How to Get an A* in IGCSE Mathematics: A Complete Study Plan
An A* in IGCSE Mathematics is less about talent and more about a clear plan: knowing exactly what the exam tests, practising the way examiners mark, and fixing the small errors that quietly cost marks. This guide gives you that plan, whether you are studying Cambridge or Edexcel.
1. Know exactly which exam you are taking
Before anything else, check your syllabus code with your school, because the papers are different.
| Board | Syllabus | Top-grade papers |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge (CAIE) | 0580 (graded A* to G) or 0980 (graded 9 to 1) | Extended tier: Paper 2 (non-calculator) and Paper 4 (calculator) |
| Pearson Edexcel | 4MA1 (graded 9 to 1) | Higher tier: Paper 1H and Paper 2H (calculator allowed in both) |
Only the Extended (Cambridge) or Higher (Edexcel) tier can award an A* or grade 9. If you are aiming for the top grade, make sure your school enters you for that tier.
2. Build a topic map before you revise
Print your board's syllabus and turn it into a checklist with three columns: Confident, Needs practice and Don't understand yet. Rate every topic honestly. The main areas are:
- Number: fractions, percentages, standard form, bounds, ratio
- Algebra: equations, inequalities, sequences, functions, graphs, quadratics
- Geometry: angles, circle theorems, similarity, constructions
- Mensuration: area, volume, arc length, surface area
- Trigonometry: SOHCAHTOA, sine and cosine rules, 3D problems
- Vectors and transformations
- Probability and statistics: tree diagrams, histograms, cumulative frequency
Spend most of your time on the middle and right-hand columns. Revising topics you already know feels productive but rarely moves your grade.
3. Learn each topic in three steps
- Understand the idea. Make sure you can explain why a method works, not just copy it.
- Practise standard questions until you can do them without notes.
- Do past-paper questions on that topic. Exam questions often combine two topics, so this is where real exam skill is built.
4. Use past papers the way examiners mark them
Past papers are the single most important resource. Use them properly:
- Mark with the official mark scheme, not just the answer. Notice where method marks (M) and accuracy marks (A) are given.
- Always show working. A correct method with a small slip can still earn most of the marks; a wrong answer with no working earns nothing.
- Keep an error log. Write down every mistake and why it happened: careless, misread the question, or didn't know the method.
- Redo the questions you got wrong a week later, without looking at the answer.
5. Master the non-calculator paper
For Cambridge Extended, Paper 2 is non-calculator. Practise fraction arithmetic, long multiplication and division, surds, simplifying expressions and exact trigonometric values until they are quick and accurate. Five minutes of mental arithmetic practice a day makes a real difference.
6. Avoid the mistakes that cost an A*
- Rounding too early: keep full values in your calculator until the final step.
- Giving answers to the wrong accuracy: follow the question, or give 3 significant figures (1 decimal place for angles) if none is stated.
- Missing units, or forgetting to convert units (cm² vs m²).
- Calculator in the wrong mode: check degrees, not radians.
- Not answering the actual question: underline what is being asked before you start.
7. A 12-week revision plan before the exam
| Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Close gaps: two weak topics a week, with topic-based past-paper questions |
| 5 to 8 | One full timed paper a week, marked strictly, plus error-log review |
| 9 to 11 | Two full papers a week, alternating calculator and non-calculator |
| 12 | Light revision of your error log and formulas; rest well before the exam |
8. When a tutor helps most
Many capable students get stuck at an A rather than an A* because of a few weak topics and exam-technique habits they cannot see themselves. A specialist tutor can spot these quickly, explain difficult topics in a different way, and mark your work the way an examiner would.
At Heights International Academy, our IGCSE Maths tutors include MS and PhD mathematicians and senior teachers with decades of experience, and they teach to your exact board, Cambridge or Edexcel. Book a free trial class and we will build a plan around your weak areas.
Questions parents and students ask
How many hours a week should I study for IGCSE Maths?
Most students aiming for an A* do well with 4 to 6 focused hours a week during the course, rising to 8 to 10 hours in the final two months, with at least one timed past paper each week.
Is IGCSE Maths Extended harder than Core?
Yes. Only the Extended tier (Cambridge) or Higher tier (Edexcel) can award the top grades, so any student aiming for an A* or grade 9 must sit that tier.
When should I start doing past papers?
Start topic-by-topic past-paper questions from the first term, and full timed papers about four to six months before the exam.