The International General Certificate of Secondary Education, or IGCSE, is an international qualification for students between the ages of 14 to 16 years old. The coursework for this certification is typically two years and offers instruction in a number of subjects, including business studies, art and design, history, accounting and economics. Institutions throughout the world recognize the IGCSE as preparation for university and preuniversity level study. The economics course requires you to pass an exam to demonstrate proficiency. Obtaining a good score requires diligent study and a review of material on past tests.
Download a syllabus for the coursework. Visit sites such as the University of Cambridge International Examinations or IGCSE ICT.
Review the format of the economics exam, which is divided into three sections. The first section has 30 multiple-choice questions and spans 45 minutes. The second section requires you to answer four structured questions in two hours. The third section, which is 90 minutes in length, asks you to answer two questions and analyze economic data about a real-world situation.
Review the assessment requirements for the exam, which lists four objectives: knowledge with understanding, analysis, judgment and decision-making and critical evaluation. You must be able to do all four of these things in the context of economics.
Review the curriculum content. To do well on the exam you must be able to define basic economic problems, understand the allocation of resources, describe the functions of a producer, consumer and borrower in an economy, describe the role of government in an economy, explain economic indicators and state the reasons some countries are classified as developing economies.
Purchase books to help you learn the topics covered on the exam. Because there is no official course book for IGCSE economics, you must provide your own resources. However, some websites, such as the University of Cambridge International Examinations, provide a resource list of books relevant to the exam. A few examples include "Economics for GCSE" by AG Anderton, which includes data response questions, and "Economics for IGCSE" by Terry Cook, Jane King and Robert Dransfield.
Download previous economics exams, which you can obtain from various websites. Review these exams, focusing on the manner in which questions are asked and how candidates chose to answer.
Take a practice test to determine areas where you're proficient and areas where you need more study. Practice tests are found in many IGCSE study guides and also on the Internet.
Focus your study on your weak areas. Take a new practice test to evaluate your progress. When you have mastered a subject, shift your study to another area that requires extra attention.
- Obtain the syllabus for the year in which you are going to take the exam. If you download a 2011 syllabus, but are planning to take the exam in 2012, testing requirements may change.