IGCSE Past Papers: Where to Get Them and Topical Practice

IGCSE past papers are the closest thing to the real exam you can practise with, because they show exactly how Cambridge words questions and awards marks. The official papers, mark schemes and examiner reports come from Cambridge, usually through your school, and they work best after topical practice rather than instead of it. This guide covers where to get them, how to choose the right Core or Extended papers, and how to mark them properly.

Where can you get official Cambridge IGCSE past papers?

The legitimate sources of official Cambridge IGCSE past papers are your school, which downloads them from Cambridge's School Support Hub, and the Cambridge International website, which provides syllabuses, specimen papers and, for many subjects, a selection of past papers. Ask your teacher first, as most departments keep full sets.

• Your school. Cambridge schools get question papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and other teaching material from the School Support Hub. Teachers can share them with students.
• Cambridge's syllabus pages. Each subject page on cambridgeinternational.org has the current syllabus, specimen papers and, for many subjects, some past papers with mark schemes.
• Endorsed books. Cambridge-endorsed textbooks and workbooks include exam-style questions.

These documents are Cambridge's copyright material. Quiz Portal is independent of Cambridge University Press & Assessment and does not host or redistribute official papers.

What is the difference between topical and yearly past papers?

Topical practice groups questions by syllabus topic, such as moles or circuits, while yearly practice means sitting a whole paper from one exam series. Topical practice fixes weak areas quickly; yearly papers build timing, stamina and the skill of recognising which topic each question tests.

The efficient order is topics first, papers later. A full paper on half-learned topics mostly confirms that you have gaps; topical practice closes them faster. On Quiz Portal, each IGCSE subject page lets you choose your exam year and tier and practise by topic with original questions, then sit timed mocks built to the paper structure. Results are practice feedback, never official grades.

Which papers should Core and Extended students practise?

Practise only the papers for the tier you will be entered for: Core and Extended students sit different question papers, and Extended papers include Supplement content that Core students are not taught. Your teacher decides your entry, so check your tier before you start a set of papers.

What do the paper numbers mean?

A reference such as 0625/42 gives the syllabus code (0625), the paper number (4) and the variant (2). Cambridge sets different variants of the same paper for different time zones; they test the same content at the same level, so any variant is good practice. Read more on choosing a tier in our guide to IGCSE Core vs Extended.

Are older IGCSE past papers still useful?

Older IGCSE past papers are still useful if you check that the syllabus has not changed: skip questions on removed topics, and adjust where the paper structure is different. Always download the syllabus for your exam year and compare it with the paper's year.

• Mathematics 0580: from 2025, Papers 1 and 2 are non-calculator and Papers 3 and 4 need a calculator. Before 2025 all four papers allowed a calculator and had different lengths and marks. Use older papers for topic practice, try the arithmetic without a calculator, and skip removed Extended topics such as linear programming and proper subsets.
• Physics 0625 and Chemistry 0620: the 2026 to 2028 syllabuses have no significant changes from 2023 to 2025, so papers from 2023 onwards match the current structure closely.
• Economics 0455: from 2027, Paper 1 has 40 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour instead of 30 in 45 minutes.

How should you use IGCSE mark schemes?

Use mark schemes strictly: award a mark only when your answer contains the point, unit, working or key term the scheme requires, and read the examiner report for every question where you lost marks. Generous marking hides the gaps that cost marks in the real exam.

1. Mark straight after the paper, while you still remember your thinking.
2. Check method marks. In Maths and the sciences, the working often earns marks even when the final answer is wrong, and a correct answer with no working can lose them.
3. Learn the abbreviations. Schemes use codes such as M (method), A (accuracy) and B (independent) marks in Maths, and list alternative acceptable answers.
4. Read the examiner report. It names the common mistakes on each question, which is often the fastest way to see why you lost a mark.
5. Redo, do not just read. Rewrite any answer that lost marks, then retry that topic a week later.

For a full method, see how to use mark schemes and examiner reports.

How many IGCSE past papers should you do?

There is no fixed number, but aim to sit several recent papers per component under timed conditions in the final six to eight weeks, after you have covered each topic with topical practice. Save the most recent papers for last so they still feel unfamiliar.

How to sit a past paper under exam conditions

• Use the real time limit printed on the front cover, with a timer you cannot pause.
• Use only allowed equipment: no calculator on 0580 Papers 1 and 2, and the calculator you will use on the day for the others.
• Work in one sitting, in a quiet room, with your phone in another room.
• Pace by marks. Divide the time by the total marks to get a rough minutes-per-mark rate. A 40-mark science multiple-choice paper in 45 minutes gives just over a minute per question; an 80-mark theory paper in 1 hour 15 minutes gives just under a minute per mark.

If you finish early, check your units, significant figures and that every part has an answer. Blank answers can never earn marks.

Worked example: turning a mark scheme into a fix

Suppose you lose 2 of 3 marks on an original-style question asking you to explain why a metal conducts electricity. You wrote that it has free electrons. The mark scheme style answer needs the electrons to be delocalised and to move through the structure when a voltage is applied. Your fix is to rewrite the answer in full, add "delocalised electrons move" to your key-phrase list, and retry two similar questions the following week.

Start with the subject you find hardest, such as Mathematics 0580, Physics 0625, Chemistry 0620 or Biology 0610, or browse all subjects on the IGCSE practice hub.