How Subject-Level Tutors Support IGCSE and GCSE Students

All the parents want the best for their child in terms of their educational performance. Success in IGCSE and GCSE exams is not an easy task. However, students can achieve their desired results with the dedicated support from online tutors for IGCSE and GCSE. Expert subject-level tutors make a huge difference in supporting students to succeed. So, if your kid wants to prepare for tough exams like IGCSE or GCSE, you must understand how online tutoring can be beneficial for them. 

In this guide, we will explore how expert subject-level tutors help their students to boost their learning performance and grades for the chosen exam board.

What is IGCSE and How Does It Work?

IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is a qualification that is offered to students aged between 14 and 16. The IGCSE is designed with a broad and balanced curriculum. Universities and employers around the globe recognise it. Moreover, it provides a strong foundation for higher education and job opportunities.

Exams for IGCSE are held in May or June or October, or November, depending on the type of exam board and the schedule of your school. Most students take between 7 and 10 subjects, which may include core subjects (English, Mathematics, and Science) and optional subjects. Many students get benefit from the support of online IGCSE tutors, who can help them understand difficult concepts, plan revision effectively, and improve performance across subjects.

Assessment methods differ by subject and exam board. However, it includes a combination of written exams, such as multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions. Coursework consists of projects or assignments completed. Oral assessments are required for language subjects. Most IGCSE exam boards now use a grading scale of 9-1.

What is GCSE and How Does It Work?

GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) offers a qualification in different subject areas. This qualification provides a path for higher academic levels and future jobs. GCSEs were graded from A* to G. However, this grading system was changed in 2017. Now GCSEs are graded from 9-1, which means 9 is the highest grade and equal to A*. 

The number of GCSE subjects a student chooses varies within schools. The range of chosen subjects is from 5 (minimum) to 12 (maximum) for GCSE. Students are advised to choose GCSEs focusing on their interests and relevancy to their future goals. 

Several exam boards in the UK offer GCSE qualifications. The main are AQA, CCEA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, and WJEC. Each exam board has its own syllabus and structured exams. Though these exam boards differentiate between schools, they are also all supervised by regulatory authorities.

How Do IGCSEs Compare to GCSEs?

IGCSE is a qualification taken by students who are studying outside the UK. In contrast, students at schools in the UK learn GCSEs. However, many UK-based students sometimes take a combination of GCSE and IGCSE exams, which depends on the course they or their school have chosen to study.

The choice of selection between the GCSE and IGCSE should align with your academic plans. During this phase, students must also consider the future steps related to their academic and employment goals. IGCSEs offer more flexibility and a broad range of subjects that may align with your career aspirations. Since they are globally recognised, they suit students who want to pursue further education or work abroad. 

However, keep in mind that IGCSEs can be more expensive than GCSEs and are not always offered at state schools.

What Does An Online Subject-Level Tutor Do?

An online subject-level tutor for IGCSE or GCSE provides academic or professional assistance to students over the Internet. In contrast to in-person home tutoring, the student and tutor may never meet each other face-to-face in this format. All contact is made through email or other internet-based communication. 

• An online tutor helps school-aged children with homework assignments in various subjects, such as IGCSE Maths or GCSE Physics math tutoring. 
• Online tutors use various tutoring methods and online technologies to support students with their learning. 
• They often assist students via email, one-on-one live sessions, or video chat sessions. 
• Tutors for IGCSE teach individual students at a particular time, or offer assistance to a small batch or study group to help with their assignments or individual classwork or group work. 
• In addition to daily learning support, tutors may perform diagnostic tests to assess a student’s learning abilities. 
• Students also have the freedom to schedule a one-on-one session at a specific time and may ask a question when needed.

Benefits of Hiring Online Tutors for GCSE or IGCSE

There are many benefits of hiring online tutoring for GCSE or IGCSE exam preparation. Here are some of them:

One-to-one Tutoring

One-to-one tutoring for IGCSE is among the best benefits of hiring online tutors. When a student learns in the classroom with so many children, it can be quite challenging for them to focus.

Comfort

Hiring an online tutor for GCSE brings more comfort and less stress to the study schedule of students because it might be difficult to attend physical tuition once you leave school.

Support for Challenging Subjects

Different students will have different types of learning strengths and weaknesses. So, by hiring a GCSE online tutoring, students can get the required assistance in getting through the hard subjects.

Customised Learning Plans

In the regular classes of the school, the teachers have to strictly follow a curriculum and outlines offered by the respective department and cannot be modified for one student. However, with the online tutoring for IGCSE preparation, the students can restructure or schedule the online classes to meet their specific needs.

Less Stress

The GCSE or IGCSE exam is a score that can determine the future options of students. So, it can be stressful when preparing for such a challenging exam. A good online IGCSE/GCSE tutor can significantly reduce stress and help students prepare for exams with confidence.

Lower Cost 

Online tutoring provides more benefits than physical home-based tutoring. Since there is no cost of infrastructure, and even the expenditure of travelling to the tutoring place is reduced from the expenses, there can be a significant reduction in overall expenses. You can also explore this blog, 5 Benefits of Online Tutoring, for a detailed overview of how online tutoring can improve learning.

How does Online Expert Tutoring Improve Grades?

Below are some of the key areas where online expert tutoring can help students improve their grades in IGCSE or GCSE.

Individual Attention

In a school-based setup, students will be competing with 30 other students to get their class teacher’s attention. On the other hand, online subject-based tutoring offers one-on-one attention with an expert. Tutors will go back to basics if there are learning gaps in a student’s knowledge.

Designed Lesson Plans

An online subject-based tutor for IGCSE/GCSE  will create lesson plans that are designed to a student’s strengths, weaknesses and unique learning style. This means they can target the concepts where your child needs focused attention.

Boost Motivation

The right tutor for the subject-specific tuition can be the perfect combination of a teacher and a mentor. They are available to support a student through each phase of the exam preparation. Sometimes, it is hard for students to get motivated for the exam preparation process. An expert online tutor can help to encourage them.

Provide Direction

Most students want to improve their grades for IGCSE and GCSE, but they know where to start. An expert tutor will be able to analyse the current learning gaps and highlight areas that require time for improvement. In this way, they can create a plan for how your child can achieve their academic goals in the available time.

Personalized Instructions

An IGCSE tutor will provide personalised instruction based on the learning style of students and their needs. They offer dedicated attention to specific topics of the preparation process, and this approach helps students feel more confident, giving them motivation for success in the examination.

Targeted Assistance

A range of subjects is included in the qualification, like IGCSE and GCSE exams. So there may be times when students face issues in certain subjects. This is the perfect moment where a good IGCSE and GCSE tuition centre like Mixt Academy can help them to prepare for those subjects. A subject-based tutor ensures that a student can understand their problem areas and support them in getting better grades.

Preparation For The Exam

IGCSE or GCSE exams can be challenging, and this is why it is essential to prepare well for success. Online IGCSE tutors and GCSE tuition provide tips on factors such as time management, past papers, revision strategies, paper pattern, and exam structure during the study process to ensure success in the exam.

Providing Feedback

Tutors for IGCSE/GCSE offer timely feedback on the performance and progress of their students. This technique helps students identify weak areas that need improvement and schedule them accordingly. Private online tutors can also help your child create skills for assessing themselves.

Develop Study Skills

The IGCSE and GCSE are competitive exams, and require the right kind of study abilities so that they can succeed. These online tutors can help their students develop the core study skills that are necessary. These skills include note-taking, techniques required while taking tests or exams, and active revisions etc.

Flexibility

A great aspect of subject-based tutors for IGCSE or GCSE is the flexible scheduling. These online IGCSE/GCSE tuition can help students by teaching at times when they are easily available, ensuring that learning does not impact their regular activities to fulfil in their lives.

Empowering Students for Exam Excellence

An expert subject-level tutor can play a huge role in improving a student’s grades for challenging exams like IGCSE or GCSE. They offer customised tuition and help your child reach their full potential. An online tutoring platform like Mixt Academy can help students connect with the best subject specialists when it comes to being successful in the exam. They provide them with individualised support, advice on how to prepare for the exam effectively, and targeted assistance in concepts that they are struggling with. These tutors are also capable of making students more confident and exam-ready while offering them online scheduling options to make learning flexible.

FAQs

How does expert tutoring impact a student’s academic performance?

Expert tutoring can hugely improve a student’s academic performance by offering them one-on-one learning sessions and customising tutoring plans to their unique needs.

Does subject-level tutoring really help students?

Yes, subject-level tutoring helps students to improve their exam performance. It is also the best way to improve a student’s confidence and motivation and increase their interest in learning.

Is an online tutor worth it for IGCSE or GCSE?

Absolutely! An IGCSE and GCSE tutor supports students to boost their academic grades, which are beneficial for their future studies and upcoming jobs.

How does a one-on-one online IGCSE session work?

Online one-on-one sessions occur in live format and happen face-to-face on your computer or phone. An online IGCSE tutor helps students clear their subject-related doubts and teaches new topics with practical and real-life examples.

How does online GCSE tuition help students achieve better exam scores?

Online GCSE tuition helps students improve exam scores by providing personalised one-to-one attention that focuses on their weak areas of GCSE subjects.

 

Author Bio

Eva is an education writer and learning enthusiast who enjoys helping parents and teachers make learning simple, engaging, and meaningful for children. She is also associated with an online tutoring academy focused on personalized learning support for students worldwide for one to one online learning.