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Written question asked by Anna Dixon (Labour) on Monday, 1 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.


English Language: GCSE and IGCSE

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the parity of GCSE English Language and IGCSE English Language on the coursework route qualifications.

Answer

GCSE English Language and IGCSE English Language are distinct qualifications, which are assessed and regulated in different ways.

GCSE English Language qualifications in England are regulated by Ofqual, with subject content set by the Department. These GCSEs are assessed through examinations only, with no coursework contributing to the final grade.

IGCSE English Language is a different qualification that is not regulated by Ofqual and includes a coursework component as part of its assessment.

The UK National Information Centre assesses the comparability of overseas qualifications with UK qualifications, including those in English.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
5810
Session
2026-27
Subjects
English language GCSE IGCSE
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk