Edexcel IGCSE Maths A — Past Papers, Mark Schemes, Grade Boundaries & Resources
Every Edexcel International GCSE Maths A (4MA1) higher tier past paper and mark scheme, including the regional variants — plus grade boundaries and examiners report by series. Collected and kept up to date by Kevin Holdstock, a full-time private maths tutor for 14 years.
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What weekly tuition looks like for IGCSE Maths
I'm Kevin. I've been a full-time private maths tutor for 14 years — the first seven travelling house to house, and every year since 2019 entirely online. Lessons are usually one hour a week, always one to one, online and £120 an hour.
What's different about this exam
Both IGCSE papers allow a calculator — there's no non-calculator paper at all, which catches out anyone moving across from the UK GCSE. That changes what's being tested: less mental arithmetic, more accurate and fast use of the calculator itself, and more marks available for setting work out clearly.
A formulae sheet is printed on page 2 of every paper, but it's not comprehensive. Pythagoras, the trigonometric ratios, the area of a circle and all the coordinate geometry formulae aren't on it and still have to be known. Knowing exactly which side of that line each formula falls on is worth several marks a paper.
How I work with IGCSE students
Weekly checking on school work
Each week we confirm what was covered in class actually landed, and I set extra practice wherever it didn't. If a topic was taught in a way that didn't click, I'll teach it again from scratch.
Twice the past papers
Because of the regional variants there are roughly twice as many past papers available for this qualification as for most others. Used in the right order that's a real advantage, and part of my job is sequencing them rather than letting you work through them at random.
Building toward A-Level, if that's next
IGCSE Maths A covers some content that overlaps with A-Level pure maths. If you're heading that way, we can use the final months to build on that overlap rather than stopping at the exam.
Testimonials
"We feel incredibly fortunate to have found Kevin five years ago for our eldest daughter. She consistently said he was the best maths teacher she had ever encountered. So, three years ago, we asked Kevin to also take on tutoring our younger daughter. Last week, our younger daughter received her fantastic A-level results: A* in both Mathematics and Further Mathematics! She is overjoyed, particularly with the Further Maths grade, as she always considered it her most challenging subject."
Grade 9 Edexcel IGCSE · A* OCR-MEI A-Level Maths & Further Maths
"Kevin has been a responsible and fun teacher who knows the content inside out. He is also a great explainer who teaches by breaking down the underlying principles behind each theory. By following Kevin's revision method, I was able to create a much more effective revision schedule, which was definitely one of the most important things that helped me achieve A*s in both Maths and Further Maths at A-level."
Grade 9 Edexcel IGCSE · A OCR FSMQ, home schooled · A* OCR-MEI A-Level Maths & Further Maths
Edexcel IGCSE Higher Tier
Papers run oldest to newest on purpose — work through the earlier series first and save the most recent papers for timed practice close to your exam.
Papers marked R are regional versions, sat in Asia-Pacific time zones. They cover the same content at the same standard, so they're just as useful for practice — effectively double the number of past papers available to you.
The formulae sheet isn't a separate document for this qualification — it's printed on page 2 of every exam paper, so you'll find it at the front of any question paper below.
Starting A-Level Maths in September? See what to do next →
Marking a paper? The grade boundaries for every series are further down this page — worth checking what your score actually meant that year before you judge it. Jump to grade boundaries ↓
June 2018
Paper 1 (4MA1/1H)
Regional paper (1HR)
Paper 2 (4MA1/2H)
Regional paper (2HR)
Edexcel IGCSE Maths A grade boundaries — Higher tier
Overall qualification boundaries for Higher tier, out of 200 across both papers, with the percentage in brackets. This qualification runs three series a year — January, June and November — though not every series has run every year.
Starting A-Level Maths in September? See what to do next →
Higher tier grade boundaries
| Series | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 165 (83%) | 138 (69%) | 111 (56%) | 87 (44%) | 64 (32%) | 41 (21%) | 29 (15%) |
| Nov 2025 | 166 (83%) | 136 (68%) | 107 (54%) | 86 (43%) | 65 (33%) | 45 (23%) | 35 (18%) |
| June 2025 | 172 (86%) | 144 (72%) | 117 (59%) | 92 (46%) | 68 (34%) | 44 (22%) | 32 (16%) |
| June 2024 | 163 (82%) | 135 (68%) | 107 (54%) | 84 (42%) | 61 (31%) | 38 (19%) | 25 (13%) |
| Nov 2023 | 152 (76%) | 123 (62%) | 95 (48%) | 76 (38%) | 57 (29%) | 39 (20%) | 30 (15%) |
| June 2023 | 152 (76%) | 123 (62%) | 95 (48%) | 75 (38%) | 55 (28%) | 35 (18%) | 25 (13%) |
| Jan 2023 | 142 (71%) | 117 (59%) | 92 (46%) | 69 (35%) | 47 (24%) | 25 (13%) | 14 (7%) |
| June 2022 | 142 (71%) | 117 (59%) | 92 (46%) | 69 (35%) | 47 (24%) | 25 (13%) | 14 (7%) |
| Jan 2022 | 136 (68%) | 111 (56%) | 86 (43%) | 64 (32%) | 42 (21%) | 21 (11%) | 10 (5%) |
| Nov 2021 | 136 (68%) | 111 (56%) | 86 (43%) | 64 (32%) | 42 (21%) | 21 (11%) | 10 (5%) |
| Jan 2020 | 159 (80%) | 131 (66%) | 104 (52%) | 83 (42%) | 62 (31%) | 41 (21%) | 30 (15%) |
| Jan 2019 | 155 (78%) | 127 (64%) | 100 (50%) | 79 (40%) | 58 (29%) | 38 (19%) | 28 (14%) |
| June 2018 | 149 (75%) | 125 (63%) | 102 (51%) | 81 (41%) | 60 (30%) | 39 (20%) | 28 (14%) |
Boundaries as published by Pearson Edexcel. Official Edexcel grade boundaries →
Regional paper boundaries
Regional papers (marked R) are sat in Asia-Pacific time zones and only run alongside the January and June series — November doesn't offer a regional variant. They're graded independently of the standard papers each series.
| Series | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 R | 171 (86%) | 145 (73%) | 119 (60%) | 94 (47%) | 69 (35%) | 45 (23%) | 33 (17%) |
| June 2025 R | 167 (84%) | 140 (70%) | 113 (57%) | 89 (45%) | 65 (33%) | 41 (21%) | 29 (15%) |
| June 2024 R | 167 (84%) | 138 (69%) | 110 (55%) | 86 (43%) | 62 (31%) | 39 (20%) | 27 (14%) |
| June 2023 R | 160 (80%) | 131 (66%) | 103 (52%) | 80 (40%) | 58 (29%) | 36 (18%) | 25 (13%) |
| Jan 2023 R | 149 (75%) | 124 (62%) | 99 (50%) | 75 (38%) | 52 (26%) | 29 (15%) | 17 (9%) |
| June 2022 R | 143 (72%) | 113 (57%) | 84 (42%) | 63 (32%) | 42 (21%) | 21 (11%) | 10 (5%) |
| Jan 2022 R | 136 (68%) | 111 (56%) | 86 (43%) | 64 (32%) | 42 (21%) | 21 (11%) | 10 (5%) |
| Jan 2021 R | 152 (76%) | 121 (61%) | 91 (46%) | 67 (34%) | 43 (22%) | 20 (10%) | 8 (4%) |
| Jan 2020 R | 158 (79%) | 130 (65%) | 103 (52%) | 82 (41%) | 61 (31%) | 41 (21%) | 31 (16%) |
| June 2019 R | 159 (80%) | 129 (65%) | 100 (50%) | 79 (40%) | 58 (29%) | 37 (19%) | 26 (13%) |
| Jan 2019 R | 153 (77%) | 125 (63%) | 97 (49%) | 77 (39%) | 57 (29%) | 38 (19%) | 28 (14%) |
| June 2018 R | 160 (80%) | 131 (66%) | 103 (52%) | 81 (41%) | 60 (30%) | 39 (20%) | 28 (14%) |
Regional papers are graded independently of the standard papers each series. Boundaries as published by Pearson Edexcel.
What these numbers tell you
June is consistently the harder boundary to clear. Comparing the two June-series pairs available, June has needed 82–86% for a grade 9 in 2024–2025, while the January series in the years it ran sat lower — 68–80%. That's not a sign January was an easier exam; it more likely reflects a different, smaller cohort. Either way, don't use a January boundary as your target if you're sitting in June.
Within June alone, the climb has been steep and recent: 71% in 2022 up to 86% by 2025 — a fifteen-point jump in three series. If you're revising from 2022 or 2023 papers, be aware the bar has moved substantially since.
One hour a week. One to one. Wherever you are.
Weekly online lessons arranged around your time zone, working through the syllabus properly and using the full run of past papers in the right order — including the regional variants most students never touch.
£120 per hour