IB, IGCSE or Edexcel: which curriculum and which books does your school need?

International schools around the world offer a range of curricula, and each comes with its own set of required and recommended books. For school librarians, resource managers and heads of department, knowing what to order and from where is not always straightforward, especially when a school runs more than one programme at the same time.

This article gives a practical overview of the IB, Cambridge IGCSE and Edexcel International programmes, the books they require, and what to think about when building your school book order.

The International Baccalaureate (IB)

The IB is a non-profit educational foundation that offers four programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP) and the Career-related Programme (CP). It is widely used in international schools across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.

What books does the IB require?

The IB does not prescribe a single set of textbooks for most subjects. Instead, teachers select materials that align with the current subject guide. In practice this means schools often use a mix of well-established series from publishers such as Oxford University Press, Hodder Education, Pearson and Haese Mathematics.

For IB Diploma Maths in particular, the Haese Mathematics Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation series are widely used alongside the Oxford titles. For sciences, humanities and languages, Oxford University Press and Hodder Education are among the most commonly used publishers.

For the MYP and PYP, there is even more variation. Haese Mathematics produces dedicated workbooks for MYP years 1 through 5 and PYP years 1 through 5.

How often do IB books change?

The IB revises its subject guides on a rolling cycle, and publishers typically release updated editions within one to two years of a guide change. It is worth checking with department heads before re-ordering titles you already have in stock, as an older edition may no longer align with the current guide.

Cambridge IGCSE

The Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education is offered by Cambridge Assessment International Education (Cambridge International). It is taken in Year 10 and 11 (typically ages 14 to 16) and is used by international schools worldwide.

What books does IGCSE require?

Cambridge publishes a list of endorsed resources for each subject. Endorsed titles from Cambridge University Press are the most commonly ordered, but many schools also use supplementary materials from Hodder, Collins and other publishers. For Cambridge IGCSE International Mathematics (syllabus 0607), the Haese Mathematics title is widely used and we can deliver it.

Syllabus updates and new editions

Cambridge updates its IGCSE syllabuses regularly, and publishers follow with new editions. It is important to match the edition of a book to the syllabus version currently being taught. If you are unsure which edition applies, send us the syllabus code and subject and we aim to confirm before you order.

Edexcel International

Edexcel is the UK-based awarding body owned by Pearson. Its international qualifications include Edexcel International GCSE (IGCSE) and Edexcel International A Level, which are used in international schools and private schools in countries that follow or are aligned with the UK curriculum.

What books does Edexcel require?

Pearson is the primary publisher for Edexcel titles, and its series cover the full range of Edexcel International GCSE and A Level subjects. Most Edexcel schools order directly from the Pearson series, though third-party revision guides are also commonly used alongside them. We can deliver the full Pearson Edexcel range.

Quick comparison

Running more than one programme

Many international schools run multiple programmes simultaneously. It is common to offer the IB PYP and MYP in primary and lower secondary, then Cambridge IGCSE in years 10 and 11, followed by the IB Diploma in years 12 and 13. This means book orders often span multiple publishers and series at the same time.

If your school has this structure, consolidating all requests into a single order can save time and reduce shipping costs. We can handle mixed orders across curricula and publishers and deliver everything in a single consignment if needed.

Tips for ordering curriculum books

• Ask department heads to confirm which edition they are currently using and whether a new edition has been released
• Check syllabus codes when ordering science, maths and language titles, as different syllabuses often have different endorsed books
• For IB Diploma orders, place in spring where possible to avoid late-summer delays from high demand
• Send us your ISBN list by email and we will provide a quote with availability, usually the same day
• If you are switching curriculum, let us know and we can help identify which titles you need for the new programme