Have you begun to think about which courses you might study at IGCSE? Below you will find some information about the two Wolsey Hall English courses that are available at IGCSE. Your Year 9 English Mid-Course Review would be a perfect time to discuss your options with your English tutor.

At IGCSE level, English is split into two separate subjects: English Language and English Literature. The English Language IGCSE is the core subject and a Grade C (4) or above in this subject is a requirement if you would like to move on to study A Levels at Wolsey Hall. Note. If you want to study one of the English options at A level, see the grade requirements on the A level course page for that A level.

English Language IGCSE

This course continues to build on the reading and writing skills that are developed at Lower Secondary level. It is assessed through examinations. There are two papers: Paper One focuses on reading skills, such as comprehension and language analysis; Paper Two comprises directed writing and composition tasks, such as creative writing. There is no spoken element to the course.

Paper 1 – Reading - 2 hours

Paper 2 – Directed Writing and Composition - 2 hours

Please see further information on the Cambridge IGCSE English Language course on the Wolsey Hall website.

English Literature IGCSE

English Literature is an essay-based subject. There are similarities with the reading assignments at Lower Secondary level. Therefore, to move on to the IGCSE English Literature course, it is recommended that students have achieved at least 70% in the Lower Secondary reading assignments. In Year 9 English, these are Assignments 2, 3A/B and 6B.

The English Literature IGCSE is assessed through three examinations. Two of the examinations are based on texts studied throughout the course, including prose, poetry and drama. The final examination is based on unseen texts. There is no spoken element to the course.

Paper 1: Set texts, poetry and prose - 1 hour 30 minutes

Paper 2: Set text, drama - 45 minutes

Paper 4: Unseen texts – 1 hour 15 minutes

Please see further information on the Cambridge IGCSE English Literature course on the Wolsey Hall website.