How to Practise IGCSE Past Papers by Topic in the Last 8 Weeks Before June 2027

The June 2027 Cambridge IGCSE written exams start on Monday 26 April 2027, so the last eight weeks run from Monday 1 March. Spend the first two weeks on one timed paper per subject to find weak topics, the next three on past-paper questions for those topics, then two weeks of full papers, and keep the final week light.

The dates this plan is built on

Cambridge's final timetable for the June 2027 series, Zone 2, version 1 (November 2026), puts the written exams between 26 April and 11 June 2027. The theory papers in the sciences come first and the multiple-choice papers come last, about six weeks later. The same dates appear on the Zone 4 timetable used by centres in Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia; our June 2027 timetable guide has the full Zone 4 list.

Maths 0580 has no multiple choice. Papers 1 and 2 are on Wednesday 28 April and Papers 3 and 4 on Wednesday 5 May, both in the afternoon. Speaking tests run earlier: First Language English 0500 speaking and listening has a window from 1 March to 26 April, and English as a Second Language 0510 speaking from 30 March to 27 April. Your school sets the exact day.

Two things follow. The theory papers for Biology, Chemistry and Maths all fall in the first three days, so they need the most work in March and April. The multiple-choice and practical papers can wait until after 26 April, when there is still time to prepare for them.

Weeks 1 and 2: find the weak topics (1 to 14 March)

1. Sit one theory paper per subject, timed
   Use a recent paper of the variant your centre sits (variant 2 in Zone 4). Biology and Chemistry Paper 4 are 1 hour 15 minutes, Maths Paper 4 is 2 hours.
2. Mark it against the official mark scheme
   Line by line, giving yourself zero when unsure. Our self-marking guide has the rules for Maths and the sciences.
3. Tag each lost mark with a syllabus topic
   Write the topic name next to it, then count. The three topics with the most lost marks are your list for weeks 3 to 5.
4. Sit a second paper if a subject surprised you
   One paper can be unlucky. If a result looks off, a second paper from another series confirms or corrects the list.

Keep a single page per subject with the topic list and the score. Every later decision comes from it.

Weeks 3 to 5: past papers by topic (15 March to 4 April)

This is where topic practice beats full papers. A whole Paper 4 might hold one question on your weakest topic. A topic set gives you fifteen.

1. One topic per session
   About an hour: 30 to 40 minutes of questions, then marking and corrections. Rotate subjects day by day.
2. Start with the most recent papers
   Recent papers match the current syllabus wording most closely. Older questions are fine once the recent ones run out, as long as the topic is still on the syllabus.
3. Redo every question you got wrong
   Two days later, without notes. The redo is what moves the score; reading the mark scheme alone rarely does.
4. Move on at about 80% on a fresh set
   When you score that on questions you have not seen before, the topic is off the list and the next one goes on.

Topic-sorted questions save the sorting. On PapaMarks, Maths 0580 has 7,590 real past-paper questions filed by topic, each part checked instantly against its mark scheme. For the sciences, the library groups questions by syllabus topic for Biology 0610, Chemistry 0620 and Physics 0625, and our 0625 Paper 4 guide shows the same method for Physics. A free account has every past paper and mark scheme and 5 quiz questions a day; Basic opens every topic.

Weeks 6 and 7: full papers in exam order (5 to 18 April)

Switch back to whole papers, timed, in the order the exams fall: Biology Paper 4, then Chemistry Paper 4, then Maths Papers 2 and 4. Aim for two full theory papers per subject over the fortnight, with topic sessions on the days between to repair anything new that turns up. Score each paper the same way as in week 1 and compare. If a topic from your list is still losing marks, it goes back into a topic session the next day.

For the papers on 26 to 28 April, rehearse at the time of day of the real exam. Zone 2 and Zone 4 sit the science theory papers in the morning and Maths in the afternoon.

Week 8: keep it light (19 to 25 April)

• Monday to Wednesday: one last timed Biology Paper 4 and one Chemistry Paper 4, marked the same day.
• Thursday and Friday: the corrections pages from weeks 3 to 7, read through and the wrong answers redone once more.
• The weekend: definitions and keywords for Biology and Chemistry, formulae for Maths. No new topics, and normal sleep.

After 26 April

The plan does not end on the first exam. Physics theory is on 7 May, the practical papers fall between 11 and 25 May, and the science multiple-choice papers come on 8 to 10 June. Run the same cycle on a shorter clock: a timed paper, topic repairs, a final timed paper. For the alternative to practical papers, our Paper 6 guide covers how they are marked.

FAQ

Sources

• Cambridge International, Cambridge Final Exam Timetable June 2027, Zone 2, version 1, November 2026: syllabus view and test date windows.
• Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 syllabus for 2026, 2027 and 2028: paper durations.
• PapaMarks Topical Questions for 0580: published question count read from production on 15 November 2026.