Cambridge Pathway

Course Selection 2011

Deciding Which Courses You Should Study Is Important

CIE is different from, not better than, NCEA.

NCEA offers more subject choices and internal assessment throughout the year.

CIE is largely examination-based and suits students who revel in high-stake examinations.

At Year 11/Form 5 your CIE academic programme should be broad-based so that you can keep your choices open at higher levels. This is why there are compulsory subjects. You can also study some subjects that you will enjoy or that interest you.

At Years 12-13/Forms 6-7 you can either continue with subjects studied earlier or you can choose to add some new ones. At this level your academic programme should look to the future and include subjects that you think you will need for higher levels of study. There should still be opportunities to include subjects that reflect your strengths or you enjoy. You are limited to FOUR subjects in CIE. In NCEA you can choose SIX subjects. 

What is CIE?

These are administered by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). Although this organisation is based in the United Kingdom, its courses are designed for the international community. Thus syllabi are designed for the needs of the countries entering the awards. In some cases this means their content is similar to syllabi in the UK, but in other subjects the content is very different.

The structure of the CIE awards is the same as the UK awards with two main levels:

IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is usually taken at Year 11/ Form 5 and A Level is taken in the next two years.  More recently, AS Level was introduced as half an A Level award. This means that you will usually sit AS examinations in Year 12/ Form 6 and sit a combination of AS and A2 examinations in Year 13/ Form 7 to complete an A Level qualification. (AS plus A2 is the same as an A Level.)

CIE are sat by about two million students in nearly one hundred and seventy countries.

What Levels Of Qualifications Are There?

Cambridge awards exist at two levels – IGCSE & A Levels.

IGCSE stands for International General Certificate of Secondary Education. Its subjects are mostly studied at Form 5/ Year 11 but may also be studied in later years.

A Levels (A stands for Advanced) are based on a two-year course to prepare you for entry to university or other tertiary study. If you leave school after one year, you should have a good base and a useful qualification for employment or further study at an appropriate level. Most A Level courses are broken down into AS (Advanced Subsidiary) and A2 courses – each of these is HALF of a full AL (A Level) course. This way you sit exams at the end of each half of the course, instead of taking them all at the end. 

What Results Can I Achieve?

Grades

In some IGCSE subjects there are two course levels – Core Curriculum and Extended Curriculum. The Extended Curriculum offers a more challenging course for students who achieve highly in the subject. If you sit an Extended examination you can gain A*, A, B, C, D or E Grades. If you sit a Core examination you can gain C, D, E, F, G or H Grades.

At  AS, A2 and A Level, the grades awarded are A, B, C, D or E. Marks below these are Ungraded. (An E Grade equates approximately to marks of 50-59%.) 

When Do I Sit Examinations?

Examinations are held in October-November. Mid year and end of year practice examinations will form part of the Westlake Boys' High School assessment system, as they do now. The CIE exam timetable will be posted on this website as soon as it is available.

Will My Qualifications Be Accepted?

Entrance to university by CIE qualifications has been approved by the NZ Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (NZVCC). The standard can be achieved by accumulating credits in AS and/or A2 level subjects over a period of one or two years (Form 6 and Form 7). CIE qualifications have also been accepted for entry to all restrictive entry courses at universities in New Zealand (e.g. Engineering, Law, Medicine).  

Extract from Minutes of the Committee on University Academic Programmes, 21/22 November 2002:

Resolved:

(1) That in order to qualify for university entrance CIE candidates presenting A or AS levels must gain a minimum of 120 points and a minimum grade of D in each of at least 3 subjects equivalent to those in the approved list.

(2) That a CIE candidate presenting an E grade or better in AS English and a D grade or better in IGCSE Mathematics will be deemed to have satisfied the literacy and numeracy requirements of the university entrance standard.

UCAS Tariff

Information for Students in Form 5/Year 11

Planning Your Course

Choose a Broad-Based Course

It is important that your course at this level is broad-based so that you have a number of different options in the future. You will start to specialise more in Year 12 / Form 6 and this will be continued with greater depth in your final year's studies.

You Need To Plan What You May Do When You Leave School

Not everyone knows what they want to do when they leave school, but it is time to start thinking about some of the options that you may wish to consider. This may help you make your choices. However, if you maintain a broad course, this should give you many options in the future. Careers advice is available from the Careers Department, Heron House.

Choosing A Course For CIE Requires A Different Approach

It is different from choosing subjects for NCEA. You should look ahead to see the subjects that you may wish to study in Forms 6 and 7. 

Course Structure

Compulsory Subjects

In order to ensure that you have a broad-based course, a core programme operates. You will be required to study the following subjects:

• English
• Mathematics

Optional Subjects

In addition, you may take FOUR subjects of your own choice of the subjects provided by the school. The subjects available will provide you with a good background for further study. One of these subjects COULD be at NCEA Level 1.
All courses are to be approved by Mr Waller, Cambridge Co-ordinator.

You should choose your optional subjects so that they are likely to help you in the future. This means deciding what  your strengths and interests are as well as what you may need in your studies beyond school or in the work force. 

Grades for IGCSE

Grades awarded in IGCSE are A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H. Grade E represents a mark of about 50-59%. 

What Else Do I Need To Know?

To gain University Entrance, you will need to meet certain entry standards. While most of these will be achieved in Forms 6 and 7, it is important to realise that minimum levels of literacy (in English) and numeracy (in Mathematics) will be required.

The level of numeracy has been defined as 14 credits in Mathematics NCEA Level 1 or a D Grade in IGCSE Mathematics. The literacy level is defined from Level 2 or AS. Literacy in English is attained by a grade E or higher in AS Literature or AS Langauge and Literature. 

More Information

If you want more information about CIE Awards you can get assistance from Mr Waller (Ext. 710). This webpage will provide you with information about subjects and any prerequisites or standards you need to meet before entering a course.
You can also find out more about these awards from the CIE website at www.cie.org.uk. 

Information for Students in Form 6/Year 12

Planning Your Course

Choosing a Course For CIE Requires A Different Approach

It is different from choosing subjects for School Certificate, Sixth Form Certificate and Bursary – or NCEA! The following information is designed to help you to plan a course that will ensure you gain good qualifications for the future.

You Need To Plan What You May Do When You Leave School
This may affect the subjects you should study. Not everyone knows what they want to do, but it is time to start looking at some of the options that you may wish to consider. You also need to consider subjects in which you are likely to succeed in as these will help you to achieve the best qualifications you can achieve. Careers advice is available from the Careers Department, Heron House. 

Planning Your Course

Your CIE Option Choice Sheet will help you to begin planning your course. It is essential that planning of courses and subjects selected should be not only for Form 6 but also with a view to what you hope to study in Form 7. 

Your Course In AS and A Level

In Year 12 it is expected that you will study 3 subjects plus English.
The subjects you choose are most likely to be at AS Level but you may also include one or more IGCSE or NCEA subjects.

In Year 13 it is expected that you will study 3 subjects.
The course you choose in Form 7 will usually be a mix of AS and A2 subjects. You may also include some IGCSE subject(s). Most students will take either one or two A2 (or AL) subjects. If you have an outstanding academic record you may choose to select three A2/AL subjects, which will constitute a full course of study. There is no requirement to include any A2 or AL subjects, but we would strongly advise at least 1 A2 or AL subject.

Check Requirements For Tertiary Courses

CIE courses give you an opportunity to have a wide range of subjects and an advanced course of study. You should also check tertiary courses you wish to enter for subject requirements. 

What Subjects Can I Take?

You can choose from a wide number of subjects. There are some special points to remember.

If you wish to study a subject at either AS or A2 Level you need a good grade at a lower level of the subject to complete the course successfully. This will normally be a C Grade or better. D Grades may be suitable in some subjects.

AS subjects are prerequisites for A2 subjects.
Some subjects, such as AS History, will be offered as a Form 7 course.
You must include an AS English subject in your course of study – this may be taken in Form 6 or Form 7 or an alternative approved by Mr Waller. 

More Information

You can also find out more about these awards (including the full syllabus for almost all subjects) from the CIE website at www.cie.org.uk.

CIE Course Synopsis

More detailed information on these syllabuses can be found on the CIE website at www.cie.org.uk. What follows is a very summarised form of what will be taught at Westlake Boys' High School. 

The following are the subjects we expect to offer. Westlake Boys High School reserves the right to make changes to the subjects listed.

* Denotes A Level
+ Denotes combination NCEA and CIE subject
# Denotes University Literacy course that is NOT offered at A2 and is designed for those who are ‘weak’ in English

CIE Examination Fees

Cambridge International Examination entries are more expensive in 2010. This is dictated by CIE costs in pound sterling and a fluctuating exchange rate. Currently these entry fees are: 

There is an expectation that those students selected for CIE qualification subjects will enter the CIE examinations in all subjects at the appropriate level.

Note:

An administration fee of NZ$70.00 per student to cover:

• invigilation (external invigilators are employed on a contract basis – teachers are forbidden by CIE protocols from invigilating)
• courier/administration (due to fuel surcharges these have nearly doubled in expense in two years).