The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language based secondary qualification similar to the GCSE and is recognised in the United Kingdom as being equivalent to the GCSE for the purposes of recognising prior attainment. It was developed by Cambridge Assessment International Education. The examination boards Edexcel, Learning Resource Network (LRN), and Oxford AQA also offer their own versions of International GCSEs. Students normally begin studying the syllabus at the beginning of Year 10 and take the test at the end of Year 11. However, in some international schools, students can begin studying the syllabus at the beginning of Year 9 and take the test at the end of Year 10. The qualifications are based on individual subjects of study, which means that one receives an “IGCSE” qualification for each subject one takes. Typical “core” subjects for IGCSE candidates include a First Language, Second Language, Mathematics and one or more subjects in the Sciences. Examination boards Cambridge IGCSE Cambridge IGCSE exams are conducted in three sessions: February/March (India only), May/June and October/November, and the results are released in May, August and January respectively. The exams are set by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), which is part of Cambridge Assessment that also includes OCR, a UK GCSE examination board. As of January 2021, there are over 70 subjects available and schools can offer them in any combination. The Cambridge examination board offers an ICE (International Certificate in Education) group qualification for candidates who achieve 7 subject passes across the following groups: Group 1: Languages Group 2: Humanities and Social Sciences Group 3: Sciences Group 4: Mathematics Group 5: Creative and Vocational (Professional and Creative) The certificate is awarded to candidates who pass in seven IGCSE subjects — two Group 1 subjects, one subject from each of Groups 2–5, and a seventh subject which can be selected from any Group. The ICE is awarded in three categories: Distinction (Grade A or better in five subjects and Grade C or better in two subjects) Merit (Grade C or better in five subjects and Grade F or better in two subjects) Pass (Grade G or better in seven subjects) In addition, to award top candidates, Cambridge awards "Outstanding Achievement Awards" in the categories of "top in country" and "top in world" for each subject. Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Edexcel International GCSE exams are conducted in June and January. The exams