What is IGCSE Food & Nutrition? Overview for Students

Food and nutrition is a core part of daily life, but have you ever considered studying it at IGCSE level? With very little guidance out there, you’re likely wondering exactly what the course involves, how it compares to other subjects, and how it might help you in the future.

By taking you through the course syllabus, assessment methods, skills and tips for success, this guide has all the ingredients you need to make a self-assured decision about whether this IGCSE is right for you.

Key Takeaways

• Cambridge is currently the only exam board offering this course

• You’ll learn about food and nutrition both in your own life and in modern society

• You'll take one theory paper and one practical test

• It’s ideal if you're interested in health, science or cooking, or careers in nutrition, catering or food science

Introduction to IGCSE Food & Nutrition

IGCSE Food & Nutrition explores aspects of buying and preparing food, as well as diet and health, in everyday life. While you will gain practical skills, you’ll also learn the principles of food science and nutrition, and how socioeconomic and environmental factors affect eating patterns and dietary needs.

Since IGCSE Food & Nutrition is similar to other subjects, it’s easy to get confused. In the UK, Food & Nutrition replaced Home Economics (opens in a new tab) and Food Technology in 2015 (opens in a new tab). This was done to streamline subjects and offer a course with a clearer focus on nutrition.

IGCSE Food & Nutrition overlaps with other IGCSEs. Keep this in mind when choosing your IGCSE subjects, as a cross-curricular approach to learning (opens in a new tab) has been proven to be highly effective. The table below features similar IGCSEs and highlights their similarities and differences with IGCSE Food & Nutrition.

Cambridge is currently the only exam board offering IGCSE Food & Nutrition, so if you do choose it, you’ll be following this syllabus (opens in a new tab).

What Will You Learn in IGCSE Food & Nutrition?

Topics in IGCSE Food & Nutrition include nutritional terms and values, food preparation, cooking and kitchen safety.

For a detailed breakdown of the syllabus and revision advice, refer to our article on IGCSE Food & Nutrition Topics.

How is IGCSE Food & Nutrition Assessed?

IGCSE Food & Nutrition consists of two papers. Both papers test the following Assessment Objectives (AOs):

AO1: Knowledge with understanding (40% of the IGCSE)

AO2: Handling information and solving problems (40% of the IGCSE)

AO3: Experimental skills and investigations (20% of the IGCSE)

The table below summarises key details:

Paper 1 is a written exam that assesses your theoretical knowledge and understanding. Past paper questions include ‘state the cause of a deficiency disease’ (1 mark, 2025), or ‘state and explain two functions of the plain flour when making shortcrust pastry’ (4 marks, 2024).

Paper 2 is where you get to put your theoretical knowledge into practice!

IGCSE Food & Nutrition Coursework: What's Involved?

Your coursework (Paper 2) includes a practical test that assesses your ability to prepare specific dishes.

Before you start, you’ll have a 90-minute planning session to help you prepare. In this time, you’ll be expected to complete preparation sheets with the following information:

• Choices and Recipes

  • your chosen dishes

  • ingredient quantities required for each dish

• Time Plan

  • a clear sequence of work, including adequate timings

  • methods for each dish

  • oven temperature and cooking time for each dish

  • time allocated for cleaning and dish-washing

  • time allocated for serving

• Shopping List

  • total ingredient quantities required

Once your planning session is complete, you’ll have 2 and a half hours to complete your practical test. Past paper questions include ‘prepare, cook and serve a balanced main meal for two vegetarians’ (2025), or ‘make a sweet dish using chocolate and make a batch of scones’ (2024). 

If you’re imagining stressful Bake Off-style scenes, don’t worry! You’re allowed to use recipe books, a calculator and your preparation sheets.

Examiner reports (opens in a new tab) often have to remind students that they’re expected to draw upon their theoretical knowledge, so you should see Paper 1 and Paper 2 as interconnected.

Skills You'll Gain from Studying Food & Nutrition

This course’s combination of theory and practice means it offers invaluable, lifelong skills that you’ll use in everyday life: 

• Knowledge, understanding and analysis

  • safety and hygiene requirements

  • nutrition and health problems related to diet

  • how socio-economic factors affect diet and eating patterns

• scientific principles

• the effectiveness and validity of advertisers’ claims

• Organisation

  • time management

  • independent research

• Food handling

  • preparation

  • preservation

  • cooking

Who Should Take IGCSE Food & Nutrition?

This course is a great fit for those interested in working in health, food science, cooking or hospitality.

Even if you’re not sure what career you’d like to pursue (completely understandable– most people aren’t!), IGCSE Food & Nutrition could still be the right choice for you – especially if you enjoy and care about the following:

• cooking

• health and nutrition, both for yourself and others

• science

• practical, hands-on learning

• creativity and problem-solving (like adapting recipes for dietary requirements)

You don’t need to be an expert in these areas; the course will give you the knowledge and skills you need. What matters is having a genuine interest in food and nutrition, and a willingness to engage with both theory and practical work.

Tips for Success in Food & Nutrition

There are things you can do independently before you even start the course to increase your chances of success:

• Research

  • Familiarise yourself with food safety practices (opens in a new tab) to develop good habits now

• Practice

  • Experiment with recipes at home to increase your confidence – your friends and family will most likely appreciate you sharing your creations with them!

For the exam, preparation and attention to detail are key. You’ve probably heard this many times, but make sure you read the question carefully, and note that much of the advice for Paper 1 equally applies to your other IGCSEs.

• Paper 1

  • Write precise, relevant, well-discussed answers (rather than everything you know about a topic)

  • Identify the key words in the question to establish what you need to include in your answer

  • Give reasons, explanations and examples for questions that award more credit

• Paper 2

  • Include brief but accurate details in your preparation sheets

  • Choose dishes that complement each other

  • Avoid low-skill dishes or ones that do not meet the assessment requirements

Where Can IGCSE Food & Nutrition Take You?

In addition to real-life skills that will benefit you and those around you, IGCSE Food & Nutrition opens several pathways – here are just some:

• Further Study

  • A Level Biology and Chemistry

  • BTECs in Hospitality and Catering or Food Science & Nutrition

  • University degrees, such as Nutritional Sciences or Food & Nutrition

• Careers

  • Dietician

  • Nutritionist

  • Chef

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be good at cooking to take this subject?

Not at all! You just have to be an enthusiastic learner. You’ll start with basic skills and develop from there.

How is the coursework different from the exam?

The coursework (Paper 2) is a practical test, whereas your exam (Paper 1) is a written test. To do well in your coursework, draw on your knowledge and understanding from Paper 1.

Is this subject more science or more practical?

It's both in equal measure. The science or theory component counts for 50% of your overall grade, and the practical component is the other 50%.

What kind of careers can this subject lead to?

While dietetics (the science of nutrition) is the obvious one, it’s ideal for any food-related job. A friend of mine did GCSE Food Technology followed by Nutrition at university, and now works in quality control for a coffee company. So many jobs involve food in some way, so there is no one single pathway.

Outside of strictly food-related jobs, the skills you’ll learn – such as problem-solving, attention to detail and time management – are valuable in any career.

Final Thoughts

IGCSE Food & Nutrition is a valuable and rewarding subject that offers equal parts theory and practice. It’s a truly academic discipline that is highly relevant in the modern world, where food is the most significant factor in global public health (opens in a new tab).

Whether you’re already a pro in the kitchen or you’ve never cooked anything, this course will give you a recipe for success – both in your personal and professional life.

References

• A Level Biology Topics by Exam Board: Full List

• BERA: Food technology, home economics, cooking, or healthy eating? Making a case for the term ‘food literacy’ (opens in a new tab)

• British Nutrition Foundation (opens in a new tab)

• Cambridge IGCSE Food & Nutrition (0648) Specification (opens in a new tab)

• Cambridge IGCSE Food & Nutrition (0648) Syllabus – 2023-2025 (opens in a new tab)

• Cambridge IGCSE Food & Nutrition (0648) Syllabus – 2026-2028 (opens in a new tab)

• Cambridge IGCSE Food & Nutrition (0648) Past Papers (opens in a new tab)

• Cambridge IGCSE Food & Nutrition (0648) Examiner Report – June 2023 (opens in a new tab)

• Careers

• ‘Food in the School Curriculum in England’ (opens in a new tab)

• Food Safety and Hygiene (opens in a new tab)

• The Guardian: Home Economics GCSE Set to be Scrapped (opens in a new tab)

• IGCSE Biology Revision

• IGCSE Food & Nutrition Topics by Exam Board: Full List (opens in a new tab)

• Interdisciplinary/Cross-Curricular Teaching (opens in a new tab)

• What is A Level Chemistry?

• What is IGCSE Design & Technology? Overview for Students