IGCSE Math Revision
In Cambridge IGCSE Maths (0580), half your marks come from a paper without a calculator: Paper 1 for Core and Paper 2 for Extended. Papers 3 and 4 need a scientific calculator. In Edexcel IGCSE Maths (4MA1), a calculator is allowed on both papers. The mathematics on the two kinds of paper is the same, but they reward different skills, so it pays to practise for each in its own conditions.
Which paper is which
| Course | Paper | Calculator | Time | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0580 Core | Paper 1 | No | 1 h 30 min | 80 |
| 0580 Core | Paper 3 | Yes | 1 h 30 min | 80 |
| 0580 Extended | Paper 2 | No | 2 h | 100 |
| 0580 Extended | Paper 4 | Yes | 2 h | 100 |
| 4MA1 Foundation or Higher | Papers 1 and 2 | Yes, both | 2 h each | 100 each |
Each 0580 paper is worth half of your grade. The figures are from the 0580 syllabus for 2025 to 2027 and the 4MA1 specification; our 0580 vs 4MA1 comparison has the sources and the other differences between the two courses.
What the non-calculator paper rewards
Without a calculator, every number is yours to manage. The questions are chosen so that the arithmetic is possible by hand, and the marks often go to students who keep it exact and set it out clearly.
The methods that come up most are long multiplication and division, fractions, estimation, and standard form; Extended adds surds and exact trigonometric values. Our 0580 non-calculator methods page teaches each one with worked examples.
Example 1 · non-calculator
(a) Work out $2\tfrac{2}{3} \div 1\tfrac{3}{5}$. Give your answer as a mixed number in its simplest form.
(b) Simplify $\sqrt{50} - \sqrt{8}$.
Solution
(a) Change to improper fractions: $\dfrac{8}{3} \div \dfrac{8}{5}$.
Dividing by a fraction is multiplying by its reciprocal: $\dfrac{8}{3} \times \dfrac{5}{8} = \dfrac{40}{24} = \dfrac{5}{3} = 1\tfrac{2}{3}$.
(b) Write each surd with the largest square factor: $\sqrt{50} = \sqrt{25 \times 2} = 5\sqrt{2}$ and $\sqrt{8} = \sqrt{4 \times 2} = 2\sqrt{2}$.
So $\sqrt{50} - \sqrt{8} = 5\sqrt{2} - 2\sqrt{2} = 3\sqrt{2}$.
In (a), the improper fractions and the reciprocal step are where the method marks are, so write them down even if you can see the answer. In (b), the common slip is to subtract first: $\sqrt{50 - 8} = \sqrt{42}$ is wrong, because you cannot combine surds by subtracting the numbers inside them.
Two habits help on every non-calculator question:
- Estimate first. Round each number to 1 significant figure. $48.7 \times 9.8$ is about $50 \times 10 = 500$, so an answer of $47.7$ or $4773$ shows a slip straight away.
- Leave answers exact when asked. Fractions, surds and $\pi$ stay as they are. Read the question for the form it wants.
What the calculator paper rewards
With a calculator, the arithmetic stops being the hard part, and accuracy takes its place. Marks are lost to rounding too early, to giving too few figures, and to answers written in calculator form instead of standard notation.
Example 2 · calculator
(a) After a 15% increase, the price of a bicycle is £69. Find the price before the increase.
(b) £2500 is invested at 3% per year compound interest. Find its value after 4 years.
Solution
(a) The new price is $115\%$ of the original, so the multiplier is $1.15$.
Original price $= 69 \div 1.15 = 60$, so £60.
(b) Each year the value is multiplied by $1.03$.
Value $= 2500 \times 1.03^4 = 2813.772\ldots$, so £2813.77 to the nearest penny.
In (a), the classic error is to take 15% of £69 and subtract it, which gives £58.65. The 15% was of the original price, not the new one, so divide by the multiplier. In (b), using simple interest ($2500 + 4 \times 75 = 2800$) is the other common slip. Write the calculation you typed in, as well as the answer: if you press a wrong key, the method mark is still on the page.
On 0580 Papers 3 and 4, unless the question says otherwise, give answers to 3 significant figures and angles to 1 decimal place. Money is usually given to the nearest cent or penny. Keep the full value in your calculator until the last line. Our standard form and rounding guide shows how to store values and switch rounding modes off, and the calculator skills guides cover the other key presses you need.
If you take 4MA1
You can use a calculator on both papers, but that does not mean working is optional. Some questions ask you to show your working, or to use algebra, and then an answer on its own may not earn the marks. Fractions, surds and exact answers still appear, and a calculator does not always help with them. Practise them by hand anyway.
Same topic, two papers
A useful way to see the difference is to take one topic and ask what each paper would do with it. On a non-calculator paper, a trigonometry question will use an exact value, such as $\sin 30^\circ = \tfrac{1}{2}$, or a right-angled triangle with whole-number sides. On a calculator paper, the same idea comes with awkward angles and lengths, and the marks shift to setting up the right ratio, using the calculator correctly in degree mode and rounding the angle to 1 decimal place. Revising a topic properly means practising it both ways.
How to split your revision
- Practise each skill in its own conditions. When you do 0580 topic questions, do the non-calculator ones by hand, even if a calculator is on the desk.
- Keep the written methods warm. Ten minutes of fractions or long division twice a week stops them fading while you revise other topics.
- Time both kinds of paper. Sit the 30-minute non-calculator mini-paper as a quick check, then full papers at the real length.
The 0580 November 2026 papers have been sat; the next series are March 2027 (India only) and June 2027. Edexcel 4MA1 students sit Paper 1 on 4 November and Paper 2 on 6 November 2026. All the dates are on our IGCSE exam dates page.
A free account (no card) adds 5 more practice questions on every topic with instant feedback, full worked answers on free questions, and your streak and progress on any device. Create a free account to keep track of which methods you have practised.
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FAQ
Which IGCSE Maths papers are non-calculator?
In Cambridge 0580, Paper 1 (Core) and Paper 2 (Extended) are non-calculator; Papers 3 and 4 need a scientific calculator. In Edexcel 4MA1, a calculator may be used on both papers.
Is the 0580 non-calculator paper harder than the calculator paper?
It tests the same mathematics, but the arithmetic is yours to do. Students who are secure with fractions, surds and written methods often find it no harder; students who rely on a calculator usually find it the harder of the two.
What accuracy should I give on the 0580 calculator paper?
Unless the question says otherwise, give answers to 3 significant figures, and angles in degrees to 1 decimal place. Keep full calculator values until the final answer.
Six written methods for 0580 Papers 1 and 2, each with worked examples and practice questions, plus a timed 30-minute mini-paper.
Practise the non-calculator methods →