How Many Subjects Should Your Child Take?
Most schools require 5-7 subjects minimum, but many high-achieving students take 8-10 to strengthen university applications. The Cambridge International Certificate of Education (ICE) award recognizes students who pass at least seven subjects across different groups—essentially demonstrating a well-rounded education.
Strategic Subject Selection: Planning for Your Child’s Future
The English language leads IGCSE Subject enrollment at 98%, followed by Mathematics Extended at 85%, reflecting the curriculum’s emphasis on core competencies.
Let me be direct: the subjects your child chooses in Grade 9 will impact their university options. Here’s how to think about it:
For Medicine
English Language, Mathematics (Extended), Biology, Chemistry, and Physics—all at grades 6-7 minimum, but realistically, you’re looking at 7-8 (A/A*) to be competitive. Cambridge Medicine receives over 1,500 applications annually and accepts around 240 students. Those science foundations? Absolutely critical.
For Engineering
English Language, Mathematics (Extended), Physics, and Chemistry, with Additional Mathematics becoming increasingly important. Imperial College London specifies “Grade 7 (A) in both Math’s and Science” for their engineering programs.
For Business and Economics
English Language (grade 7+ because communication is everything), Mathematics Extended (grade 7-8 for quantitative analysis), and ideally Economics and Business Studies. Unlike medicine and engineering, there’s more flexibility here, but top schools like the London School of Economics still maintain high standards.
For Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
English Language and Literature (grade 7+), History, Geography, Foreign Languages. Universities look beyond grades here—they want to see depth in analytical writing and research.
A Word for Parents in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Pune, and Delhi
If your child is considering both international universities and preparing for IIT-JEE or NEET, you’ll need to be strategic. IGCSE provides excellent preparation for SAT, ACT, and AP examinations that US universities require, but for IIT-JEE or NEET, you might need supplementary coaching to cover specific content gaps. It’s doable, but it requires planning.
Continued: next week 5. Skills Development: Beyond Academic Knowledge (skills-development) 16th November 2025