Examiner Insights · IGCSE Maths 4MA1 Higher

What the examiners said about IGCSE Maths 4MA1 Higher — and exactly what to do about it

Q: What do examiners say students get wrong in IGCSE Maths 4MA1 Higher?

The most repeated points are: Reverse percentages; Compound interest and depreciation done as simple interest; Completing the square with a negative x² coefficient. Each one on this page has the fix and, where free, a worked example showing the wrong and right method.

Q: Which IGCSE Maths 4MA1 Higher topics come up most?

In the material we analysed, the biggest areas were Probability, sets and Venn diagrams, Averages, cumulative frequency and histograms, Pythagoras and trigonometry (2D and 3D).

Q: Is this a prediction of the November 2026 paper?

No one outside the exam board knows what will be on the next paper. The "focus" list is an informed prediction from how often topics appeared and how weakly they were answered; it is not a guarantee, so revise the whole specification.

Q: Where does this information come from?

We read 8 Pearson Edexcel examiner reports (November 2023, June 2024, November 2024, June 2025) in full, summarised them in our own words and linked each point to the original.

We read every Pearson Edexcel examiner report for 4MA1 from November 2023 to June 2025, mapped each question to a topic, and turned the comments into a checklist of the mistakes that cost the most marks.

4exam series analysed
8examiner reports read
197questions mapped to topics
10top mark-losing mistakes

What to focus on for November 2026 Top 10 mistakes Get the one-page PDF

Summaries are in our own words with links to the originals. Predictions are informed guesses, not a guarantee.

Ranked for November 2026

What to focus on for November 2026

4MA1 is sat in November and May/June. November 2026 is next; the list also applies to June 2027. Ranked by how often each area appeared, how many marks it carried and how weakly it was answered.

Informed prediction, not a guarantee: any topic on the specification can be examined.

1
Completing the square, quadratic inequalities and harder quadratics
A last-page "grade 9" question on 1H in June and November 2024, and on 2H in June 2025; reports describe the algebra as very poor.
High confidence1H Jun 2024 Q25, Nov 2024 Q252H Jun 2025 Q19, Q25
Learn Practise Unit 3: Equations & sequences Mistake: Completing the square with a negative x² coefficient Mistake: Quadratic inequalities
2
Probability (trees, combinations, conditional) and Venn diagrams
Two or more questions on both papers every series; combinations and "given" probabilities are where marks go.
High confidenceevery series
Learn Practise Unit 6: Statistics & probability Mistake: Probability tables
3
Reverse percentages and compound interest
At least one of each in every series, and the same errors reported each time.
High confidenceevery series
Learn Practise Unit 1: Number Mistake: Reverse percentages Mistake: Compound interest and depreciation done as simple interest
4
Histograms and cumulative frequency
A histogram on 1H and a cumulative frequency graph on 2H in every series we read.
High confidence1H Q17–Q22 each series2H Q13 each series
Learn Practise Unit 6: Statistics & probability Mistake: Histograms Mistake: Cumulative frequency plotted at midpoints
5
Functions and graph transformations
Transformations appeared in all four series and are named as a weakness in the June 2025 summary.
High confidenceevery series
Learn Practise Unit 4: Graphs & functions Mistake: Graph transformations of f(x)Mistake: Inverse functions
6
Simultaneous equations with a quadratic
On 2H in three of four series and on 1H in June 2025.
High confidence2H Nov 2023 Q21, Jun 2024 Q22, Nov 2024 Q221H Jun 2025 Q22
Learn Practise Unit 3: Equations & sequences Mistake: Simultaneous equations with a quadratic
7
Differentiation: gradients and turning points
In every series on at least one paper.
High confidenceevery series
Learn Practise Unit 8: Calculus Mistake: Differentiation
8
Upper and lower bounds in calculations
Every series; June 2025 combined bounds with compound areas.
Medium confidenceevery series
Learn Practise Unit 4: Graphs & functions Mistake: Upper and lower bounds
9
Index equations and triple brackets
Index equations with different bases on 2H in all four series.
Medium confidence2H every series
Learn Practise Unit 2: Algebra basics Mistake: Index equations with different bases
10
Similar shapes: area and volume scale factors
A late, high-grade question in November 2023 and June 2025.
Medium confidence1H/2H Nov 2023 Q232H Jun 2025 Q26
Learn Practise Unit 5: Geometry Mistake: Similar shapes

Mistakes library

The 10 mistakes that cost the most marks (and 6 more)

Ordered by how often and how widely they were reported. The first 5 are free in full; Pro unlocks the fix and a worked example for every other one.

#1Reverse percentages: finding a percentage of the new amount

What examiners saw: Reported in every series we read: candidates take the percentage of the final amount instead of dividing by the multiplier.

Fix: Write "original × multiplier = new", then divide. Check by multiplying back.

Worked example (our own): After a 15% increase, a price is $92. Find the original price.

Loses marks

15% of 92 = 13.80, so 92 − 13.80 = $78.20

Earns the marks

New price = 115% of the original, so original × 1.15 = 92
Original = 92 ÷ 1.15 = $80

Why: The percentage is of the ORIGINAL amount, so divide by the multiplier. Check: 80 × 1.15 = 92.

Reported in: 4MA1/1H November 2023 Q6; 4MA1/1H June 2024 Q4; 4MA1/1H November 2024 Q7; 4MA1/1H June 2025 Q5; 4MA1/2H November 2024 Q4

Learn: Percentages, reverse % and compound interest Practise this

#2Compound interest and depreciation done as simple interest

What examiners saw: Examiners note that a compound-interest or depreciation question appears almost every series, yet many still add the same interest each year.

Fix: Use amount × multiplierⁿ. For depreciation the multiplier is below 1 (e.g. 0.85).

Worked example (our own): $4000 is invested at 3% per year compound interest. Find its value after 5 years.

Loses marks

Interest = 3% of 4000 = 120 per year, 5 × 120 = 600, so $4600

Earns the marks

Multiplier 1.03 each year
4000 × 1.03⁵ = $4637.10

Why: Compound means the interest earns interest: use the multiplier to the power of the number of years.

Reported in: 4MA1/2H June 2024 Q9; 4MA1/2H November 2024 Q9; 4MA1/2H June 2025 Q7; 4MA1/2H November 2023 Q7; 4MA1/1H June 2025 Q13

Learn: Percentages, reverse % and compound interest Practise this

#3Completing the square with a negative x² coefficient

What examiners saw: The final question of Paper 1H in June 2024 and November 2024 (and 2H in June 2025): very few took out the negative coefficient first, and brackets were lost.

Fix: Factor out the coefficient of x² (with its sign), complete the square inside, then multiply back carefully.

Worked example (our own): Write −3x² + 12x + 5 in the form a(x + b)² + c.

Loses marks

−3x² + 12x + 5 = −3(x − 2)² + 5 …

Earns the marks

Take out −3 from the x terms: −3(x² − 4x) + 5
= −3[(x − 2)² − 4] + 5
= −3(x − 2)² + 12 + 5 = −3(x − 2)² + 17

Why: Factor out the coefficient of x² (including its sign) first, and multiply the "− 4" by it when you remove the square bracket.

Reported in: 4MA1/1H June 2024 Q25; 4MA1/1H November 2024 Q25; 4MA1/2H June 2025 Q25

Learn: Quadratics, completing the square and quadratic inequalities Practise this

#4Simultaneous equations with a quadratic: expanding (5 − x)²

What examiners saw: Substitution is fine but (5 − x)² is written as 25 − x², and answers are not paired.

Fix: Expand (a − x)² as a² − 2ax + x². Give each solution as an (x, y) pair.

Worked example (our own): Solve x + y = 5 and x² + y² = 13.

Loses marks

y = 5 − x, so x² + 25 − x² = 13 …

Earns the marks

y = 5 − x ⇒ x² + (5 − x)² = 13
x² + 25 − 10x + x² = 13 ⇒ 2x² − 10x + 12 = 0 ⇒ x² − 5x + 6 = 0
x = 2 or 3; so (2, 3) and (3, 2)

Why: (5 − x)² = 25 − 10x + x², not 25 − x². Give the answers as pairs.

Reported in: 4MA1/2H June 2024 Q22; 4MA1/2H November 2023 Q21; 4MA1/2H November 2024 Q22; 4MA1/1H June 2025 Q22

Learn: Simultaneous equations (linear and quadratic)Practise this

#5Histograms: reading heights as frequencies

What examiners saw: Areas represent frequency, but many total bar heights or read the vertical scale as frequency.

Fix: Frequency = frequency density × class width. Use a bar you know to work out the scale.

Worked example (our own): On a histogram, the bar for 10 ≤ x < 15 has frequency 30. Another bar, 15 ≤ x < 25, has frequency density 2. Find its frequency.

Loses marks

Frequency = 2 (reading the height)

Earns the marks

Frequency density = frequency ÷ class width
15 ≤ x < 25 has width 10, so frequency = 2 × 10 = 20

Why: On a histogram the AREA is frequency. Check the scale using a bar you know.

Reported in: 4MA1/1H November 2023 Q17; 4MA1/1H June 2024 Q22; 4MA1/1H November 2024 Q18; 4MA1/1H June 2025 Q17

Learn: Averages, cumulative frequency and histograms Practise this

#6Cumulative frequency plotted at midpoints

What examiners saw: Points are plotted at mid-interval or lower-interval values, bar charts or lines of best fit are drawn, and readings are not subtracted from the total when asked "how many more than".