in their worldwide competition for community service programs. IGCSE Program The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language curriculum offered to secondary students to prepare them for the International Baccalaureate, A Level and BTEC Level 3 curriculums. It is based on the older GCE O-Level and is recognized internationally as being equivalent to the British GCSE. Students begin studying for the IGCSEs in Form 3 (Grade 9) and generally take the examinations at the end of the school year in Form 4 (Grade 10); however, high-achieving students in the English and Mathematics courses are permitted to take the examinations in said courses one year early (at the end of Form 3/Grade 9). School of the Nations currently offers courses in the following subjects for the IGCSE Exams: Biology (0610) Physics (0625) Chemistry (0620) English - First Language (0522) English - Literature (0486) First Language Chinese (0509) Computer Science (0478) Mathematics (0580) Additional Mathematics (0606) Global Perspectives (0457) Drama (0411) Art (0400) Music (0410) The School of the Nations is currently the only school to offer the Drama IGCSE course in Macau. When starting the IGCSE program in Form 3, students choose to study either Art, Music, or Drama as their arts subject; in Form 4, they make a further choice on whether to continue to study and sit the exam for their chosen arts subject or study/take exams for Global Perspectives instead. The average grade achieved by a secondary student studying in the IGCSE program in SON is an A; most students achieve several A/A* grades. I.B. Diploma Program The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at students aged 16–19. It is taken by all students starting from Form 5 (Grade 11) and ending in Form 6 (Grade 12) with the examinations. The program provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education and is recognised worldwide. The School of the Nations is currently one of only two schools in Macau to offer the IB Diploma Program as a part of its curriculum (the other being The International School of Macau). The School of the Nations offers the following subjects for the IB Diploma Program (further subjects are also available for online study through Pamoja; those are not included in the list below): Group 1 - Studies in Language and Literature English Language & Literature HL/SL Group 2 -