IGCSE Mandarin Chinese Topics By Exam Board: Full List
Written by: Minnie Cooper
Reviewed by: Holly Barrow
Published
Contents
Choosing the right IGCSE Mandarin Chinese exam board can make a big difference to how confident you feel during your course and in the exam. Each board has its own structure, skill requirements and cultural content, so understanding these differences is key to finding the best fit for your learning style.
This guide compares the main exam boards that offer IGCSE Mandarin Chinese and highlights what sets each one apart, helping you make an informed decision from the very beginning.
Key Takeaways
• Understanding the differences between exam boards helps you choose the course that suits you: Cambridge and Edexcel are designed for non-native learners, while OxfordAQA is aimed at native speakers who need more advanced content.
• Comparing paper structures and skill weightings ensures you know what to expect: Some boards include speaking assessments while others do not, and the content you’ll study also varies between boards.
• Using structured revision resources makes preparation easier: Vocabulary lists and past papers help you revise efficiently and feel confident with your chosen exam board.
Which Exam Boards Offer IGCSE Mandarin Chinese?
Several exam boards offer IGCSE Mandarin Chinese, including:
Cambridge (CAIE) (opens in a new tab)
Edexcel (Pearson) (opens in a new tab)
OxfordAQA (opens in a new tab)
Your school may only offer one exam board for Mandarin Chinese or you may have a choice between several. If you have a choice of exam board, make sure to think carefully about which suits your academic strengths and preferred learning styles best before deciding.
The following overviews of exam board requirements will also help you make a well-informed choice.
IGCSE Mandarin Chinese Topics By Exam Board
Cambridge (CAIE) - Mandarin (0547)
Skills Assessed | Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing |
Assessment Objectives | Listening (AO1), Reading (AO2), Speaking (AO3), Writing (AO4) |
Cultural Content |
• Time expressions (e.g. telling the time, days, days of the week, months, seasons) • Food and drink (e.g. meals, fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and seafood, snacks, drinks, cutlery and utensils) • The human body and health (e.g. parts of the body, health and illness) • Travel and transport (e.g. finding the way)
• Self, family and friends (e.g. family and relationships, describing physical appearance, character and mood) • Home life (e.g. housing and locations, rooms and furniture, household appliances) • Colours
• People and places (e.g. continents, countries and nationalities, compass points) • The natural world, the environment, the climate and the weather • Communications and technology (e.g. the digital world, documents and texts) • The built environment (e.g. buildings and services, shopping) • Measurements (e.g. units of length and mass, units of money)
• Education (e.g. learning institutions, places and people in school, the classroom, subjects and learning) • Work (e.g. jobs and careers, the workplace)
• Countries, nationalities and languages • Culture (e.g. customs, faiths and celebrations, famous sites and cities) |
Paper Format | Paper 1 - Listening, 40 minutes Paper 2 - Reading, 1hr 15 minutes Paper 3 - Speaking, 10 minutes Paper 4 - Writing, 1hr 15 minutes All papers are compulsory |
Grading | A*-G |
For more detailed information about the skills and content requirements for Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin, review the official specification (opens in a new tab).
Edexcel (Pearson) - Mandarin (4CN1)
Skills Assessed | Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing |
Assessment Objectives | Listening (AO1), Writing (AO2), Reading (AO3), Speaking (AO4) |
Cultural Content | Home and abroad
Education and employment
Personal life and relationships
The world around us
Social activities, fitness and health
|
Paper Format | Paper 1 - Listening, 35 minutes Paper 2 - Reading & Writing, 1hr 45 minutes Paper 3 - Speaking, 8-10 minutes All papers are compulsory |
Grading | 9-1 |
For more detailed information about the skills and content requirements for Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Mandarin, review the official specification (opens in a new tab).
OxfordAQA - Chinese – First Language (9263)
Unlike Edexcel and Cambridge, OxfordAQA doesn’t currently offer Mandarin Chinese for second language learners. This specification is for students who speak Chinese as a first or native language.
Skills Assessed | Listening, Reading, Writing |
Assessment Objectives | AO1: understand and summarise ideas, details, opinions and attitudes from spoken sources AO2: understand and analyse ideas, details, opinions, meaning and effects from written texts AO3: produce coherent writing that organises ideas, opinions and information clearly, effectively and imaginatively, using style appropriate to the task and in ways that engage the reader AO4: demonstrate technical accuracy in grammar, character writing and use of vocabulary, structures and idioms AO5: collate and synthesise detail from one or more sources, making cross-references and comparisons as appropriate |
Cultural Content | Theme one: Society
Theme two: Education and work
Theme three: Culture
Theme four: Science and technology
Theme five: Global dimension
|
Paper Format | Paper 1 - Listening and reading, 1hr 45 minutes Paper 2 - Writing, 1hr 30 minutes Both papers are compulsory |
Grading | 9-1 |
For more detailed information about the skills and content requirements for OxfordAQA IGCSE Chinese, review the official specification (opens in a new tab).
What Are the Main Differences Between Exam Boards?
As you have probably seen from the tables above, there are some key differences between these exam boards for IGCSE Mandarin Chinese. Knowing the differences between these exam boards can be very useful for helping you see which one is most likely to suit your preferred learning style and exam formats. Here are some further details to highlight the key differences between them:
Target student audience | Both Cambridge and Edexcel offer exams designed for students studying Mandarin Chinese as a second language. OxfordAQA, in contrast, only currently offers exams designed for first or native Mandarin Chinese learners. |
Paper structure | Cambridge has 1 paper per skill, with 4 papers in total. Edexcel has 3 papers, with the assessment for Reading and Writing combined. All papers are compulsory. There are slight differences in the timings of their exams. OxfordAQA, in contrast, has 2 papers only, focusing on listening, reading and writing. They do not have any assessment focused on speaking. |
Weighting of skills | Cambridge and Edexcel are similar in how they weight skills as all contribute 25% to your overall grade. OxfordAQA, however, doesn’t have any weighting for speaking. Paper 1 (listening and reading) contributes 60% to your grade and Paper 2 (writing) contributes 40%. |
Cultural elements | This is arguably where the greatest variation in content is between the exam boards. Each board has its own unique selection of topics students will study during the course and be tested on in exams. Review the tables above carefully for exact topic selections for each. |
Controlled assessments vs. exams | All three exam boards require students to sit formal exams at some point in the course. For Cambridge and Edexcel, the writing, reading and listening components are all assessed using externally assessed exams and the speaking component is assessed in a controlled assessment, usually moderated by your teacher. OxfordAQA, however, doesn’t have any controlled assessments and all students sit the 2 formal exams for papers 1 and 2. |
Vocabulary expectations | As the Cambridge and Edexcel courses are designed for non-native speakers, the vocabulary expectations focus on foundational terms and phrases, rather than native-level content. The vocabulary requirements focus on useful terminology around the themes and sub-topics and the expectation is for students to be able to use these appropriately and accurately in their exams and controlled assessments. Since the OxfordAQA course is designed for first language or native speakers, its expectations for vocabulary are much higher, with a broader range of sophisticated and complex language required. There is also a focus in this course on critical and analytical writing, so vocabulary around this is also required from students. |
How To Find Out Which Exam Board You’re Using
Your teacher, tutor or school will be able to tell you which exam board you’re using. The name of the exam board may also be on your textbooks, past papers or learning materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which IGCSE Mandarin exam board is easiest?
While there is no single “easiest” exam board, students may find some exam boards easier than others due to their academic strengths, previous language learning and exam preferences. The best fit depends on your learning style and skills. The most important thing is choosing the board that matches your learning style and school’s teaching approach.
You can compare topic lists and practice papers, such as the Edexcel past papers on Save My Exams, which help you see which exam style feels most comfortable.
Are all IGCSE Mandarin exams the same difficulty?
The difficulty of each exam board for students varies based on students’ learning preferences, exam performance and confidence with speaking, listening, writing and reading skills. If you’re a native Mandarin Chinese speaker, then you would likely find the Edexcel and Cambridge courses designed for non-native learners not challenging enough and the OxfordAQA first language course would likely be better suited to you. Some schools also don’t allow native speakers to take exams designed for new learners. However, if you’re new to learning Mandarin Chinese, the Edexcel and Cambridge courses are likely to be a good fit.
Reviewing past papers is a good way to understand the differences and see which exam style and content is the right level for you.
What’s the best way to revise for IGCSE Mandarin Chinese?
The most effective approach is to build up vocabulary by theme, practise listening regularly, and use past papers to understand question styles. Speaking practice for a few minutes per day, such as even 10 minutes, also makes a big difference in your pronunciation skills and confidence.
Do all exam boards test speaking and listening?
For listening, all three exam boards test this skill. Edexcel and Cambridge also test speaking through controlled assessment. The OxfordAQA course doesn’t test speaking at all.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right IGCSE Mandarin Chinese exam board depends on your language background, learning style and preferred assessment format.
Cambridge and Edexcel suit non-native learners who want balanced skills practice, while OxfordAQA is designed for native speakers who are confident with advanced reading and writing. Whichever path you take, consistent practice and familiarity with exam styles will make a big difference.
Resources, such as the Edexcel past papers on Save My Exams, can help you compare boards, build vocabulary and revise more efficiently so you can feel confident on exam day.
Sources:
Cambridge (CAIE) Specification (opens in a new tab)
Edexcel (Pearson) Specification (opens in a new tab)
OxfordAQA Specification (opens in a new tab)
Sign up for articles sent directly to your inbox
Receive news, articles and guides directly from our team of experts.
Share this article
written revision resources that improve your