IGCSE past papers: where to find the official ones and how to use them

Past papers are at the centre of IGCSE revision, and they are easy to misuse: a student can work through dozens and learn little. This guide sets out where each exam board publishes its papers, what is locked away and why, and how to use them well, using the boards' own published rules.

Cambridge IGCSE past papers

Each Cambridge IGCSE syllabus has a public Past papers page on Cambridge's website. It is a selection, not the archive. For Mathematics 0580, Physics 0625, Chemistry 0620 and Biology 0610, it holds:

• the June 2024 question papers, one version of each paper, with their mark schemes;
• the June 2024 examiner report, which says where candidates lost marks;
• specimen papers and mark schemes for the current syllabus.

The full archive, every series and version, is on Cambridge's School Support Hub, a free, password-protected site for teachers at registered Cambridge schools. Students get those papers through their school. Cambridge says papers older than about five years are generally not kept there, because syllabuses change and its copyright permissions last five years.

Two things to know when using Cambridge papers: from March 2026 Cambridge papers have a new layout, which Cambridge says changes neither the content nor the difficulty, and the grade thresholds for each series are on a separate grade threshold tables page.

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE past papers

Pearson's past papers search gives question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports free to students and teachers, and each qualification page lists them under its course materials. The most recent papers are locked to teachers at registered schools for roughly the first year: Pearson's pages give both twelve months and nine months. Pearson's reason is to keep at least one paper unseen, so schools can use it as a mock.

On 6 November 2026, for example, the Mathematics A (4MA1) papers from June 2026 and November 2025 were still locked, while June 2025 and older were open to everyone.

OxfordAQA International GCSE past papers

OxfordAQA keeps its past papers and mark schemes as secure resources for teachers at approved schools. Each qualification page links a public specimen paper and mark scheme. Students get past papers through their school.

New syllabuses from 2027

Three Cambridge syllabuses change for exams from 2027: Business, which has a new code, 0264, and Economics 0455 and Accounting 0452, which keep their codes but change their papers. There are no past papers for the new versions yet, so the starting point is Cambridge's 2027 specimen papers and mark schemes on each syllabus page. Cambridge has revised some of the specimen mark schemes since, so use the latest version.

Why we link to the boards rather than copy papers

The boards own their papers. Cambridge does not give permission for its past papers to be published on any website, and allows schools to share them only with their own candidates. Pearson allows registered schools to use its papers with their own students, free of charge, and not on any public site. So every paper we point to is on the board's own website, and we never re-host one.

How to use past papers well

Pearson's advice to students is direct: past papers will not predict the questions, so use them to find gaps in what has been learned, and practise under exam conditions to learn how long each question deserves. A routine that follows from that, and from the boards' own materials:

1. Start with topic questions, not whole papers. Early in Year 10 and 11, work on the questions for the topic just taught, from several years' papers.
2. Mark with the mark scheme, then read the examiner report. The mark scheme shows what earns each mark; the report says where most candidates went wrong. Our IGCSE subject pages sum up recent reports for each subject.
3. Learn the command words. Cambridge publishes one list of 22 command words, from Analyse to Summarise, and each Pearson specification has its own in an appendix. "Describe" and "explain" earn different marks.
4. Sit whole papers timed, nearer the exam. A full paper under exam conditions shows whether method and pace hold up.
5. Don't turn an old paper's mark into a grade. Grade thresholds change every series and differ between versions of the same paper. Our guide to IGCSE grades shows how much they move.

Our article on revision that works explains why self-testing with past papers beats re-reading notes.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I download IGCSE past papers for free?

From the boards: Cambridge's past papers page for each syllabus, Pearson's past papers search for Edexcel International GCSE, and your school for the full Cambridge and OxfordAQA archives.

Why can't I find the latest IGCSE past papers?

The boards hold the newest back. Pearson locks papers to schools for roughly the first year, Cambridge's public pages show only a selection, and OxfordAQA's are for schools. Ask the school, which can download them.

Do IGCSE past paper questions repeat?

Not as a rule. Pearson says past papers do not help predict questions or topics; their value is in showing gaps and the style of the questions.

Are mark schemes available with past papers?

Yes. Cambridge's public pages give a mark scheme with each paper and Pearson publishes mark schemes with its papers. Mark schemes for the newest series follow the same access rules as the papers.

Can I use old papers if the syllabus has changed?

Mostly. Pearson notes that questions from older specifications still help where the topic is still covered. Check the topic against the current syllabus, and for Cambridge papers from before 2025, remember that maths changed its calculator rules from 2025.

Career Launcher UAE offers IGCSE and GCSE tuition in maths, the sciences, business, economics, accounting and English, in Dubai and Sharjah and online, working from each board's past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports. See our IGCSE and GCSE page for every subject and code.