Subject Details

Why Study IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award)?

Co-ordinated Sciences is a comprehensive double award qualification that covers all three core sciences — Biology, Chemistry, and Physics — within a single coordinated course. It is ideal for students who want a broad scientific education and counts as two IGCSEs on a student's transcript, reflecting the breadth and depth of studying all three sciences together. The course develops transferable skills including handling data, practical problem-solving, and applying the scientific method.

The Cambridge IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences syllabus covers 37 topics across the three sciences: 19 Biology topics (from characteristics of living organisms to human influences on ecosystems), 12 Chemistry topics (from states of matter to organic chemistry), and 6 Physics topics (from motion, forces and energy to space physics). Students develop relevant attitudes such as concern for accuracy and precision, objectivity, integrity, enquiry, and inventiveness, acquiring the essential scientific skills required for progression to further studies or employment.

As a double award, this qualification requires approximately 260 guided learning hours — double the time of a standard single-award IGCSE. Grades are reported as double grades (A*A* to GG), and candidates who achieve grades A*A* to CC are well prepared to follow a wide range of courses including Cambridge International AS & A Level Sciences. The course is available at both Core level (grades CC to GG) and Extended level (grades A*A* to GG), allowing students to be entered at the appropriate tier for their ability.

Global Recognition & Importance

Cambridge IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences is widely taught in international schools across the UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Singapore, and many other countries. UK ENIC has independently benchmarked Cambridge IGCSE as comparable to GCSE standard in the UK. As a double award counting as two IGCSEs, it is recognised as a strong foundation for students planning to take A-Level Biology, Chemistry, or Physics, or pursue careers in medicine, engineering, environmental science, and other science-related fields.

Exam Format

The Cambridge IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences assessment consists of three papers: a multiple-choice paper, a theory paper, and a practical assessment. Students are entered for either the Core or Extended tier.

✅ Core Assessment (Grades CC to GG)

📌 Paper 1: Multiple Choice (Core) — 45 minutes, 40 marks. 40 four-option multiple-choice questions based on Core content only.

📌 Paper 3: Theory (Core) — 2 hours, 120 marks. Short-answer and structured questions based on Core content only.

✅ Extended Assessment (Grades A*A* to GG)

📌 Paper 2: Multiple Choice (Extended) — 45 minutes, 40 marks. 40 four-option multiple-choice questions based on Core and Supplement content.

📌 Paper 4: Theory (Extended) — 2 hours, 120 marks. Short-answer and structured questions based on Core and Supplement content.

✅ Practical Assessment (All Candidates)

All candidates take one practical paper from a choice of two:

📌 Paper 5: Practical Test — 2 hours, 60 marks. Hands-on laboratory experiments testing experimental skills.

📌 Paper 6: Alternative to Practical — 1 hour 30 minutes, 60 marks. Assesses experimental understanding without requiring physical experiments.

How A* Quiz Helps

A* Quiz is an excellent tool for mastering Paper 1 & Paper 2, providing extensive practice with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) across all three sciences — Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Additionally, by engaging in structured quiz practice, students build a solid understanding of key scientific concepts and principles, which enhances their performance in Papers 3, 4, and the practical components by reinforcing subject knowledge, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills across all three disciplines.