中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
IGCSE Additional Maths 0606 Paper 1: Exact Values and Method Marks
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IGCSE ADDITIONAL MATHS PAPER 1: EXACT VALUES
Paper 1 is non-calculator, so answers stay in surd or fraction form and the marks sit almost entirely on whether the steps are written. The two papers are 50% and 80 marks each, all questions compulsory, with no choice. This page covers the drilling method only: order, 15 to 20 minutes a question, a 12-week timetable, the error log and the usual mark losses.
How is IGCSE Additional Maths Paper 1 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (non-calculator): Structured and unstructured questions, all compulsory, 80 marks (50%); Paper 2 (scientific calculator required): Structured and unstructured questions, all compulsory, 80 marks (50%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (non-calculator) | Structured and unstructured questions, all compulsory, 80 marks | 50% | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 (scientific calculator required) | Structured and unstructured questions, all compulsory, 80 marks | 50% | 2 hours |
IGCSE Additional Mathematics Paper 1 drilling technique: with no calculator, answers should normally stay in surd or fraction form; show all necessary working because method marks are awarded; after solving a log equation check that each root is positive; for calculus rewrite into powers of x before differentiating or integrating.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (non-calculator) | exact surd and fraction answers | The surd is converted to a decimal, so the answer misses the exact value the paper requires. |
| Paper 2 (scientific calculator required) | formula, units and significant figures | Only the answer is written, so method marks are lost even when the result is right. |
What is each IGCSE Additional Maths Paper 1 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (non-calculator): exact surd and fraction answers; Paper 2 (scientific calculator required): formula, units and significant figures
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Weeks one to four run topic by topic: surds and indices, then logarithms, then functions and quadratics, then trigonometry and calculus. Keep the calculator closed throughout, mark immediately, and circle every place where a step was skipped. Weeks five to eight switch to timed papers, first in ninety minutes then tightened to seventy-five, forcing functions and logarithms before calculus. The last four weeks redo only the recurring error types and write each question s marking points beside it to confirm every step is on paper.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (non-calculator) | 2 hours | about 15-20 min a question; functions and logs first, calculus last |
| Paper 2 (scientific calculator required) | 2 hours | write the formula before using the calculator; give 3 s.f. |
How should the time be split inside each IGCSE Additional Maths Paper 1 paper?
Paper 1 (non-calculator): about 15-20 min a question; functions and logs first, calculus last; Paper 2 (scientific calculator required): write the formula before using the calculator; give 3 s.f.
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using a calculator | Copying a decimal straight in | The paper wants exact values | Keep surds or fractions |
| Skipping working | Writing the answer only | No method marks | Show every step |
| Not testing log roots | Quoting both roots | The negative root must be rejected | Check the domain of the log |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: question and topic; which step failed (domain, simplification, arithmetic, form of the answer); and the corrected action, such as stating the log domain first. For any question whose answer is a surd, add which simplification order you used, since the same order will not always hold on the next question.
How many years should you drill?
The 0606 syllabus code and paper structure have held for years, so eight years of past papers are usable: time the last five and treat older ones as topic practice. Where an older paper predates the current calculator rule, still work it by hand so the answer form matches what is marked today.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The 0606 syllabus code and paper structure have held for years, so eight years of past papers are usable: time the last five and treat older ones as topic practice. Where an older paper predates the current calculator rule, still work it by hand so the answer form matches what is marked today.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IGCSE Additional Maths Paper 1 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the IGCSE Additional Maths Paper 1 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
Do I need to memorise trigonometric values for the non-calculator paper?
Yes, but only sine, cosine and tangent at the standard angles; derive everything else from the identities. Write the identity beside each question while drilling so it becomes automatic, because deriving it live eats the time reserved for the calculus parts.
Both papers carry 80 marks, so how should revision time be split?
Split it evenly by weighting, then adjust for weakness: if logs and calculus are the weak areas, give them seventy per cent of the time and use the rest for timed papers. Do not under-drill Paper 2 just because a calculator is allowed, since each paper is 50% and either one can pull the grade down.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Cambridge IGCSE Additional Mathematics 0606 page | Confirm the paper marks, times and calculator rules |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-igcse-mathematics-0580-paper-4-mock-2027/ | IGCSE Mathematics 0580 Paper 4 drilling mock |
Original mock: IGCSE Additional Maths Paper 1 mock paper with answers; more practice in the practice area.
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
Demand for tutors in this subject is steady, and those who can explain the marking scheme and where marks are won are especially sought after. Register free; you pay only when a match succeeds.
