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CIE: Acquiring life long thinking skills
For more than 150 years, University of Cambridge International Examinations has delivered excellence in education to learners around the world. It is part of the University of Cambridge and shares its proud heritage. It is also the world’s largest provider of international qualifications for 14 to19 year olds.
In India, more than 230 schools offer Cambridge qualifications. The most popular Cambridge qualifications in India are Cambridge IGCSEs (Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education) and Cambridge International A/AS Levels.
Recognition and acceptance
National bodies such as the Ministry of HRD and the Medical Council of India (MCI) recognise Cambridge qualifications, and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) recognises Cambridge IGCSE / O Level and Cambridge International A Level as equivalent to Year 10 and Year 12 respectively. This means that universities across India recognise Cambridge qualifications under their entry requirements, including the University of Delhi and the prestigious St Stephen’s College, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMs), Delhi, and K J Somaiya College of Engineering in Mumbai.
Cambridge students are also eligible to sit for medical and engineering entrance tests as well as IITJEE.
For Indian students wishing to study or work overseas, a Cambridge qualifications offer clear advantages. Students holding Cambridge International A/AS Level qualifications are on par with UK students for entering all UK universities, and there is no need for a foundation year. In the US and Canada, academic credit is awarded by many universities for relevant Cambridge International A Levels which can mean up to one year less study for undergraduates. Cambridge International A Levels also meet the requirements for Australia.
Every year thousands of Cambridge students progress to leading universities such as Harvard, MIT, London School of Economics and University of Cambridge.
Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language is accepted as proof of English proficiency at most UK universities, and a number of universities in the US and Canada.
The IGCSEs and International A Levels are known to open up professional career opportunities (particularly in medicine, engineering, business or law) for students who wish to go to university. Students also acquire life long learning and thinking skills which are in demand by employers in India and internationally.
A Cambridge International Education has four stages, moving from Cambridge Primary to Cambridge Secondary 1, Cambridge Secondary 2 and Cambridge Advanced.
Schools can offer the full programme, or choose one or two subjects or stages for specific groups of learners. The programme is flexible, and each stage builds on learners’ development in the previous stage.
Cambridge examinations cover a large range of subject areas, from sciences, mathematics, languages and humanities, to business, and information and communication technology.
Students are known to learn how to apply their understanding in unfamiliar situations, and think critically about different issues.
“Students develop an approach that is application-based, practical and functional. Learning in the Cambridge curriculum affects how students learn throughout their lives. It is this that gives Cambridge an edge over many other boards,” says Amita Mishra, Offg. Principal, DPS International.
Cross-curricular perspectives are also part of a Cambridge International Education. Making connections between subjects, skills and other dimensions creates coherence for learners, and increases motivation for teachers and learners alike.
Cambridge offers an extensive programme of training events and services, including online training via video conferencing, for teachers.
A teacher support website provides support materials and teacher discussion forums. The Cambridge International Certificate and Diploma for Teachers and Trainers is also available for Cambridge teachers.
“The best thing about the Diploma is that it has something in it for everybody, i.e. the good can become better. The Diploma is not prescriptive, but it puts the teacher on the road to self-development,” says Harish Iyer, Director of Concepts Training Institute in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
(Inputs provided by University of Cambridge International Examinations, UK)