IGCSE Maths 0580 Most Repeated Questions (2025–26 Papers)
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IGCSE Maths 0580 Most Repeated Questions: What Keeps Coming Back
We checked 21 Extended IGCSE Maths 0580 papers from Feb/March 2025 to May/June 2026. Here are the questions that keep coming back on Paper 2 and Paper 4, with a quick tip for each.
Teachn.io Team·12 min read
Last updated: 19 October 2026
Short answer: the IGCSE Maths 0580 most repeated questions in the current format (exams from 2025) are bounds, compound interest/exponential growth, grouped-data mean and histograms, functions, nth term and 3D solids on Paper 4 (calculator), and sectors, surds (rationalising the denominator), probability, "describe fully the single transformation", and turning points/differentiation on . We checked 21 real Extended papers from Feb/March 2025 to May/June 2026, and these topics showed up in most of them. Below is the full list, what each question looks like, and a quick tip for each.
Want to practise these first? Teachn.io's IGCSE Maths 0580 course has a repeat question tracker that groups these exact topics, with real mentors and built-in AI help. Create a free account and get 50 credits (about 30 minutes).
Are the Oct/Nov 2026 0580 exams already over?
The Oct/Nov 2026 series is still running, but the 0580 papers are already done. In every administrative zone timetable, 0580 Papers 1–4 were sat between Thursday 8 October and Wednesday 14 October 2026 (Cambridge exam timetables, e.g. Zone 4 PDF, Zone 5 PDF). IGCSE results for this series come out on 14 January 2027 (Cambridge results page).
So this post is mainly for you if:
you're sitting 0580 in May/June 2027 (most Year 11 students in Hong Kong and Singapore international schools), or
you just sat it and are thinking about a retake, or
you're a parent trying to work out what "good revision" actually looks like.
When we checked on 18 October 2026, the June 2027 timetable wasn't on the timetables page yet, so check there for your dates.
How does IGCSE Maths 0580 work now (2025–2027 syllabus)?
The format changed for exams from 2025. One paper at each tier is now fully non-calculator (0580 syllabus page). That matters, because older past papers (2024 and earlier) allowed a calculator on both Extended papers, and Paper 4 was 2 h 30 min for 130 marks (see May/June 2024 Paper 42 and Paper 22). From the 2025–2027 syllabus:
Paper
Tier
Calculator?
Time
Marks
Weight
Paper 1
Core
No
1 h 30 min
80
50%
Paper 3
Core
Yes (scientific)
1 h 30 min
80
50%
Paper 2
Extended
No
2 h
100
50%
Paper 4
Extended
Yes (scientific)
2 h
100
50%
A few more rules worth knowing (all from the syllabus):
Core students (Papers 1 + 3) can get grades C–G. Extended students (Papers 2 + 4) can get A*–E.
On calculator papers, give non-exact answers to 3 significant figures, or 1 decimal place for angles, unless the question says otherwise.
Don't round in the middle of a calculation. If you reuse an answer later, use the unrounded value.
Algebraic or graphical calculators are not allowed.
If you're sitting in 2028 or later, there's a separate 2028–2030 syllabus, so check which one applies to you.
How did we pick the most repeated questions?
We didn't guess. We took every Extended Paper 2 and Paper 4 we could get in the new format:
We searched the text of each paper for each topic's question wording (for example "lower bound", "Describe fully the single transformation", "Rationalise the denominator"), then read the matching questions to make sure they were real hits. The counts below are a floor: some questions use different wording and may have been missed. Links to every paper are in the sources at the end.
What are the IGCSE Maths 0580 most repeated questions (Extended)?
Recurring topic
Paper
How often in the papers we checked
What it looks like
Quick tip
Upper and lower bounds
Paper 4
9 of 10
"Calculate the lower bound of the density of the metal."
For a division, lower bound = smallest top ÷ biggest bottom.
Compound interest / exponential growth and decay
Paper 4
9 of 10
"$1500 at 4.2% per year compound interest…", or a population "decreasing exponentially at 2% per year"
Use the multiplier: 1.042ⁿ, 0.98ⁿ. Watch for "find r" or "how many years".
3D solids (cone, sphere, pyramid, prism, frustum)
Paper 4
9 of 10 mention one
Volume or surface area of a cone, a frustum made by cutting off a smaller cone, a sphere inside a cube
The formula list is on the paper. The marks are for picking the right formula and setting it up.
Estimate of the mean from grouped data
Paper 4
8 of 10
"Calculate an estimate of the mean height."
Use midpoints × frequency, then divide by the total frequency, not by the number of groups.
Histograms
Paper 4
8 of 10
"Complete the histogram…" or read frequencies off one
Bar height = frequency density = frequency ÷ class width.
"Find the nth term of this sequence." (linear, quadratic or geometric)
Check your formula by putting n = 1 and n = 2 back in.
Sectors and arcs
Paper 2
9 of 11
"Work out the area of the major sector…"
No calculator, so expect "Give your answer in terms of π". Keep π as a symbol the whole way through.
Surds: rationalise the denominator
Paper 2
9 of 11
"Rationalise the denominator and simplify."
Multiply top and bottom by the conjugate, e.g. (3 − √2).
Probability
Paper 2
9 of 11
"Find the probability that both marbles are green."
"Without replacement" means the second fraction changes.
Turning points / differentiation
Paper 2
5 of 11 with calculus, plus 3 asking for a quadratic's turning point
"Differentiate x³ − 3x² + 1", "Find the coordinates of the turning points…"
Set dy/dx = 0, solve, then substitute back to get the y-coordinates.
Transformations
Paper 2
7 of 11
"Describe fully the single transformation that maps triangle A onto triangle B."
Name the transformation and give every detail: centre and scale factor, angle and direction, or the mirror line.
Vectors
Paper 2
at least 6 of 11
"Find the vector BA", position vectors, a and b in a shape
Write the route as a sum, e.g. AB = AO + OB = −a + b.
Circle theorems with tangents
Paper 2
6 of 11
"FG is a tangent to the circle at C. Find angle…"
Give the reason in proper words, e.g. "angle between tangent and radius is 90°".
Mathematically similar shapes and solids
Paper 2 (also Paper 4)
6 of 11 (and 3 of 10 Paper 4s)
Two similar bottles or cylinders: find a volume or a length
Length scale k → area k² → volume k³.
What do the repeated questions tell you?
1. The calculator topics and non-calculator topics have split. In the older format, both Extended papers allowed a calculator (May/June 2024 Paper 22 was 1 h 30 min, calculator allowed). Of the six May/June and Oct/Nov 2024 Paper 4s we checked, five had a sector or arc question and all six had probability, all with a calculator. In the new format, sectors, surds, vectors and calculus mostly sit on Paper 2, where you can't use a calculator. If you only practise from pre-2025 papers, you're practising these topics the easy way. Do at least a few full 2025–2026 Paper 2s under timed conditions.
2. Paper 4 rewards "standard" questions done carefully. Bounds, compound interest, grouped mean and histograms are nearly guaranteed and fairly mechanical. Most marks are lost on accuracy, not on ideas. That's where the "3 s.f., don't round early" rule matters.
3. Wording is a gift. Cambridge reuses the same command phrases ("Describe fully…", "Calculate an estimate of…", "Find the lower bound…"). Once you know what each phrase wants, you can pick up method marks even when the numbers look scary.
How should you revise using repeated questions?
If you have a few months before May/June 2027:
Week by week, pick 2–3 topics from the table. Do 5–8 past questions on each, mixing Paper 2 and Paper 4 versions.
Mark with the mark scheme, not just the answer. Look at where the method marks go. That shows you what working to write down.
Keep a "lost marks" list. Every mark you drop goes on it with a one-line reason (rounded too early, forgot π, wrong bound).
One full timed paper every 1–2 weeks, alternating Paper 2 and Paper 4. Paper 2 is 2 hours, no calculator. Train for that.
Last 3–4 weeks: go back over your lost-marks list and the top 8 rows of the table above.
For parents: you don't need to know the maths to help. Ask your child to show you their lost-marks list each week, and check that full timed papers are actually happening. That habit makes a bigger difference than buying more books.
How can Teachn.io help with 0580 revision?
Teachn.io is a tutoring platform with real teachers in the loop, plus AI help. Our IGCSE Mathematics (0580) course has concise lecture notes for each syllabus topic, past papers, and a repeat question tracker that groups the questions that keep coming back, so you can practise those first. When you're stuck, Nio, the AI help built into the 0580 course, explains step by step, and a real mentor can check your working. It's a web app, so it works in your phone's browser.
Create a free account and get 50 credits (about 30 minutes). Start with the topics in the table above.
FAQ
What are the most repeated questions in IGCSE Maths 0580?
In the 21 Extended papers we checked (Feb/March 2025 to May/June 2026), bounds, compound interest/exponential change, 3D solids, grouped-data mean and histograms came up in 8–9 of 10 Paper 4s. Sectors, rationalising surds and probability came up in 9 of 11 Paper 2s.
Is IGCSE Maths 0580 Paper 2 non-calculator now?
Yes. From the 2025 exams, Paper 2 (Extended) and Paper 1 (Core) are non-calculator. Papers 3 and 4 need a scientific calculator (syllabus).
How long is IGCSE Maths 0580 Paper 4?
Paper 4 (Extended, calculator) is 2 hours and 100 marks, worth 50% of the qualification. Before 2025 it was 2 hours 30 minutes and 130 marks, so older papers are longer.
Are pre-2025 0580 past papers still useful?
Yes, for topic practice. Most topics overlap. But the calculator rules and timings have changed, so use 2025 and later papers for timed full-paper practice, especially Paper 2.
When were the Oct/Nov 2026 0580 exams, and when are results out?
0580 papers ran from 8 to 14 October 2026, depending on your zone (timetables). IGCSE results for the November 2026 series are released on 14 January 2027 (results).
How many significant figures should I give in 0580?
On calculator papers, give non-exact answers to 3 significant figures, and angles to 1 decimal place, unless the question asks for something else.
Can Teachn.io help me practise repeated 0580 questions?
Yes. The IGCSE Maths 0580 course has notes, past papers and a repeat question tracker, with real mentors and Nio, the built-in AI help, when you get stuck. You can create a free account and get 50 credits (about 30 minutes).
Sources
Official Cambridge sources first, then every past paper we checked (third-party mirror of Cambridge question papers; teachers at registered schools can also get them from Cambridge's School Support Hub).
