYP) that catered to the young minds between the age of 3 to 12. This programme was designed for the complete growth of the child in every possible aspect of life. The values and ethics while treating others and our surroundings with respect and the value of self respect are the key ingredients of PYP.
Also SEE: Online IB Math Tutors
Top 10 IB Schools in India
- American School of Bombay
- Dhirubhai Ambani International School
- Ecole Mondiale World School
- Ahmedabad International School
- Mahatma Gandhi International School
- Mercedes-Benz International School
- American Embassy School
- Pathways world School
- The Doon School, Dehra Dun
- Woodstock School, Uttarakhand
- GD Goenka School, Gurgaon
- Kodaikanal International School, Tamil Nadu
- Singapore International School, Mumbai
IGCSE Board
IGCSE Board was formed in the late 80’s by Cambridge University for its international students. IGCSE starts from 10th standard or 9th in some countries. It comprises more than 70 subjects, which also includes 30 languages, divided into 5 groups. A student can choose, based on their potential and interest from the following groups:
Languages
Humanities & Social Sciences
Sciences
Mathematics
Creative, Technical & Vocational
It is a grading based system in which the exams are conducted in the months of June and November and the results are declared in August and February.
IGCSE board keeps updating their curriculum every five years to give its students the best educational experience.
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Top 10 IGCSE School in India
Apeejay International School |
Sheikh Sarai, Delhi |
2. D.A.V Public School |
Pitampura, Delhi |
3. DPS International |
Saket, Delhi |
4. Maharaja Agarsain Public School |
Ashok Vihar, Delhi |
5. Richmondd Global School |
Mianwali Nagar, Delhi |
6. The Ardee School |
New Friends Colony, Delhi |
7. The British School |
Chanakyapuri, Delhi |
8. Venkateshwar Global School |
Rohini, Delhi |
9. Alpine Convent School |
Gurgaon, Haryana |
10. Amity Global School |
Gurgaon, Haryana |
11. Aravali International School |
Faridabad, Haryana |
12. G. D. Goenka Global School |
Hisar, Haryana |
13. G. D. Goenka World School |
Gurgaon, Haryana |
14. Excelsior American School |
Gurgaon, Haryana |
15. The Scottish International High School |
Gurgaon, Haryana |
16. The Shri Ram School |
Gurgaon, Haryana |
17. Amity Global School |
Noida, Uttar Pradesh |
18. Aditya Birla World Academy |
Tardeo, Mumbai |
19. Bombay International School |
Marine Lines, Mumbai |
20. Dhirubhai Ambani International School |
Matunga, Mumbai |
21. The Heritage School |
Anandapura, Kolkata |
22. Calcutta International School |
Anandapura, Kolkata |
23. Garden High International School |
Kasba, Kolkata |
24. Bridge International School |
Hazra Road, Kolkata |
25. The Cambridge School |
Sarani, Kolkata |
26. The Lord International School |
Kiskintha, Chennai |
27. HLC International School |
Karanai, Chennai |
28. APL Global School |
Okkiyam Chennai |
29. Candor International School |
Domulur, Bangalore |
30. Ebenezer International School |
Huskur, Bangalore |
Choosing IB or IGCSE
There is a strong influence of CBSE over the decision making for almost every Indian parent who reaches the crossroads of IB vs IGCSE. Having studied the CBSE curriculum our entire lives, we often tend to find similarities of our own educational experience to the one we wish to choose for our kids.
IB and IGCSE take an entirely different approach towards education compared to the CBSE. However, IGCSE might have some similarities to the CBSE as they are both curriculum driven examination patterns. IB on the other hand is more flexible. It allows plenty of freedom for the teacher to implement the curriculum which the school decides as per the IB framework.
IB uses the scale of 1-7 to assess and report on a student’s performance.IGCSE curriculum ends in an examination that the student takes based on the fixed curriculum and hence gets graded based on how they performed.IGCSE has a letter-based grading system: A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and U (ungraded). Some universities required IB diploma students to score at least a 5 to be eligible to join their programs.
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Is IB and IGCSE Recognised In India?
Both IB and IGCSE boards are recognised in India and students can register themselves for any undergraduate program offered by the universities across India. The two year IB Diploma Program is equivalent to 10+2 in India. IGCSE students can also opt for IB Diploma program after their O level or continue further with Cambridge A or AS Level.