How to get an A* in IGCSE Maths 0580

Only the Extended tier can give you an A*. Extended candidates sit Paper 2 (non-calculator) and Paper 4 (calculator). Each paper is 2 hours and worth 100 marks. The Core tier (Papers 1 and 3) is capped at grade C, however well you do.

Extended candidates can get grades A* to E, so talk to your teacher early if you are not sure which tier you are entered for.

Paper 2 is half of your maths marks on paper, and many strong students lose their A* here. Fractions, negative numbers, standard form, surds and exact trig values all have to be done by hand.

• Practise fraction and decimal arithmetic until it is automatic.
• Learn the exact values of sin, cos and tan for 30°, 45° and 60°.
• Get used to leaving answers as fractions, surds or in terms of π when you cannot simplify further.
• Do at least one timed non-calculator set every week.

Free lessons: The four operations · Fractions, decimals and percentages · Surds · Exact trigonometric values

A correct method with a badly rounded answer can still lose the final mark. These are the rules from the syllabus:

• Give non-exact answers to 3 significant figures, or 1 decimal place for angles, unless the question says otherwise.
• Never round in the middle of a calculation. Keep the full calculator value and round only at the end.
• Use the π key or 3.142, not 3.14.
• "Exact value" means leave π or a surd in your answer.
• Never mix fractions and decimals in one answer.

Free lessons: Estimation · Using a calculator

On the Extended papers, algebra runs through almost everything: solving equations, rearranging formulas, quadratics, functions, sequences and graphs. If algebra is slow or shaky, every other topic suffers.

Beyond algebra, make sure you are secure in the topics that separate A from A*: the sine and cosine rules, circle theorems with reasons, vectors, conditional probability, histograms, bounds and differentiation.

Free lessons: Algebraic manipulation · Quadratic equations · Non-right-angled triangles · Circle theorems I · Vector geometry · Histograms · Differentiation

Method marks are given for correct working even when the final answer slips. If the question says "show your working", a bare correct answer may not get full marks. Write each step on its own line so the examiner can follow it.

Tip: In a "Show that" question the answer is already printed. All the marks are for the working that gets you there, so write one more figure of accuracy than the answer shows.

1. Start with single topics: do every question on one topic from several papers.
2. Move on to full papers under timed conditions: 2 hours, no notes, the correct calculator rule.
3. Mark strictly using the mark scheme. Count method and accuracy marks separately.
4. Write every lost mark in an error log: the topic, what went wrong, and the correct method.
5. Redo the questions from your error log a week later without looking.

• Does the answer make sense? A probability above 1, a negative length or a 20 m tall person means something went wrong.
• Substitute your solution back into the equation.
• Estimate first: round each number to 1 significant figure and check your answer is close.
• Reread the question: did it ask for the discount or the sale price? x or y? Both?

Free lesson: Estimation