UK entries to International GCSEs have fallen by almost two-thirds compared with last year, Tes can reveal.

The sharp decline follows a decision by the government in 2014 to remove the qualifications from league tables for state schools, which came into effect this year. 

According to Cambridge International Examinations, which provides the course, there were about 110,000 IGCSE entries in the UK this year, compared with just over 300,000 entries on the Cambridge IGCSE last year.

Private school entries ‘stable’

A spokeswoman for the exam board said: “As expected, entries from state schools have fallen substantially as a result of the government’s decision to exclude IGCSEs from league tables.

“In the UK independent sector, where schools have the freedom to choose, Cambridge IGCSE entries have remained stable.”

Cambridge said it would not be publishing figures on this year’s results because the drop in entries meant it was impossible to make meaningful comparisons between this year’s and last year’s cohorts.

Outside of the UK, the board said its international IGCSE entries had grown by 7 per cent. 

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