The International General Certificate of Secondary Education
The Cambridge IGCSE is an international curriculum for 14 - 16 year olds that develops students' skills in creative thinking, enquiry and problem solving, and gives them excellent preparation for the next stage in their education.

The curriculum
Schools can offer any combination of subjects. Each subject is certificated separately. Over 70 subjects are available, offering a variety of routes for learners of different abilities. Schools can build a core curriculum, extend it to suit their students and introduce cross-curricular perspectives.
Schools worldwide have helped develop Cambridge IGCSE. It incorporates the best in international education for students at this level. It develops in line with changing needs, and is regularly updated and extended. Cambridge IGCSE teachers can draw on excellent resources, training and advice from subject experts.
Cambridge IGCSE has wide recognition from higher education institutions and employers around the world as evidence of academic ability.
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is taken in over 100 countries worldwide and is internationally recognised as being equivalent to the GCSE in the United Kingdom.

Assessment
Grading is on an eight-point scale (A*–G) and grades A to E are equivalent to O Level grades A to E. In some countries, IGCSE qualifications will satisfy the entry requirements for university. In others, they are widely used as a preparation for A Level, AS, International Baccalaureate and US Advanced Placement courses.

Further information: http://www.cie.org.uk/qualifications/academic/middlesec/igcse/overview