The English Language iGCSE
This exam is taken at the end of Seconde around May-June time and is examined by Cambridge International Examinations board. This qualification provides proof of the successful candidate’s proficiency in English.
Students who enter the scheme at Seconde level don't take the iGCSE exam because it is prepared starting 3ème.
NOTE: Starting in 2024, Seconde students will no longer take the IGCSE exam and switch to the Cambridge C1/C2 levels in Première. If you have any questions about the change, email us at secondary@english31.org
2019-2020-2021-2022 Results
June 2022 results
IGCSE 2022 |
* |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
U |
Total |
First Language English |
11 |
12 |
5 |
9 |
37 |
Covid: Centre Assessed Grades + Evidence uploaded |
||||||||
IGCSE 2021 |
* |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
U |
Total |
First Language English |
1 |
5 |
8 |
8 |
1 |
23 |
Covid: Centre Assessed Grades |
||||||||
IGCSE 2020 |
A* |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
U |
Total |
English Literature |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||||
First Language English |
1 |
3 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
1 |
23 |
IGCSE 2019 |
A* |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
U |
Total |
English Literature |
2 |
6 |
8 |
4 |
1 |
21 |
||
First Language English |
1 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
24 |
Observations
One pupil was absent for both examinations due to Covid; her result was reported as ‘X’
This was the first examined cohort since 2019. Cambridge has published the following: ‘The grade thresholds (also known as grade boundaries) we choose in June 2022 will generally be lower than in June 2019 and higher than in June 2021. This might not always be the case though. Grade thresholds change each year to reflect any differences in the difficulty of the question papers’
This was the first cohort to have:
- Taken the 100% examination option (we opted to drop the 50% coursework after 2019);
- Taken only English First Language IGCSE and not IGCSE English Literature as well, allowing us to concentrate more lesson time on explicit teaching of the examination methodology.
The global statistics for June 2022 have not yet been released, but based on the 2019 percentages, our students have done very well. The marking being less harsh than 2019 will, however, impact this. For 2023 the grades thresholds are likely to be harsher.
Cumulative percentage comparison
* |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F/G |
|
IGCSE 2022 First Language English (%) |
30 |
62 |
75 |
100 |
|||
June 2019 Global Averages(%)* |
14,3 |
34,8 |
59,9 |
82,5 |
93,6 |
98 |
98,8 |
*Can be compared to 2022 averages once they are available here: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-upper-secondary/cambridge-igcse/results-statistics/
We are obviously very pleased with these results; however, the fundamental issue still remains that in order to enable students to perform like this, we have had to devote an extraordinary amount of teaching time to the quirks of the two examination papers, time that would be more meaningfully spent on BFI related skills and knowledge.
Diplôme National du Brevet, Mention Internationale
The Diplôme national du brevet is a French state qualification taken in Troisième, at the end of compulsory schooling in France. This involves pupils taking written examinations in French, mathematics and history-geography in French. In addition, British Section pupils sit oral examinations in English language and literature and history-geography in English in order to gain the Mention Internationale.
Diplôme National du Brevet results (June 2021)
39 English 31 3ème students in total
- Mention ‘Très bien’: 24/39 = 63%
- Mention ‘Bien’: 9/39 = 23%
- Mention ‘Assez Bien’: 3/39 = 7%
- Admis: 1/39 = 2%
- Non reçus: 2/39 = 5%
- Pass rate: 37/39 = 95%
- Pass rate with mention: 36/37 = 97%
Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB), British version
The Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB) is the school-leaving qualification taken by British Section students. The British version of the OIB results from a long-standing partnership between the French Ministry of Education and Cambridge International Education (CIE), a division of the University of Cambridge. The unique feature of the OIB is that A-Level standard examinations in English Language and Literature and History/Geography are added to the full syllabus of the traditional French Baccalauréat, and the results of these examinations are factored, with heavy weightings (coéfficients), into the student's overall mark in what becomes the Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB). Results are expressed as a mark out of twenty, with the highest commendation - Mention Très Bien - being awarded to students achieving an average mark of 16/20 and above. Each year, we celebrate our students' success in the OIB at a graduation ceremony: The Bachelier Evening.
More information about this pioneering bilingual diploma can be found in the brochures (in English or French) produced by Cambridge International Education and ASIBA (Association de Sections Internationales Britanniques et Anglophones). Over forty schools worldwide offer the British version of the OIB and all are members of ASIBA. Click here for an article and here for a presentation about recent changes to the format of the OIB diploma following the 2021 reform.
Click here for the 2021 UCAS OIB assessment.
2022 Results
OIB (only) (43 candidates) |
Bac general included OIB, BACHI and ABIBAC |
|
Mention TB |
27.91% (12 students) One mention TB with FJ |
17.22% |
Mention B |
27.91% (12 students) |
23.84% |
Mention AB |
16.28% (7 students) |
31.79% |
Admis sans mention |
25.58% (11 students) |
22.19% |
Pass rate |
97.7% (1 student did not pass) |
96.5% |
An excellent set of results back to pre-Covid standards. We notice that among every OIB cohort we have a range of profiles covering all abilities and not only students who obtain mentions bien and très bien. The fact that one student did not pass is directly linked to her level of fluency in French. OIB subjects taught and assessed in English currently represent 25% of the overall OIB diploma; mastering French is therefore more important than mastering English. FYI, that balance will shift dramatically with the BFI (40% for English vs 60% French).
Final grades were based on coursework (an average mark across all 3 terms across the Terminale year) applying the usual coefficients while last year’s results only included terms 1+2 counted.
|
JUNE 2021 (47 candidates) |
JUNE 2020 (46 candidates) |
JUNE 2019 (35 candidates) |
June 2018 (48 candidates) |
June 2017 (37 candidates) |
Mention TB |
44.68% (21 students) |
38.1% |
34% |
29% |
27% |
Mention B |
29.78% (14) |
30.95% |
31% |
21% |
30% |
Mention AB |
23.4% (11) |
26.19% |
28% |
25% |
27% |
Admis |
2.13% (1) |
4.76% |
7% |
23% |
16% |
Pass rate |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
100% |