15 August 2024

Growing demand for international education

By Cambridge International

631,248 students worldwide receive Cambridge IGCSE, O Level and International AS & A Level results today – an increase of 11%

Cambridge IGCSE and O Levels increased by 7% to 956,100 entries     

Cambridge International AS & A Levels increased by 13% to 631,405 entries 

Cambridge International Education today released the results from its largest-ever exam series to students worldwide. More than 631,000 Cambridge IGCSE, O Level and International AS & A Level students at 5261 schools in 140 countries will receive their results from the June 2024 exam series. Student numbers have increased by 11% on last year.

In total, students made over 1.6 million exam entries in the June 2024 series – a 9% increase on last year. The rising demand for international education is a global trend, with the highest number of entries coming from schools in the US (up 21%), China (up 17%) and Pakistan (up 7%). 

The sciences, Mathematics and English continue to be the most popular subjects globally across Cambridge IGCSE, O Level and International AS & A Level. However, some of the fastest growing subjects suggest that schools are broadening their curriculum to offer students more scope to learn about a changing world:  

• Environmental Management: entries up 36% at Cambridge IGCSE & O Level and 30% at International AS Level   
• Global Perspectives: up 15% at Cambridge IGCSE & O Level and 17% at International AS & A Level   
• Marine Science: up by 26% at Cambridge International AS & A Level  
• Computer Science: entries up 14% at Cambridge IGCSE & O Level and 19% at International AS & A Level   

Rod Smith, Group Managing Director for International Education at Cambridge, said: "I want to congratulate everyone receiving exam results today and all the dedicated teachers across the Cambridge community who work so hard to support students. In the face of today’s global challenges, it’s heartening to see more and more young people choosing an international education to help them thrive in an ever-changing world.”

As an international exam board, Cambridge collaborates closely with universities worldwide to ensure that our qualifications develop the skills students need to thrive at university and beyond. In addition to academic knowledge, Cambridge programmes emphasise the development of skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, independent research, collaboration and presenting arguments which help prepare students for their future. Our work with the University of Cambridge on climate change education also underscores our commitment to making sure that a Cambridge international education prepares students for a world facing local and global climate change challenges. 

Across its exam series in May and June 2024, Cambridge received more than 1.9 million entries for qualifications including Cambridge Checkpoint (for students aged 5 to 14), IGCSE, International AS & A Level and the International Project Qualification – an increase of 10% on last year.

Cambridge has over 160 years’ experience in delivering international exams and provides qualifications to nearly one million students in 160 countries every year.