IGCSE past papers: where to find them and how to use them
6 min read ยท updated 2026-10-13
Both IGCSE boards publish past papers with mark schemes and examiner reports, the three documents that together show exactly how marks are won. Here is where to find them and how to use them over the last 12 weeks.
Where to find them
- โ Pearson Edexcel International GCSE: past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports on Pearson's qualifications website, free (the most recent series may be restricted for a time)
- โ Cambridge IGCSE: past papers and mark schemes through your school's access to the Cambridge School Support Hub, with selected papers on Cambridge's public site
- โ Specimen papers for new or revised syllabuses, published by both boards
Use all three documents
The mark scheme shows what earns each mark; the examiner report explains where real candidates lost them; the grade boundaries show what a top grade needed. Reading examiner reports alongside your own mistakes is the quickest way to stop repeating them.
A 12-week plan
- โ Weeks 1-4: questions by topic from several years, untimed, marked against the scheme
- โ Weeks 5-8: full papers under timed conditions, one per subject each week
- โ Weeks 9-10: redo every question that lost marks; read the matching examiner reports
- โ Weeks 11-12: the most recent papers under exam conditions, then light review
Match the paper to your syllabus
Check the syllabus code (for example Cambridge 0580 or Pearson 4MA1) and tier or paper variant. Cambridge sets different variants for different time zones, so a paper from another zone is still good practice if the syllabus matches.
Keep a mistakes log
After every past paper, write each lost mark in one of four columns. Patterns appear within three or four papers, and fixing the biggest column is the fastest route to the top grade.
- โ Knowledge: didn't know the fact, definition or method
- โ Method: knew it but set it out wrongly or skipped a step
- โ Reading: misread the question or answered a different one
- โ Slip: arithmetic, units, copying or rounding errors
Using mark schemes well
Mark schemes list the points that earn marks and, often, answers that are not accepted. Learn the wording: in science, 'evaporates' rather than 'disappears'; in maths, the exact form of the answer requested. Students who study the mark schemes as closely as the questions pick up marks they would otherwise give away.
FAQs
Where can I get IGCSE past papers for free?๏ผ
Pearson Edexcel publishes past papers and mark schemes on its website; Cambridge papers come through your school's School Support Hub, with some on its public site.
What is an examiner report?๏ผ
A report written after each exam series explaining how candidates answered each question and where marks were commonly lost.
How many past papers should I do?๏ผ
Aim for every recent paper for your syllabus at least once, marked carefully, with mistakes redone.
Are papers from other time zones useful?๏ผ
Yes, if the syllabus code matches: Cambridge sets variants by zone, but the content and style are the same.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these official sources on 2026-10-13.
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