ESL or First Language English for a German family?

If the student can cope with it, First Language English. Cambridge's recognition guide for Germany says that in Bayern, Brandenburg, Hessen and Niedersachsen only First Language English counts towards the Mittlerer Schulabschluss, not ESL. The guide is from 2019, so confirm with the school and the Land before deciding. For a student still building the language, ESL is the honest choice, and a grade 4 with a Speaking distinction is recognised as B2.

What do 0510, 0511, 0993 and 0991 mean?

They are the four Cambridge ESL codes. 0510 and 0511 are graded A* to G; 0993 and 0991 are the same exams graded 9 to 1. 0510 and 0993 report Speaking separately as pass, merit or distinction; 0511 and 0991 count Speaking as 25 % of the grade. The school chooses the code.

Is IGCSE ESL a B2 certificate?

Not in the way a Cambridge English certificate is, but Cambridge states that a grade 4 overall with a distinction in Speaking on 0993 can be considered CEFR B2, and it publishes a guide for universities on using IGCSE English as proof of English. Whether a particular university accepts it is the university's decision; for a certificate that travels, see our Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced page.

Is this the same as GCSE English in the UK?

No. UK GCSE English Language and Literature are set by AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas with their own papers; IGCSE is Cambridge's or Pearson's international qualification. We tutor both; the UK GCSE English page is linked below.

Do you help with the coursework components?

We teach the skills the coursework assesses and give feedback on practice pieces. Work the student submits must be their own, and schools set rules on what help is allowed, so we follow the school's coursework guidance rather than working on the submitted pieces themselves.

What comes after IGCSE English?

At IB schools, Diploma English A (Literature or Language and Literature) for strong First Language students, English B for students coming from ESL. At A-level schools, English Literature or Language. We tutor all of them; the IB English A and English B pages are linked from the English hub.

IGCSE English

IGCSE English tutoring: English as a Second Language and First Language English

In short: We teach Cambridge IGCSE English 1-to-1 online for students aged 14 to 16 at IGCSE schools: English as a Second Language (0510 and 0511, or 0993 and 0991 on the 9 to 1 scale) and First Language English (0500 and 0990), plus Edexcel's 4ES2 and English Language A, paper by paper, with marked writing and live speaking practice, from £52.50 an hour. The plan follows the exact syllabus code the school enters.

Nine of the 25 international schools we checked in Germany, Austria and Switzerland teach Cambridge IGCSE between Grades 9 and 10, among them St George's Munich, ISF and the Metropolitan School in Frankfurt, Collège du Léman, Aiglon, Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, Institut auf dem Rosenberg and Ecolint's La Châtaigneraie campus. Each school enters its students for English as a Second Language or First Language English, and the choice matters beyond the grade: Cambridge's recognition guide for Germany states that in Bayern, Brandenburg, Hessen and Niedersachsen only First Language English counts towards the Mittlerer Schulabschluss, not ESL. That guide dates from 2019, so check the current rule for your Land.

The exams are precise. English as a Second Language in the current syllabus has no Core or Extended tiers: everyone sits Reading and Writing (70 %) and Listening (30 %), with Speaking reported separately as pass, merit or distinction on 0510 and 0993, or counted in at 25 % on 0511 and 0991. Cambridge says a grade 4 with a Speaking distinction can be considered CEFR B2. First Language English is Paper 1 Reading and Paper 2 Directed Writing and Composition, 50 % each, with Speaking and Listening reported separately, and its syllabus changes for exams from 2027.

Tutoring is paper-specific. Lessons use the official past papers and mark schemes, writing is marked the way the examiner marks it, and speaking is practised live. Where a student is strong enough, we also prepare the move from ESL to First Language, and in Grade 10 the step into Diploma English A or English B.

14 to 16
Ages: 1:1
1-to-1 online, 60-minute lessons: from £52.50
per hour: 17 October 2026
Facts checked

Who this is for

Students in Grades 9 and 10 at an IGCSE school in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, entered for English as a Second Language or First Language English.
Families deciding between ESL and First Language, for the grade, for recognition in Germany or for the Diploma Programme afterwards.
Students whose school enters the count-in speaking syllabus (0511 or 0991), where Speaking is a quarter of the grade.
Students on Edexcel's International GCSE: English as a Second Language 4ES2 or English Language A 4EA1.
Students taking IGCSE Literature in English (0475 or 0992) alongside, who want the set texts and the unseen paper covered.
Students on UK GCSE English with AQA, Edexcel or OCR: that is a different qualification with its own page, linked below.

What the course covers

The plan follows the syllabus code and the session the school has entered.

Reading

ESL: the four reading exercises of Component 1, from short texts to note-making and summary. First Language: the three texts of Paper 1 and the questions on them, including the new structure for 2027.

Writing

ESL: the two writing exercises, emails, articles, reports and reviews, to the published criteria. First Language: directed writing and composition, planned and marked like the examiner does.

Listening

ESL Component 2: the five exercises, the multiple-choice traps, and listening for detail at the recording's speed.

Speaking

ESL Component 3: the interview, short talk and discussion, rehearsed live until they are routine; the Speaking distinction that signals B2. First Language: Component 4 Speaking and Listening.

Literature in English

0475 and 0992: poetry and prose set texts, the drama paper or the unseen paper, and how to write about a text in the time given.

Edexcel International GCSE

4ES2's four units, including the recorded Speaking unit, and the resit-by-unit options; English Language A's non-fiction paper and the choice between the literature paper and coursework.

The IGCSE English syllabuses at a glance

ESL, speaking endorsement (0510 A* to G, 0993 9 to 1)	Component 1 Reading and Writing, 2 hours, 70 %. Component 2 Listening, about 50 minutes, 30 %. Component 3 Speaking, 10 to 15 minutes, internally assessed, externally moderated, reported separately as pass, merit or distinction. No tiers. June and November series.
ESL, count-in speaking (0511 A* to G, 0991 9 to 1)	Reading and Writing 50 %, Listening 25 %, Speaking 25 %, all counted in the grade.
ESL and CEFR	Cambridge: a grade 4 overall with a distinction in Speaking on 0993 can be considered CEFR B2. Cambridge also publishes a guide for universities on using IGCSE English as proof of proficiency; acceptance varies by university.
First Language English (0500 A* to G, 0990 9 to 1)	Paper 1 Reading, 2 hours, 50 %, three texts. Paper 2 Directed Writing and Composition, 2 hours, 50 %, or a coursework portfolio. Speaking and Listening reported separately. Revised syllabus for exams 2027 to 2029: Paper 1 restructured with new marking criteria, Paper 2 with less reading material.
Literature in English (0475, 0992)	Paper 1 Poetry and Prose, 1 hour 30, 50 %, plus either Paper 2 Drama (50 %), or Paper 3 Drama open text (25 %) with Paper 4 Unseen (25 %), or Paper 3 with coursework (25 %).
Edexcel International GCSE ESL (4ES2)	Four units of 25 %: Reading 1 hour, Listening 45 minutes, Writing 1 hour 15, Speaking 22 to 23 minutes recorded and marked by Pearson. Units can be sat or resat separately in June and November; first exams June 2025; single tier.
Recognition in Germany	Cambridge's guide (October 2019): IGCSE counts as Mittlerer Schulabschluss with five passes at grade C or better covering two languages, maths, a science and a social science after ten school years. In Bayern, Brandenburg, Hessen and Niedersachsen only First Language English counts, not ESL or other EFL certificates. Check the current Land rules.
Scale	Cambridge: taught by over 5,000 schools in 150 countries. June 2026 series: 757,000 entries from 315,000 students (Tes), with First Language English among the most-entered subjects.
IGCSE schools in DACH, examples	St George's Munich, ISF and Metropolitan School Frankfurt, Collège du Léman, Aiglon College, Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, Institut auf dem Rosenberg, Ecolint La Châtaigneraie. Nine of 25 international schools checked.

Components and weightings from the Cambridge and Pearson syllabuses for the sessions named; recognition from Cambridge's 2019 guide, which may be out of date.

ESL or First Language?

The school decides by level, but ask early. First Language English assumes near-native reading and writing and is the one that counts towards the Mittlerer Schulabschluss in four German Länder; it also leads naturally into Diploma English A. ESL is the right exam for a student still building the language, and a grade 4 with a Speaking distinction already signals B2. Switching late in Grade 10 rarely works, so decide by the end of Grade 9.

Old preparation material describes old formats

Cambridge ESL no longer has Core and Extended tiers, Edexcel moved to the unitised 4ES2 with first exams in June 2025, and First Language English changes for exams from 2027. Check which syllabus year the student will sit and use the past papers and mark schemes for that year.

How it works

1
Syllabus code and session
Tell us the school, the code (0510, 0511, 0993, 0991, 0500, 0990, 4ES2 or 4EA1) and the exam session, June or November.
2
Diagnostic to the mark scheme
One exercise from each component in the first lesson, marked with the official mark scheme, so you see the likely grade and the weakest paper.
3
Paper plan
Hours go to the paper with the most marks to gain, with timed homework from past papers and written feedback on every piece of writing.
4
Mocks from past papers
Two full timed mocks before the session, marked and graded, and a plan for the final weeks.

How many hours?

A student on track for the target grade needs about 10 hours on the weakest paper in the term before the exam. A student a grade or more short, or moving from ESL to First Language, needs a term, about 20 hours. Support alongside school across Grades 9 and 10 works as 50 hours shared with other IGCSE subjects.

10 hours

£650

£65 per hour

A student on track for the target grade: the weakest paper in the term before the exam.

20 hours

£1,250

£62.50 per hour

A grade or more short, or moving from English as a Second Language to First Language: a term of work.

50 hours

£2,900

£58 per hour

Alongside school across Grades 9 and 10, shared with other IGCSE subjects.

Not sure yet? Start with the 3-hour Taster for £210: the level check plus two full lessons.

Exam entry runs through the school, which pays Cambridge or Pearson the entry fee.

Get matched See all bundles

Frequently asked questions

ESL or First Language English for a German family?: If the student can cope with it, First Language English. Cambridge's recognition guide for Germany says that in Bayern, Brandenburg, Hessen and Niedersachsen only First Language English counts towards the Mittlerer Schulabschluss, not ESL. The guide is from 2019, so confirm with the school and the Land before deciding. For a student still building the language, ESL is the honest choice, and a grade 4 with a Speaking distinction is recognised as B2.
What do 0510, 0511, 0993 and 0991 mean?: They are the four Cambridge ESL codes. 0510 and 0511 are graded A* to G; 0993 and 0991 are the same exams graded 9 to 1. 0510 and 0993 report Speaking separately as pass, merit or distinction; 0511 and 0991 count Speaking as 25 % of the grade. The school chooses the code.
Is IGCSE ESL a B2 certificate?: Not in the way a Cambridge English certificate is, but Cambridge states that a grade 4 overall with a distinction in Speaking on 0993 can be considered CEFR B2, and it publishes a guide for universities on using IGCSE English as proof of English. Whether a particular university accepts it is the university's decision; for a certificate that travels, see our Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced page.
Is this the same as GCSE English in the UK?: No. UK GCSE English Language and Literature are set by AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas with their own papers; IGCSE is Cambridge's or Pearson's international qualification. We tutor both; the UK GCSE English page is linked below.
Do you help with the coursework components?: We teach the skills the coursework assesses and give feedback on practice pieces. Work the student submits must be their own, and schools set rules on what help is allowed, so we follow the school's coursework guidance rather than working on the submitted pieces themselves.
What comes after IGCSE English?: At IB schools, Diploma English A (Literature or Language and Literature) for strong First Language students, English B for students coming from ESL. At A-level schools, English Literature or Language. We tutor all of them; the IB English A and English B pages are linked from the English hub.

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