Course Overview

Imagine discovering how DNA analysis in biology, chemical reactions in chemistry and energy transfer in physics all contribute to solving crimes.

If you want to learn more about how science is studied and applied, or discover how scientific research impacts everyday life, with our IGCSE Double Science online course you’ll dive into the study of chemistry, biology and physics.

Equivalent to two (I)GCSEs Double Science IGCSE provides you with a broad introduction to scientific thinking. You’ll explore scientific principles and master lab techniques, deepening your understanding of the natural world, and building your critical thinking, observational, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Our comprehensive IGCSE Double Science course covers the key topics across biology, chemistry and physics. Integrating engaging online content with practical experiments you can conduct at home, Double Science IGCSE offers an in-depth study of these three science subjects, providing a robust foundation for further education and careers in scientific and technical fields.

With our IGCSE Double Science course you’ll build knowledge of key concepts and put theory into practice using core practicals which are suitable for home study.

Take an intriguing journey through the realms of biology, chemistry and physics, start learning today.

  • 98%
pass rate across IGCSEs in 2024

  • elearning icon

    Interactive course

  • 1:1 tutor support

IGCSE Double Science at a glance

Our (I)GCSE courses are offered in conjunction with leading UK examination boards and you’ll have to sit exams to get your qualification. Our Exams and Assessment page provides more information on sitting your exams.

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Exam board

Pearson Edexcel

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Format

Online learning with support from a personal tutor for up to 24 months from your date of enrolment.

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Hours

Learn at your own pace.

Approx. 120-150* study hours, plus assignment time.

*The specification suggests that 150 hours is needed. You’ll also need time to complete assignments, complete any reading and prepare yourself for exams.

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Assignments

21 assignments (one introductory) – these do not contribute towards your final grade.

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Resources

No additional set texts required.

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Assessment

Exams (three):

Biology Paper 1 (2 hours)

Chemistry Paper 1 (2 hours)

Physics Paper 1 (2 hours)

Assessment is by examination only; there is no coursework.

There is no non-exam assessment (NEA) for this course.

course entry requirements icon
Entry requirements

No formal qualifications

An ability to read and write in English.

course requirements icon
Requirements

Internet access

Computer operating system and browser to support learn@nec.

course exam board icon
Exam board

Pearson Edexcel

course entry requirements icon
Entry requirements

No formal qualifications

An ability to read and write in English.

course resources icon
Resources

No additional set texts required.

course hours icon
Hours

Learn at your own pace.

Approx. 120-150* study hours, plus assignment time.

*The specification suggests that 150 hours is needed. You’ll also need time to complete assignments, complete any reading and prepare yourself for exams.

course assignments icon
Assignments

21 assignments (one introductory) – these do not contribute towards your final grade.

course format icon
Format

Online learning with support from a personal tutor for up to 24 months from your date of enrolment.

course requirements icon
Requirements

Internet access

Computer operating system and browser to support learn@nec.

course assessment icon
Assessment

Exams (three):

Biology Paper 1 (2 hours)

Chemistry Paper 1 (2 hours)

Physics Paper 1 (2 hours)

Assessment is by examination only; there is no coursework.

There is no non-exam assessment (NEA) for this course.

course exam board icon
Exam board

Pearson Edexcel

course format icon
Format

Online learning with support from a personal tutor for up to 24 months from your date of enrolment.

course hours icon
Hours

Learn at your own pace.

Approx. 120-150* study hours, plus assignment time.

*The specification suggests that 150 hours is needed. You’ll also need time to complete assignments, complete any reading and prepare yourself for exams.

course assignments icon
Assignments

21 assignments (one introductory) – these do not contribute towards your final grade.

course resources icon
Resources

No additional set texts required.

course assessment icon
Assessment

Exams (three):

Biology Paper 1 (2 hours)

Chemistry Paper 1 (2 hours)

Physics Paper 1 (2 hours)

Assessment is by examination only; there is no coursework.

There is no non-exam assessment (NEA) for this course.

course entry requirements icon
Entry requirements

No formal qualifications

An ability to read and write in English.

course requirements icon
Requirements

Internet access

Computer operating system and browser to support learn@nec.

Why study IGCSE Double Science

Future opportunities

  • Employers value candidates who can demonstrate science-based skills – such as enquiry, accuracy, initiative and inventiveness.
  • Gaining a firm foundation in each subject will help you make an informed choice about pursuing science at A level.
Course content

What you’ll learn…

Section 1 – Biology

The nature and variety of living things

  • Characteristics of living things
  • Animals and plants
  • Fungi and protoctists
  • Bacteria and viruses
Section 2 – Biology

Structure in living organisms

  • From cells to systems
  • Cell structure
  • Biological molecules
  • Biology Core Practical 1 Food tests
  • Enzymes
  • Biology Core Practical 2 Temperature and enzyme activity
  • Movement of substances
  • Biology Core Practical 3 Diffusion and osmosis
Section 3 – Biology

Nutrition, respiration and gas exchange

  • Plant nutrition and growth
  • Biology Core Practical 4 Photosynthesis
  • Human nutrition
  • The human digestive system
  • Respiration
  • Biology Core Practical 5 Respiration
  • Gas exchangein humans
  • Core Practical 6 Human breathing
Section 4 – Biology

Transport and excretion

  • Transport systems
  • Blood and immunity
  • The heart and circulation
  • Excretion
Section 5 – Biology

Coordination and response

  • Responding to the environment
  • Responses to stimuli in plants
  • The human nervous system
  • Homeostasis
  • Hormones
Section 6 – Biology

Reproduction and inheritance

  • Reproduction in plants
  • Biology Core Practical 7 Seed germination
  • Reproduction in humans
  • DNA and inheritance
  • Mitosis and meiosis
  • Variation and natural selection
Section 7 – Biology

Ecology and biological resources

  • Organisms in the environment
  • Biology Core Practical 8 Investigate population size
  • Feeding relationships
  • The carbon cycle
  • Humans and the environment
  • Increasing crop yields
  • Microorganisms in food production
  • Biology Core Practical 9 Anaerobic respiration in yeast
  • Selective breeding and genetic modification

What you’ll learn…

Section 1 – Chemistry

Principles of chemistry 1

  • States of matter
  • Elements, compounds and mixtures
  • Chromatography
  • Chemistry Core Practical 1 Chromatography
  • Atomic structure

 

Section 2 – Chemistry

Principles of chemistry 2

  • The Periodic Table
  • Ions
  • Ionically bonded substances
  • Covalent bonding
  • Covalently bonded substances

 

Section 3 – Chemistry

Inorganic chemistry 1

  • Chemical equations
  • Alkali metals
  • Gases in the atmosphere
  • Chemistry Core Practical 2 Oxygen in air
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Halogens
  • The reactivity series
  • Chemistry Core Practical 3 Reacting acids and metals

 

Section 4 – Chemistry

Inorganic chemistry 2

  • Rusting
  • Oxidation and reduction
  • Acids and alkalis
  • Solubility
  • Acids and bases
  • Chemistry Core Practical 4 Prepare copper (II) sulfate
  • Chemical tests 1
  • Chemical tests 2

 

Section 5 – Chemistry

Quantitative chemistry

  • Formula masses and moles
  • Reacting masses
  • Calculating chemical formulae
  • Chemistry Core Practical 5 Formula of a metal oxide
  • Empirical and molecular formulae

 

Section 6 – Chemistry

Physical chemistry

  • Energy in reactions
  • Measuring energy changes
  • Chemistry Core Practical 6 Temperature change in reactions
  • Rates of reaction
  • Chemistry Core Practical 7 Rates of reaction
  • Chemistry Core Practical 8 Catalysis
  • Reversible reactions

 

Section 7 – Chemistry

Organic chemistry

  • Hydrocarbons
  • Naming organic compounds
  • Classifying organic reactions
  • Crude oil
  • Fuels and cracking
  • Alkanes 1
  • Alkenes 2
  • Synthetic polymers

 

What you’ll learn…

Section 1 – Physics

Forces and motion

  • Distance and speed
  • Speed and acceleration
  • Forces
  • Weight and force
  • Physics Core Practical 1 Motion
  • Hooke’s law
  • Physics Core Practical 2 Hooke’s law
  • Maths help 1
Section 2 – Physics

Electricity and magnetism

  • Mains electricity
  • Circuits
  • Resistance and Ohm’s law
  • Charge and current
  • Energy and voltage
  • Magnetism
  • Physics Core Practical 3 Magnetic field patterns
  • Electromagnetism
  • Electromagnetic induction
Section 3 – Physics

Waves

  • Waves and energy transfer
  • Properties of waves
  • The electromagnetic spectrum
  • Reflection of light 1
  • Refraction of light 2
  • Total internal reflection
  • Physics Core Practical 4 Refraction of light
  • Physics Core Practical 5 Refractive index
  • Sound waves
Section 4 – Physics

Energy resources and energy transfers

  • Energy transfer
  • Thermal energy
  • Physics Core Practical 6 Thermal energy transfer
  • Work and energy
  • Gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy
  • Power
Section 5 – Physics

Solids, liquids and gases

  • Density
  • Physics Core Practical 7 Density
  • Pressure
  • Ideal gases
  • Gas laws
Section 6 – Physics

Radioactivity and particles

  • Atomic structure and radiation
  • Nuclear equations
  • Physics Core Practical 8 Radiation penetration
  • Radioactive substances
  • Uses and dangers
  • Nuclear fission
Section 7 – Physics

Astrophysics

  • Nuclear fusion
  • Our universe and solar system
  • Gravity
  • Stellar evolution

    Affordable study

    Flexible payments and financial help

    • As an education charity dedicated to helping independent learners achieve life-changing qualifications we want to keep fees affordable. All of our course fees are clear and transparent to help you plan for any additional costs.
    • NEC’s fees for (I)GCSEs offer some of the best value on the market, with multi-buy options, special offers, personal discounts and affordable finance options.
    • Used responsibly, finance is a great way to spread the cost of your course. We’ve teamed up with Omni, one of the UK’s leading finance specialists.
    • Depending on your own circumstances, there are a number of possibilities for getting help to fund your course.

    Visit our Fee information page or

    Talk to an advisor
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    Monthly instalments

    Study now, pay your way

    It’s your choice: you can pay in full at the point of enrolment, or you can spread the cost over monthly instalments with our finance offer. We offer a choice of six or 12 monthly repayment plans, with 0% APR as standard.

    To pay in instalments you will need to enrol by telephone.

    The National Extension College (NEC) work with finance company OMNI. For more information on our relationship with OMNI and replayment plans see our Fee Information page.

    Course fee £765
    Deposit £76.50
    Amount of credit £688.50
    Monthly payment £57.38
    Duration 12 months
    Total repayment £765
    Cost of credit £0.00
    Rate of interest 0% APR representative

    Enrolling on more than one GCSE or IGCSE? Use voucher code GCSEMB10 to receive 10% off at checkout.

    Tutor sitting at her desk looking at her laptop
    With you every step of the way

    Enjoy 1-2-1 support from your course tutor

    You’ll have access to 1:1 support from your tutor. All NEC tutors are subject experts, with experience in supporting online learners.

    “I love learning and I love inspiring other people to learn. I’ve worked with students from primary to undergraduate level as I have taught in schools and universities. Now, I specialise in home education and distance learning, teaching people in the UK and overseas. I have a degree in physics with astrophysics and a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) in physics, science and maths, both from the University of Birmingham, and an LLM in Law from the University of Leeds. A senior examiner for several exam boards, I am also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors.”

    Julie, one of our first-class double science tutors
    MORE ABOUT OUR TUTORS
    Help when you need it

    Additional support for under 18s

    We understand younger students often need an extra helping hand with their studies. NEC’s unique Progress Tracker makes it easy for parents and guardians to follow their child’s progress, access assignment grades and view tutor feedback to ensure effective learning.

    Our approach to home study
    Need help choosing?

    Talk to one of our course advisors

    Still unsure whether online distance learning is right for you?

    Our friendly Course Advice Team are here to help answer your questions and take you through your options.

    We’re waiting to help you get ahead and achieve your goals, your way.

    Talk to a course advisor

    Frequently asked questions

    Your common questions and concerns answered. Read more FAQS.

    NEC offers flexible, online GCSEs, A levels, and vocational courses that you can study anytime, anywhere. When you enrol, you’ll receive a welcome email with login details for learn@nec, our virtual learning platform.

    You’ll be supported by a qualified subject tutor who provides feedback on your assignments and helps guide your progress. Our expertly designed courses include engaging materials, interactive learning activities, and selected online resources — all created by experienced teachers, examiners, and learning designers.

    Our courses are designed to let you study at your own pace — all within a clearly defined enrolment period to help keep you on track. Many courses let you study your way, with flexible assignment deadlines to suit your schedule. Others may include set dates — especially for things like exams or NEAs (Non-Exam Assessment) — to help you stay on track.

    Yes! You can connect with other learners in your course’s online forum. Many students find discussing topics with peers helps reinforce their learning — and helps them feel part of a wider learning community.

    Yes. Most NEC courses, including all GCSEs and A levels, lead to qualifications awarded by major UK exam boards such as AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Cambridge International. You’ll earn exactly the same qualification as students in school or college.

    We’re also approved to offer CMI qualifications for management, as well as TQUK-accredited courses and Functional Skills qualifications in English and Maths. These nationally recognised qualifications are designed to help learners build practical skills and are ideal for both personal development and career progression.

    Some short courses, like those in the arts, are for personal development and enjoyment but don’t lead to formal accreditation.

    Yes, NEC is a JCQ-approved exam centre, which means we can support your exam entry, provide verified access arrangements, and oversee non-exam assessments (NEAs) — essential for subjects like English, Science and Geography.

    We teach you the core practicals that you need to be familiar with for your exam. This varies by course, but each core practical typically includes a method, list of equipment and some sample results. You can have a go at some of these practicals safely at home – we will let you know when this is the case. If the experiment is not safe to complete at home, or if you don’t want to complete the experiment yourself, our detailed description of the investigation will give you the information you need. Where appropriate, we also link videos demonstrating the experiment.

    Yes. Many students complete a one-year fast track option, especially if working towards university or career deadlines. You’ll need to commit regular study time and plan carefully around assignment deadlines and exams.

    If you’re unsure whether fast track is realistic, we’ll advise you.

    Yes. You can enrol any time and begin studying when it suits you. However, if your course involves an exam, you’ll need to complete all assignments and assessments (also known as coursework or NEA — Non-Exam Assessment) in time for set exam dates — so don’t leave it too late!

    If you’re planning to apply to university, please also be aware of UCAS deadlines. For example, to receive predicted grades through our UCAS Application Service, you’ll need to have completed a certain number of assignments by specific dates.

    Check the individual course pages for guidance, or book a call with an advisor to discuss your timeline and study plans.

    Yes — NEC is ideal for international students. Many of our courses are available worldwide, but there are a few things to check before enrolling:

    Exams: You’ll need to arrange a local exam centre. AQA does not offer international exams, so you’ll need to travel to the UK for those.

    Qualification recognition: Ensure your chosen qualification is recognised in your country.

    Our team is happy to help you explore your options.

    People who study IGCSE Double Science also take…

    Want to study more than one subject? We offer a 10% multi-buy offer when you enrol on two or more courses together.