IGCSE is not GCSE, and the two main IGCSE boards do not even use the same words for the same thing. Cambridge splits its syllabus into Core and Extended and grades in letters; Pearson Edexcel splits into Foundation and Higher and grades in numbers. We ask which one before the first lesson, because preparing for the wrong papers wastes a term.
The confusion worth clearing up
Parents often arrive knowing their child "does IGCSE" and not knowing which one. It is an entirely reasonable thing not to know, and it is the single most useful fact for a tutor to have.
Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (0580) is tiered into Core and Extended. Core candidates sit Papers 1 and 3 and are targeting grades C to G; Extended candidates sit Papers 2 and 4 and are targeting A* to E. It is reported in letters, and the current syllabus covers examinations in 2025, 2026 and 2027.
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Mathematics A (4MA1) works differently. It is a linear qualification of two examinations, tiered into Foundation (targeting grades 5 to 1) and Higher (targeting 9 to 4), both sat in the same series at the end of the course. It is reported in numbers. There is also a Higher-only Specification B (4MB1), and a newer modular version of Maths A for international centres.
So "my child is doing IGCSE maths, higher tier" can mean at least three different sets of past papers. That is why the booking form asks, and why we would rather establish it in the first message than in week three.
Core and Extended, or Foundation and Higher. They sound like the same distinction. They are different qualifications with different papers.
Why we ask about the board firstWho sits it
IGCSE is the international sibling of the English GCSE, sat in international and independent schools across the Gulf, South and South-East Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond, as well as in some UK independent schools.
That means the families we meet on this page are usually one of three kinds. Families who have moved country and found the sequencing does not line up with what their child had already covered. Families at an international school where the maths is taught well but the class is large. And families whose child is heading for IB Diploma and needs the algebra solid before it gets much harder.
We are well placed for all three, and not by accident: we already teach the IB, CBSE and ICSE curricula alongside the UK, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand ones. A child who has moved between two of those systems is exactly who our first lesson is designed to work out.
What we do differently
Core or Extended, Foundation or Higher, Spec A or Spec B. Established before the first lesson rather than assumed, because the past papers differ and so does what is worth spending time on.
Teacher and student write into one live worksheet at the same time. Method marks are where IGCSE grades are won and lost, and a finished answer does not show the method.
Class times and reminders in your own timezone, wherever you have moved to. We cover afternoons and evenings across the Gulf, Europe, Asia and beyond.
Courses
Tell us the board, the syllabus code and the tier when you book. If you are not sure, a photo of the front of a past paper or the school's course outline is usually enough for us to work it out.
Getting started
Nothing is charged until you have watched a real lesson with your own child.
Bring the syllabus code if you have it. If you do not, bring a past paper — the front cover tells us everything we need.
What to send before the first classCambridge or Edexcel, the syllabus code if you know it, and Core, Extended, Foundation or Higher. Not sure? Send a photo of a past paper cover and we will identify it.
Wherever you have moved to. Class times are shown in your local time and reminders arrive in it, never ours.
Free, with the tutor who would go on to teach your child, spent finding where the ground stops being solid rather than describing the service.
Honestly, including whether the tier your child is entered for still looks like the right one, and including if we think tutoring is not what they need.
Why this works
UK, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand curricula, plus IB, CBSE and ICSE. A child who has moved between systems needs someone who can see where the sequences diverged, not someone starting the year again.
Cambridge or Edexcel, your tier, in the format your child will sit, with the real timing. Not a generic international question bank.
Not a marketplace where whoever is free takes the slot. Continuity matters most when a family has just moved and everything else has changed.
Not an hour billed and forty minutes taught. Long enough to work an exam question through properly and still talk about what went wrong in the homework.
Prices in US dollars. Every class is 55 minutes, one-to-one, with the same teacher. First class free, no card required.
Where we teach
IGCSE is sat all over the world, so pick whichever market your billing currency belongs to. The lesson is identical either way.
Common Core and state standards, K–12
Your province's curriculum, grades 1–12
Australian Curriculum v9.0 and your state's syllabus
NZ Curriculum phases and NCEA, Years 1–13
If none of these is where you are, email us — we teach IGCSE wherever the timezone works.
Common questions
Also worth reading
Three pages for families who have moved, or are about to.
MYP and Diploma, Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation, at both SL and HL.
IB tutoringFor families who have moved from India, or are about to move back.
CBSE & ICSEThe English, Welsh and Northern Irish qualification — AQA, Edexcel and OCR, foundation and higher tier.
GCSE tutoringFirst class
55 minutes. The real classroom. No card. We confirm details on email and WhatsApp within a day.
Last updated · May 2026
When you book a demo or sign up for classes, we collect your name, your child's name, email, WhatsApp number, time zone, and the grade you're inquiring about. That's it. We don't ask for or store any payment details on this website. We don't use trackers, cookies for advertising, or third-party analytics that profile you.
Only to schedule and run your classes, send you class reminders, share homework and progress, and answer your questions. We'll reach out by email or WhatsApp, depending on what you tell us works better for you.
Your teacher, and the small team supporting them at ClassArc. We never sell, rent, or share your information with anyone outside ClassArc. We use Formspree to receive form submissions, and standard email and WhatsApp for messaging, nothing else.
We treat any information about your child with extra care. We only collect what we need to teach them well, such as their grade and what they're working on. We never use a child's photo, name, or work in any marketing without the parent's explicit written permission.
You can ask us to show you what we have on file, correct anything inaccurate, or delete your data entirely, at any time. Just email hello@theclassarc.com and we'll handle it within a few days.
Email hello@theclassarc.com. A real person will reply.
Last updated · May 2026
ClassArc is a one-on-one online tutoring service. We provide live, scheduled classes between a teacher and a student, along with homework, feedback, and study support.
Each class is 55 minutes. You can reschedule or cancel a class up to 5 minutes before it starts. If you miss a class without notice, we usually credit it back to your balance and reschedule based on what works for the teacher and student.
The first demo class is free, no card required. After that, plans are billed in advance for the number of classes you choose (8, 24, or ~48). We'll send you a payment link directly once you've picked a plan.
If you want to stop classes at any point, we refund whatever class balance is left on your plan. No questions asked, no friction. Refunds are processed within 7 business days.
We expect students and parents to treat teachers with respect, and teachers to do the same. We reserve the right to end the relationship if classes become unsafe, abusive, or disruptive, with a full refund of any unused balance.
If we update these terms, we'll email you before the changes take effect, so you have time to review them.
For anything, email hello@theclassarc.com.