World Top IGCSE Students Sharing Secrets of Success
Year 9 & Year 11 Options Evening
In order to support our students in making informed decisions regarding their future IGCSE and IB options, DCSZ organized an Options Evening for Year 9 and Year 11 students this Monday. Teachers were present on-site to provide explanations and guidance regarding the available IGCSE and IB options for both students and their families. The students were well-informed and they are eagerly preparing for the upcoming term, which promises new opportunities and experiences.
2023 IGCSE Result
In the last year, DCSZ achieved excellent results in the IGCSE examinations. Impressively, 69.3% of all grades awarded were A*/A, and an outstanding 83.5% of the results fell within the A*-B range. Furthermore, we had two students who delivered exceptional performances. Matthew L attained the prestigious "Top in China" recognition for Chinese as a Second Language. Ryan G, on the other hand, achieved the remarkable distinction of being "Top in the World" for Additional Mathematics, along with the notable achievement of being "Top in China" across eight subjects!
We invited these two exceptional students to share their experiences and insights on how they attained such outstanding IGCSE results.
Ryan G/Additional Maths--Top in The World+ Top in China across eight subjects
Having gone through IGCSE, I feel that there’s quite a lot of content, but the content is relatively straightforward, especially if it’s compared to the IB course which I’ve just started. I think that my study habits, especially towards the end of IGCSE, helped me attain high marks. Studying a couple hours every day is important, but I think how focused you are when studying is more important. Removing all distractions and setting aside a specialized environment for focused studying is really helpful. Personally, my method of revision for most subjects involved reading the textbook and corresponding syllabus components, doing practice papers, and writing practice essays. Overall, I found that I usually like to fully grasp a particular concept by reading on it before moving on to doing practice papers.
The biggest challenge I faced was probably staying motivated. I think the key is to maintain a good lifestyle and take breaks; making sure you have an adequate amount of sleep, spending time on hobbies or with friends, and exercising regularly can help with energy levels and motivation.
My teachers also played an integral role in my IGCSE experience. They were all encouraging and open to questions. My math teacher explained concepts, especially in additional maths, clearly and concisely, and she provided a lot of useful resources. My biology teacher had interesting and deliberate lesson plans, and he gave clear feedback.
After IGCSE there are still two years before graduation. I think students shouldn’t be overly stressed about it, since they need to save their energy for IB. The most important takeaway that I got from IGCSE is that maintaining a good balance between study and rest is key.
Matthew L/Top in China for Chinese as a second language
The IGCSE was an interesting experience, with many subjects. The content and difficulty were both reasonable, but of course, it had its challenges. Though in retrospect, it was quite the moderate one, and less intense compared to the IB course.
A growth mindset was always good, believing that you could and should improve, however, it is also important to realise that scores are not everything, especially the IGCSE which is not yet close to the end. Doing what could be done and wishing for the best was my way of accepting ups and downs. In many subjects I had to improve, and I might not have always been at where I wanted to be. To me, I think that paying close attention in class was one of the best ways for me to utilise school time effectively. Efficient time use was key to having many free time as well as a familiarity in the knowledge required. Another method of studying I employed was the simple yet important thing, practice. Personally, it felt more meaningful to understand the reasoning behind answers or essays than to just go over as quickly as possible, though it is also valuable to be speedy and have more done.
My biggest challenge was probably certain internal conflicts: to act towards my own laziness, rather than blaming myself for it. Genuinely, even with very few study habits, one might still be able to navigate the shallow waters of IGCSE, though I would recommend being more structured, for example making revision plans or acting early on.
Many teachers, including my Chinese teacher Ms Li, were able to make class environments comfortable and thus focusing, incentivizing an emergence of interests to explore beyond the syllabus. Most my teachers gave very useful lessons and feedback, as well as offering insights on their own view of learning.
