How is 4MB1 different from 4MA1?

Maths B is a single higher-level tier aimed at 9 to 4 with 3 allowed; Maths A has Foundation and Higher tiers.

Is a calculator allowed?

Yes on both papers, but the working still has to be shown.

Are the questions original?

Yes. Questions are written to the published topic list and grade distribution, not copied from past papers.

Is this official Pearson Edexcel marking?

No. Pearson Edexcel International marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for IGCSE Maths B. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.

Which papers are marked?

None yet are marked question by question. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.

How is the next paper chosen?

From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Mathematics B (4MB1): syllabus, papers and marking

Name: Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Mathematics B (4MB1) — exam-style papers and marking
Price: 5000 PKR

A single demanding tier aimed at grades 9 to 4. Method and accuracy marks shown step by step, with the minimum working the mark scheme expects.

Specification Issue 1 (January 2016), first teaching 2016 · June and November series · grades 9–4 (3 allowed), single tier

IGCSE Maths B: where the marks go

Edexcel International GCSE Mathematics B (4MB1) is a single-tier qualification aimed at grades 9 to 4 (3 is allowed): Paper 1 is 1 h 30 min and 100 marks, Paper 2 is 2 h 30 min and 100 marks, and a calculator is allowed on both. Both papers cover number and algebra, geometry and trigonometry, and statistics and probability, with about 60 percent of the marks aimed at grades 6 to 9. Pearson’s reports say the recurring losses are working that the mark scheme expects to see being skipped, rounding slips, and answers left in the wrong form.

Our papers are original and follow the published structure and grade distribution. Marking returns method and accuracy marks for each step, and the lost mark is tied to the idea behind it, such as showing a common denominator or a full factorisation.

How we mark a real script

Paper structure and what we mark

Paper	Time	Marks	Weight	Questions
Paper 1 — Paper 1	1 h 30 min	100	33⅓%	Around 26–30 questions across number and algebra, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability; calculator allowed
Paper 2 — Paper 2	2 h 30 min	100	66⅔%	Around 11–12 longer questions across the whole specification; calculator allowed

Syllabus outline

Number, sets, algebra, functions, matrices
Geometry, mensuration, vectors and transformation geometry
Trigonometry (including the sine and cosine rules and 3D problems)
Statistics and probability (histograms, cumulative frequency, tree diagrams, Venn diagrams)
Problem solving and proof across topics

How each paper is marked here

Each question is marked step by step with method, accuracy and independent marks; follow-through is applied where the mark scheme allows it.
The feedback names the missing step in plain words, not only the lost mark.
Opening soon: the Paper 1 rubric is in testing; ask to be told.

Where IGCSE Maths B candidates lose marks

Minimum working left out — The mark scheme expects the common denominator, or the square decomposition, to be visible; calculator-only jumps lose the method mark.
Rounding and significant figures — Zeros treated as not significant, or answers cut at five decimal places, cost accuracy marks even when the working is right.
Incomplete factorisation — A partial factorisation, or the signs the wrong way round in the brackets, earns one of two marks.
Tangent drawn as a chord — A gradient at a point needs a tangent; a chord or vertical and horizontal lines through the point do not score.
Answer not in the form asked — A product of prime factors written as a number, or an expression left without d as the subject, loses the final mark.

Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for IGCSE Maths B

Sample material

Mathematics A (same marking approach)

Questions teachers ask

How is 4MB1 different from 4MA1?: Maths B is a single higher-level tier aimed at 9 to 4 with 3 allowed; Maths A has Foundation and Higher tiers.
Is a calculator allowed?: Yes on both papers, but the working still has to be shown.
Are the questions original?: Yes. Questions are written to the published topic list and grade distribution, not copied from past papers.
Is this official Pearson Edexcel marking?: No. Pearson Edexcel International marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for IGCSE Maths B. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
Do you reproduce past-paper questions?: No. Every 4MB1 paper here is original and written to the specification issue 1 (january 2016), first teaching 2016, in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
Which papers are marked?: None yet are marked question by question. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.
How is the next paper chosen?: From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.
When are the exams?: June and November series. Grades 9–4 (3 allowed), single tier.

Other Pearson Edexcel International GCSE courses

Start marking Mathematics B scripts · See a real marked script