are set by Edexcel which also sets GCSE exams in the UK. Oxford AQA International GCSE Oxford AQA International GCSE exams are conducted in May/June and November. The exams are set by OxfordAQA (Oxford International AQA Examinations), which is a joint venture between AQA which sets GCSE exams in the UK and Oxford University Press (OUP). LRN International GCSE LRN International GCSE exams are conducted in January, May and November. Comparisons with GCSE Before changes to GCSE first taken in 2017, the IGCSE was often considered to be more similar to the older O-Levels qualification than the current GCSE in England, and for this reason was often argued to be a more rigorous and more difficult examination. Before the early 2010s, most schools offering the IGCSE were private international schools for expatriate children around the world. However, in the 2010s, an increasing number of independent schools within the United Kingdom also began offering IGCSEs as an alternative to conventional English GCSEs for international IGCSE subjects, on the supposed basis that it is more challenging than the national curriculum. A comparison between GCSEs and IGCSEs was conducted by the Department of Education in 2019. The study found that it was easier to achieve a grade A in English Language and English Literature in IGCSEs but harder to achieve a grade A in science subjects. Most other subjects were roughly equivalent. The change from an A*-G grading system to a 9-1 grading system by English GCSE qualifications has led to a 9-1 grade International General Certificate of Secondary Education being made available. Before, this qualification was graded on an 8-point scale from A* to G with a 9th grade “U” signifying “Ungraded”. This measure of grading was also found in the UK GCSE. Most IGCSE subjects offer a choice of tiered examinations: Core or Extended papers (in Cambridge International), and Foundation or Higher papers (in Edexcel). This is designed to make IGCSE suitable for students with varying levels of ability. In some subjects, IGCSE can be taken with or without coursework. At one point in time, the “A*” grade in the GCSE did not exist but was later added to recognize the very top end of achievement. In the case of Further Mathematics, an extra A* grade was added for students that can “demonstrate sustained performance in higher-level maths skills such as reasoning, proof and problem-solving.” Recognition and equivalence The qualification is