Percentage Uniform Marks (PUM) Explained: A Comprehensive Guide
Understanding your Cambridge International exam results can often feel like decoding a complex language. While your final letter grade (A*,
Learn how to write step-by-step answers, and score A* in your exam!
Announcement: Cambridge IGCSE, O Level and AS & A Level June 2025 past papers are now available.
In Questions 1-6 of the Listening papers, you hear a series of short spoken items. The sentences are not connected. For each item, you answer one question as briefly as possible, often with just one or two words.
In Questions 7-10, you hear continuous, connected speech, and the questions may require you to complete a table of information, or complete some notes, or answer individual questions with short responses.
In the exam, you will be given time to read the questions before you hear the cassette/CD. Make sure you use this time well. Read all the questions and underline the keyword(s) in each one.
Decide what type of information each question requires; for example, a number, a place, a street name.
Some time, you’ll hear how some words are changing with the stress on different part of the words. For example: notice how the word interviewer changes to interviewee.
When spoken, the stress on these two words is different: interviewer, interviewee.
Other examples are employer and employee.
There are a small number of other ‘person’ nouns in English which end in -ee.
The last question in the Listening papers usually requires you to answer questions based on a talk or an interview. The questions may ask you to identify people’s feelings and attitudes, as well as testing you on general comprehension.
Note: make sure that you write clearly and that you include all the necessary information.
Listening papers contribute 30% (15% for private candidates) on your overall scores for your English as Second Language certificate. Don’t make the assumption that Listening paper is not important thus not making any attempt to learn the tactics and skills.
In fact, Listening papers could determine either you score A* or not in your IGCSE E2L paper.
The average preparation needed for Listening skills is one year. Best is two years, from getting acquaintance to mastering.
Understanding your Cambridge International exam results can often feel like decoding a complex language. While your final letter grade (A*,
If you are wondering what is A level, it is one of the most recognised pre-university pathways in the world,
Preparing for your IGCSE English as a Second Language (ESL) exam can feel daunting. You are not just learning grammar
Choosing the right educational pathway for your child is one of the most significant decisions a family can make. In
72 responses
Is it a must for the answers in exercise 1 and 2 to be complete, as in begin with a capital letter etc.
Or can we write it the way it’s displayed in the marking scheme?
Hi Iris,
If the question just requests a data, for example, a date or time, then you could just write so.
But if there is a need to write full sentence, please write in a proper way, that is to start with a capital letter. It doesn’t cost you anything to do it right and there is no harm to do so. It will in fact put you on the right track and so you don’t get to worry too much about right or wrong 🙂
Dear Madame/sir Thank you a lot for these useful tips. I would like to ask if there is any site or any tips which might help me improve in exercise 7. English as a second language.
Hi Amira,
You may want to consider registering for our revision classes, we cover the techniques in answering exercise 7.
You can register here:
https://igcsecentre.com/igcse-private-and-online-tutoring/
I wanted to ask a question about the reading exam, can we copy exact phrases from the passages or not?
Hi Nouran,
For English Second Language:
For the short answer questions – yes, you’re allowed to copy short phrases or exact wordings from the passage.
For the summary writing – NO, you’re not allowed to copy from the passage. You MUST use your own words.
For English First Language:
NO, you’re not allowed to copy from the passage for both reading questions and summary writing.
Thank you!
Welcome Nouran! 🙂
then in summary I must write words of mine only ,I mean i don’t use any word from the passage at all ?!!
Is it possible to write the “exact” answers from the “exact” quotes?
Yes, for listening paper you’re allowed to write the “exact” quotes from what you hear. But, this is not allowed in Reading paper though.
Hi there! Can I ask what are the subjects I need to take in IGCSE in order to study medicine?
Hello Joshua,
You may take all the science subjects such as: Biology, Chemistry, Physics. Modern Maths or Extended Maths are both ok.