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Last week, i shared what is the significance of IGCSE for students, and what is the best combination or number of subjects to study in the examinations.

This week, I will continue to share my experience in the selection of the Examination Board for self-studying of IGCSE courses, as well as some examples of success and abandonment of self-study IGCSE course students in the past.

Generally speaking, if students are self-studying IGCSE courses, we recommend that they choose at least six subjects or more, and it is best to get the desired results on the first try.

IGCSE courses are a way for students to show a school that they have relevant academic ability and that they can handle a certain number of different subjects. If the number of selected subjects is too few, it may compromise the desired goal.

In addition, the combination of selected subjects is also very important.

Top universities, such as London School of Economics and Political Science, will not only consider the students' grades, but also the combination of subjects they choose when accepting students.

This is because they hope to recruit students who are competent in all aspects, from mathematical ability, to language ability, to logical thinking.

Hong Kong students generally have strong abilities in mathematics and science subjects.

When choosing subjects, they usually choose physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, or additional mathematics, possibly with Chinese as the sixth subject. But this combination may not be the most desirable for some top universities.

Why? Some of these universities may not place too much emphasis on Chinese scores.

So if the student's ability allows, I would suggest that they choose English as their first language, and at the same time choose some humanities subjects, such as economics or geography.

This more diverse mix of subjects can show how far the students' academic ability can be stretched.

Additionally, students should be reminded that the English subject of IGCSE is divided into three categories: English literature, English as a first language and English as a second language.

If a student achieves grade B in English literature or English as a first language - or better yet has and A or above - he or she can generally meet the English requirements for university admission and do not need to take IELTS or TOFEL. However, it should be noted that each subject of each university has different English requirements for admission, and students should check it online.

In my next column, I will share my experience in the selection of the Examination Board for self-studying IGCSE courses, as well as some examples of successes and setbacks of self-studying IGCSE course students in the past.