Past papers are the single most effective tool for exam success. Unlike passively revising notes, attempting papers forces you to practice retrieval (pulling information from memory), which drastically strengthens your long-term retention.
It may feel difficult or frustrating at first, but this is a good sign. If it feels too easy, you likely aren't learning as much. The struggle to remember is what cements the knowledge in your long-term memory.
Textbooks usually group questions by topic (e.g. 20 questions on Integration). This is easy because you know exactly what method to use. Exams are different: they mix everything up. They train you to identify which method to use, not just how to use it. This helps you recognise standard question patterns and strengthens your problem-solving intuition.
Clear your desk: No music, no phone, no textbook.
Set a timer: Strict time limits test your fluency, not just your understanding. If you run out of time, your core skills may not yet be fully automatic.
No peeking: If you get stuck, do not look at the mark scheme. Looking at the answer tricks your brain into thinking "I knew that" when you actually didn't. You won't be able to do this in the real exam.
If you are truly stuck: Skip the question and finish the rest of the paper. After the timer stops, look at your notes for a tiny hint, close the notes, and then try to finish the problem.
Donโt wait: Mark your paper while the struggle is still fresh in your mind.
Immediate feedback helps correct misconceptions before they become ingrained habits.
For every mark you lost, you must analyse why you lost it:
Silly Mistake. (Calculation error, misread the question)ย
ย Solution: Your brain has limited RAM. Write out more steps to reduce mental load. Slow down and check your steps as you go.ย
Procedural Error.ย (Forgot a formula/method)ย
ย Solution: You are rusty. You need repetition. Review the method, then immediately do 3-5 similar textbook questions.
Conceptual Gap. (You had no idea how to start)
ย Solution: You are missing a foundation. Reading a mark scheme won't fix this. Go back to the textbook or a video and re-learn the topic from scratch.
Understanding โ Learning: Just because the mark scheme makes sense doesn't mean you can do it.
Immediate Retry: If you got it wrong, read the solution, cover it up, and redo the question from scratch.
The 24-Hour Test: The next day, try that exact question (or a very similar one) again. If you can't get it right tomorrow, you never actually learned it: put it on a list to try again in 3 days.
Ideal for identifying and fixing knowledge gaps in Year 1 content.
Use these to build speed and fluency in prerequisite skills.
Provides the exact difficulty and question phrasing you will face.
Save the most recent 3 years of papers for full, timed mock exams close to the exam date.
Different boards phrase questions differently. If you can solve these, you understand the concept, not just the question style.
Use these for additional practice once you exhaust your own boardโs resources.
โ ๏ธ Caution: Pure content is generally consistent, but Statistics/Mechanics content can vary.
Made with the Edexcel syllabus in mind, but useful for all.
Third-party papers aren't perfect; some are harder or weirder than the real thing.ย
MadAsMaths papers are more difficult and abstract; recommended for A/A* students.
For Edexcel, these are an excellent source of Pure questions with a style similar to the UK papers.
โ ๏ธ Caution: There are syllabus differences! Some UK topics are missing, and some IAL topics are not in the UK spec.