Provide your students with a good grounding in the principles of all three science disciplines.
The OxfordAQA International GCSE Combined Science specification is a Double Award International GCSE that introduces students to all three science disciplines: Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
- Our course offers students the opportunity to be scientifically literate and develop a range of practical skills, alongside data analysis, critical thinking skills and the ability to use science in their everyday lives.
- Students take three equally weighted papers and receive two identical GCSE grades based on their composite achievement. The required practical exercises are covered during the course and these take into account local access to equipment and resources.
- Candidates are assessed fairly, with papers carefully designed to avoid cultural or linguistic bias. Find out more on our approach to Fair Assessment.
All four International GCSE Science specifications include section 5.2 on Prohibited Combinations: centres cannot enter a student in a separate OxfordAQA International GCSE Science and the OxfordAQA International GCSE Combined Science in the same series.
International GCSE Combined Science (9204)
View the switching guide to see the differences between your old International GCSE Combined Science specification and the OxfordAQA specification (version updated November 2022).
OxfordAQA International GCSE Combined Science covers the following topics:
Biology
- Organisation
- Bioenergetics
- Ecology
- Organisms’ interaction with the environment
- Inheritance
- Variation and evolution
Chemistry
- Atomic structure and the periodic table
- Structure, bonding and the properties of matter
- Metals
- Chemical analysis
- Acids, bases and salts
- Periodicity
- Energy changes
- Organic chemistry
Physics
- Forces and their effects
- Energy
- Waves
- Particle model of matter
- Electricity and magnetism
- Generating and distributing electricity and household use
- Nuclear physics
- Space physics
OxfordAQA provides all the resources and advice you need to teach the International GCSE Combined Science specification effectively.
- Download the specification
- Read our switching guide
- View our training courses to help you deliver OxfordAQA International GCSE Combined Science
- Approved textbooks and resources published by Oxford University Press
We have too many International GCSE Combined Science resources to list here, so please visit our resources for teachers area to see them all, including:
- Schemes of work to allow you to plan how to deliver the specification in a way that will best suit you and your students
- Teaching guidance to outline clearly the scope of teaching and learning
- Topic tests and mock exam analysers to allow you to track your students’ progress throughout the teaching year
Paper 1 – Biology:
- Any part of the Biology section of the specification may be assessed
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- 100 marks
- 33% of GCSE
Paper 2 – Chemistry:
- Any part of the Chemistry section of the specification may be assessed
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- 100 marks
- 33% of GCSE
Paper 3 – Physics:
- Any part of the Physics section of the specification may be assessed
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- 100 marks
- 33% of GCSE
This specification is designed to be taken over two years. This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.
The exams will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives and the content reflects our approach to Fair Assessment:
• AO1: Knowledge and understanding of scientific principles.
• AO2: Application of knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and concepts in both familiar and novel contexts.
• AO3: Ability to describe, analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information presented in different forms.
• AO4: Ability to select, describe and evaluate scientific procedures.
All four International GCSE Science specifications include section 5.2 on Prohibited Combinations: centres cannot enter a student in a separate OxfordAQA International GCSE Science and the OxfordAQA International GCSE Combined Science in the same series.
Re-sits
- Linear specification; individual components may not be re-sat.
- Candidates can re-take the whole qualification as many times as they wish.
Take a look at:
- The OxfordAQA International GCSE Combined Science switching guide
- Example specimen exam paper and mark scheme
You must be an approved OxfordAQA centre to enter students for our exams. Make sure you become an OxfordAQA centre before you start teaching a course.
