Past papers: official sources and how to use them
Past papers are previous exam papers that boards publish with their mark schemes. For O Level, A Level, IGCSE and GCSE they are the most useful revision tool, as long as you use the official versions, mark them strictly against the official mark scheme and act on the marks you lose.
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Where can you find official O Level, A Level and IGCSE past papers?
Boards publish specimen and recent papers on their own websites; schools also get access to fuller archives through board support portals. Use the official versions, because unofficial copies are sometimes incomplete or paired with the wrong mark scheme.
| Board | Qualifications | What students can use |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge International | O Level, IGCSE, AS & A Level | Specimen and selected past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports on each syllabus page; schools have a larger archive on Cambridge's School Support Hub. |
| Pearson Edexcel | International GCSE, International A Level, GCSE, A Level | Past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports on the Pearson qualifications website; the most recent series can be restricted to teachers for a period. |
| AQA and OCR | GCSE and A Level (England) | Past papers and mark schemes on each board's website, filtered by specification code. |
Should you practise topical past papers or full papers first?
Start with papers written for your current syllabus code and years, because older syllabuses can contain topics that have since been removed. Keep the two most recent series for timed mocks near the exam, and work through older papers by topic first. Cambridge syllabuses also list the paper variants (for example 12, 22, 32) used in different zones; any variant is good practice.
Why read examiner reports?
Examiner reports describe where candidates lost marks on each question in a series. Reading the report alongside the mark scheme shows what a full-mark answer needs, which is often the difference between a B and an A.
How should you use past papers?
- Do a paper under timed conditions, with nothing but the allowed equipment.
- Mark it strictly with the official mark scheme.
- List every lost mark by topic and by reason (knowledge, method, reading the question, timing).
- Fix the top two reasons before the next paper.
- Convert your score with that series' grade threshold table to track progress.
Our tutors follow this cycle in every course. Book a free trial class to try it with a specialist for your board, or see the exam dates for each board to plan when to start timed papers.
Official sources
Past paper questions
Where can I find official O Level and A Level past papers?
Find official past papers on the exam board's own website: Cambridge International publishes specimen and selected past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports on each syllabus page, and Pearson, AQA and OCR do the same on their qualification pages. Schools get fuller archives through board support portals, so ask your school or tutor for older series.
Should I do topical past papers or full papers first?
Start with topical questions from papers written for your current syllabus code, then move to full timed papers as the exam gets closer. Keep the two most recent series for mock exams near the end, and avoid papers from older syllabuses unless you check which topics have since been removed or changed.
How should I mark my own past papers?
Mark every past paper strictly with the official mark scheme for that exact paper and series, then list each lost mark by topic and by reason: knowledge, method, reading the question or timing. Fix the two biggest reasons before the next paper, and convert your total with that series' grade threshold table to track progress.
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