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iGCSE maths past papers and more: PEARSON FOUNDATION
This examination comprises of two papers.
Calculator Paper 1
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Duration 2 hours and maximum of 100 marks.
Calculator Paper 2
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Duration
2 hours and maximum of 100 marks.
The scores from each paper are combined to give the students examination total
score. A maximum of 200 marks is possible.
For example, a student with a total score of 100 achieved 100/200 = 50%.
Using the table below, in June 2018 this student would be awarded the examination grade 3.
Practicing past papers should rank highly on any students list of revision tools.
Importantly, do not forget about a completed paper once you have marked your answers. Seek help and support to understand and learn more about the topics you are getting wrong.
- Access and download a past paper.
- Mark your answers using the mark scheme.
- Use grade boundaries to obtain a grade to see how well you are progressing.
Unavailable papers: The two most most recent past papers are NOT available to the public, as schools typically use these papers for mock examinations.
Below you will find all the available past papers, mark schemes and grade boundaries for the PEARSON iGCSE foundation examination. Also included on this page are the course's specification and other useful information, including the dates of the next examination.
REGION 1 = UK, EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST and AFRICA
| Region 1: foundation | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2018 | 68.0% = 136 | 55.0% = 110 | 40.0% = 80 | 25.5% = 51 | 11.0% = 22 |
| Jan 2019 | 68.5% = 137 | 56.5% = 113 | 41.5% = 80 | 26.5% = 53 | 11.5% = 23 |
| June 2019 | 67.0% = 134 | 57.0% = 114 | 42.0% = 84 | 27.0% = 54 | 02.0% = 24 |
| Jan 2020 | 72.5% = 145 | 60.0% = 120 | 44.0% = 88 | 28.0% = 56 | 12.0% = 24 |
| Nov 2020 | 59.0% = 118 | 46.5% = 93 | 34.0% = 68 | 22.0% = 44 | 10.0% = 20 |
| COVID = June 2021 | |||||
| Nov 2021 | 58.0% = 116 | 43.5% = 87 | 32.0% = 64 | 21.0% = 42 | 10.0% = 20 |
| Jan 2022 | 59.5% = 119 | 45.0% = 90 | 33.0% = 66 | 21.5% = 43 | 10.0% = 20 |
| June 2022 | 65.0% = 130 | 50.0% = 100 | 37.0% = 74 | 24.0% = 48 | 11.5% = 23 |
| Jan 2023 = LAST | 64.0% = 128 | 49.0% = 98 | 36.5% = 73 | 24.0% = 48 | 11.5% = 23 |
| June 2023 | 70.0% = 140 | 58.5% = 117 | 43.0% = 86 | 22.5% = 55 | 12.0% = 24 |
| Nov 2023 | 69.5% = 139 | 58.0% = 118 | 42.5% = 85 | 27.0% = 54 | 12.0% = 24 |
| June 2024 | 73.0% = 146 | 60.5% = 121 | 44.0% = 88 | 27.5% = 55 | 11.0% = 22 |
| Nov 2024 | 74.5% = 149 | 62.5% = 125 | 46.0% = 92 | 29.5% = 49 | 13.0% = 26 |
| June 2024 |
NOTE: percentages are rounded to nearest 1 d.p.
Grade boundaries can change from year to year, as you will see in the table above. Although PEARSON work hard to produce exam papers that are of the same level of difficulty each year, small variations do occur. To compensate for this the exam board adjusts the grade boundaries.
The termination of January examinations. Be aware that January 2023 was the final January examination series available, as Pearson replaced it's January examinations with November examinations.
REGION 2 = AUSTRALIA, ASIA, NEW ZEALAND & the PACIFIC
Region 2: FOUNDATION iGCSE grade boundaries (5 - 1)
| PEARSON region 2: foundation | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2018 | 68.0% = 136 | 54.5% = 109 | 40.0% = 80 | 25.5% = 51 | 11.0% = 22 |
| Jan 2019 | 70.5% = 141 | 55.5% = 111 | 40.5% = 81 | 26.0% = 52 | 11.5% = 23 |
| June 2019 | 70.0% = 140 | 57.0% = 114 | 42.0% = 84 | 27.0% = 54 | 02.0% = 24 |
| Jan 2020 | 70.5% = 141 | 56.0% = 112 | 41.5% = 83 | 27.0% = 54 | 12.5% = 25 |
| Nov 2020 | 59.0% = 118 | 46.5% = 93 | 34.0% = 68 | 22.0% = 44 | 10.0% = 20 |
| COVID = June 2021 | |||||
| Jan 2022 | 59.0% = 118 | 49.5% = 89 | 33.0% = 66 | 21.5% = 43 | 10.0% = 20 |
| June 2022 | 61.0% = 122 | 43.5% = 87 | 32.5% = 65 | 21.5% = 43 | 10.5% = 21 |
| Jan 2023 = last | 67.5% 135 | 52.0% = 104 | 39.0% = 78 | 26.0% = 52 | 13.0% = 26 |
| June 2023 | 68.5% = 137 | 54.0% = 108 | 39.0% = 78 | 24.0% = 48 | 09.0% = 18 |
| June 2024 | 70.0% = 140 | 58.5% = 117 | 42.5% = 85 | 27.0% = 54 | 11.5% = 23 |
Region 2: Foundation iGCSE past papers and mark schemes
The termination of January examinations. Be aware that January 2023 was the final January examination series available, as Pearson replaced it's January examinations with November examinations.
PEARSON iGCSE maths examination dates: 2025 - 2026
In a 12 month window, there are two opportunities for students to sit their GCSE maths examination. Currently, in May/June and then again in November. The majority of students will sit their GCSE at school in the May/June exam period. Those that obtain a grade 3 or lower in the summer exam are able to resit their GCSE examination in November, a few months later.
Note: Prior to 2023, the two examinations periods were January and May/June.
| 2025 | Autumn paper 1 | Autumn Paper 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 6th November | Friday 7th November |
| 2026 | Summer paper 1 | Summer paper 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 14th May | Wednesday 3rd June |
Did you know that Pearson splits the World into regions 1 and 2?
Pearson has grouped the world into two regions based on time zones.
Region 1 foundation past papers are sat by students living in UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Region 2 papers were used students living in ASIA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND and the PACIFIC.
For the May/June exams, Pearson create two versions of their iGCSE maths exam, a set of papers fo zone 1 and a set of papers for zone 2. This allows more candidates across the world to sit the exams earlier in the day rather than late into the evening. However, for the retake
November exams, only one version of this International maths GCSE exam is available.
More about Pearson's Foundation Series 4MA1 (syllabus A)
Pearson (formally Edexcel) International iGCSEs are globally recognised qualifications with academic content designed specifically for international learners. This qualification is comparable to the UK reformed GCSEs in terms of the level of demand and assessment standards.
