中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
IGCSE Mathematics 0580 Drilling Guide: Paper Order, Hand Working and a 12-Week Plan
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IGCSE MATHEMATICS 0580
Built on the published assessment framework: Paper 2 (Extended, Non-calculator): Structured and unstructured, 80 marks (50%); Paper 4 (Extended, Calculator): Structured and unstructured, 80 marks (50%). Extended is two papers, one without a calculator and one with, half the marks each at eighty marks. Method only: the order to drill them, a twelve-week plan, hand-working routes, pacing, common losses and an error log.
How is IGCSE Mathematics 0580 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 2 (Extended, Non-calculator): Structured and unstructured, 80 marks (50%); Paper 4 (Extended, Calculator): Structured and unstructured, 80 marks (50%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 2 (Extended, Non-calculator) | Structured and unstructured, 80 marks | 50% | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 4 (Extended, Calculator) | Structured and unstructured, 80 marks | 50% | 1 h 30 min |
IGCSE Mathematics drilling technique: Paper 2 has no calculator; 8 questions in 1 h 30 min is about 11 minutes each. Show steps for solving and area; check your factorisation.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 2 (Extended, Non-calculator) | show steps in algebra and geometry | Skips intermediate steps on the no-calculator paper, so method marks go even when the answer is right |
| Paper 4 (Extended, Calculator) | scientific calculator required | Enters the whole expression in one go on the calculator paper, so a sign slip passes unseen and checking means redoing |
What is each IGCSE Mathematics 0580 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 2 (Extended, Non-calculator): show steps in algebra and geometry; Paper 4 (Extended, Calculator): scientific calculator required
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: Twelve weeks in three blocks: weeks 1-4 the no-calculator paper, formula, substitution and simplification on separate lines; weeks 5-7 the calculator paper, expression before keys and answers to three significant figures; weeks 8-9 timed ninety-minute papers; weeks 10-11 the two weakest topics drilled by theme; week 12 two full papers and the error log.
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 2 (Extended, Non-calculator) | 1 h 30 min | about 11 min per question |
| Paper 4 (Extended, Calculator) | 1 h 30 min | about 11 min per question |
How should the time be split inside each IGCSE Mathematics 0580 paper?
Paper 2 (Extended, Non-calculator): about 11 min per question; Paper 4 (Extended, Calculator): about 11 min per question
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign in transposition | x = 7 | Subtract 3 then divide by 2 | x = 4 |
| Factorisation sign | Wrong sign in (x-2)(x-3) | Expand to check | x = 2 or 3 |
| Triangle missing 1/2 | 6×8 = 48 | Area needs the 1/2 | 1/2 x 6 x 8 = 24 |
The error log and the mark scheme
Four columns: where the mark went, what the scheme wanted, next action (the fixed three lines) and formula card (one formula per question with conditions). Only faults seen three times earn the final fortnight.
How many years should you drill?
The current syllabus is first assessed in 2025 and runs to 2027; few official papers exist yet, so 2023 and 2024 papers are usable for question types once each item is checked against the current syllabus, but timed full papers should come from the current version only.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The current syllabus is first assessed in 2025 and runs to 2027; few official papers exist yet, so 2023 and 2024 papers are usable for question types once each item is checked against the current syllabus, but timed full papers should come from the current version only.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IGCSE Mathematics 0580 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 Mathematics 0580 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.
Can the Core and Extended guides be used interchangeably?
No. Core and Extended differ in paper set, timing and mark split, and in how deep each topic goes, so pacing learned on one always misfires on the other.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics 0580 syllabus (2025-2027) | Confirm the Paper 2/4 marks and times |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-igcse-physics-0625-paper-4-mock-2027/ | IGCSE Physics (0625) drilling mock |
Mock paper: IGCSE Mathematics 0580 mock paper Practice: drill practice hub
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.
