Language subjects at IGCSE level come in separate qualifications: first language, second language and foreign language. Each has its own Cambridge code. The label a school uses in class or on a timetable may be shorter or looser than the actual entry.
We are a tuition team, not an exam centre. We do not enter students and we cannot see your entry. This page explains who is responsible for what and what to check.
Who is responsible for what?
- Cambridge defines each qualification, its syllabus and its assessment.
- Your school or exam centre decides which language qualification you are entered for and submits the entry.
- You or your parent check the code on your statement of entry.
- Your teacher here teaches to the code you confirm.
Which codes are involved?
The subjects on our site use these Cambridge codes, each with its own Cambridge page:
| Language | Codes on our site |
|---|---|
| English | First Language 0500; English as a Second Language 0510 and 0511 |
| French | Foreign Language 0520 |
| Malay | 0546 (Foreign Language) and 0696 |
| Chinese | First Language 0509; Second Language 0523; Mandarin Foreign Language 0547 |
For the exact title, scope and exam years of each, use the official Cambridge subject catalogue. Do not rely on a short label.
What should you check, and where?
- Find the four-digit code on your statement of entry. See checking your statement of entry.
- Open that code in the Cambridge catalogue and confirm the full title matches what you expect.
- Read the syllabus assessment section. Note which skills are assessed and whether there is a speaking or listening element. See also comparing English speaking routes.
- Check that the syllabus years include your exam year.
- Write down the code, any option and your exam year for your teacher.
The syllabus and exam-year navigator on this site helps you organise that check. If it cannot match your combination it gives you a checklist, not a guess.
A short worked example
A student writes “English” on a form. His school uses “English” for a group that includes students entered for different qualifications. He asks the exam officer, “Which Cambridge code am I entered for, and does it include a speaking component?”
The reply gives a code.
He finds it in the Cambridge catalogue and reads the assessment section. He tells us the code and exam year, and the teacher prepares from that syllabus. Before that reply, he had been practising the wrong kind of writing task.
What if the school cannot confirm?
Ask in writing and keep the answer. Private candidates should ask the centre that accepts their entry; see questions to ask a private-candidate centre. Meanwhile, read widely in the language and practise writing short, accurate paragraphs, which helps under any route.
How does tuition fit in?
Choosing the qualification belongs to your centre, and the official definition belongs to Cambridge. Teaching the language is ours.
See our tuition pages for First Language English, English as a Second Language, French, Malay and Chinese, and read about the paid trial. The full split of duties is in tuition versus exam registration.