In revision, past papers can be a very important tool. It is important to get wrap your head around different past papers.
Why is this crucial? It is because they will help you understand how your subject has been structured. By simply revising using past papers and responding to the questions is helpful, as you will learn much more from them.
But, students need to note that hard-work is key, especially when studying. Fortunately, there are some ways to help you revise easier and better as you prep for your IGCSE exams.
What can you do to get the most of the past papers?
Below is a look at resources to download Cambridge IGCSE Past Papers.
SmileTutor
Our content team has painstakingly compiled IGCSE papers for languages, mathematics, sciences, humanities, and other subjects for 2017 and 2018 for you. They can be found on our IGCSE test papers download page.
Xtreme Papers
Xtreme papers offer Past papers and also marking schemes to help students revise from the most current examination series. This resource offers IGCSE and A Level guides for revision, notes for revision and also questions. There is also a helpful forum to post and ask questions.
IGCSE Centre
This is a great resource for IGCSE Past Papers as well as Specimen papers. They also offer CIE IGCSE Past Papers too. These past papers are available for download and also the marking schemes by visiting their website.
Cambridge Assessment International Education Official Website
This resource enables students to prep for their Cambridge exams. They offer various study materials including learner guides, past papers, and textbooks.with this qualifications students get admission to the best universities in the world.
Dynamic Papers
This resource offers students many revision materials such as past IGCSE Papers, Mark Schemes, Most Recent Papers, Source Files (ICT), notes, Old Papers, Listening Tracks. The site is mobile Friendly and is reliable.
How Past Papers Can Help You Ace Your Exams
1. Utilize the exam mark scheme
Mark schemes can assist you to know where you’ve lost or gained marks, and how you are answering the questions.
At times mark schemes are very particular, and so when you understand a topic well, you might still do very badly when you haven’t gone through any past papers.
Take note that there are specific key terms you should cover to earn marks. You just have to reach those precise points and when you don’t you get 0 marks. It is for this reason why using the mark scheme is necessary.
It will help you not to miss any marks for those questions you understand, but you haven’t answered them as the examiners want. Thus use the marking scheme to note the weaker areas that require some brushing up.
2. Understand the exam paper structure
Past papers will give a feel of the wording and structure of the exam. This is very important that you get familiar with the questions so that you don’t get surprises on the exam day. Ensure you understand the structure for all subjects, and ask yourself these questions:
1. Is the test paper divided into segments?
2. What choices are there?
3. How much time do you need to spend on each segment?
4. Have all sections in the lesson been covered?
It is possible that you were taught some ways to answer the questions on a given topic. So, ensure that you know the one you’re working on so that you don’t attempt to respond the wrong question on your exam day.
3. Read Examiner’s Reports
Also, read the examiner’s report to help you focus on exam revision. This is a good idea since the examiners’ reports will help you see some of the common mistakes that students make as they answer exam questions. They will also show you how you should not respond to questions. Also look at what the examiner expected the questions to be answered.
So then Which is the Chief Examiners Report? Every year, comments from those who mark exams are gathered together and published. This resource really helps since it will let you understand what the examiners will be looking for, and some of the common mistakes that students make as they sit for their exam.
Through reading them, you will know what to avoid and the mistakes you should not make.
4. Follow exam board specifications
Take a look at specifications included in the exam board, and attempt to link parts of these specifications with the questions contained in the papers. This is very useful for making notes on the specification given on their site.
How can this resource help you in your revision? At times an exam question might be asking about the specification on their sites, also use the specifications to ensure that in addition to all the topics, you also understand everything else in the course.
Examiners will try to include most of the given specification in their questions each year. They also try to vary the subject matter that they normally ask on each year.
It’s quite dangerous to depend on ‘question spotting’, however, you might well find specific topics that show up every now and then – or some topics that have not been covered for a while.
5. Get some help from friends
Consider taking part in group revision as they are really useful in getting a whole picture. Sometimes you might not be clear on some specific topics.
What can you do to turn this around? Plan some answers to a few papers, then make a comparison against each of them. It may be helpful to use a question and the mark scheme in order to form a model answer.
Read through all your answers as a group and confirm them against your mark scheme. This way you can manage to highlight those areas that everyone is performing well and what needs some extra work.
In Closing
Past papers are very useful revision tools. They will help you understand different past papers question formats. Since the past papers will help you understand how the subject is structured. By simply revising using past papers and responding to the questions is useful, as you get to learn much more from them too.
For more IGCSE study tips, here are some:
How Do You Prepare For Singapore GCE O-Level As A Private Candidate?
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