See how it works
Watch a tutor work through a question.
Say what you're studying, choose a tutor, then work through your homework step by step, take a quick quiz or call your tutor. This one is IGCSE Maths, and every subject works the same way.
The essentials
How Cambridge O Level works
- Grading
- A* to E. Results below E are reported as “Ungraded”.
- Exam series
- June and November, with results in August and January.
- Availability
- Not offered in administrative zones 1, 2 and 6. From June 2028, Cambridge begins moving schools in zones 3 and 5 to the equivalent IGCSEs.
- IGCSE
- Cambridge says O Level and IGCSE are equivalent qualifications, grade for grade.
From Cambridge International’s published information, checked 2026-10-27. Official source
Command words
Know what the question is asking.
Each question starts with a command word that tells you what kind of answer earns the marks. These are Cambridge International’s own definitions. Ask your tutor to practise any of them.
- Calculate
- work out from given facts, figures or information
- Compare
- identify/comment on similarities and/or differences
- Describe
- state the points of a topic / give characteristics and main features
- Evaluate
- judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount or value of something
- Explain
- set out purposes or reasons / make the relationships between things clear / say why and/or how and support with relevant evidence
- Identify
- name/select/recognise
- State
- express in clear terms
- Suggest
- apply knowledge and understanding to situations where there are a range of valid responses to make proposals/put forward considerations
FAQ
Cambridge O Level questions, answered.
Cambridge treats them as equivalent, grade for grade, and at the same level. The syllabuses and papers differ, and you can’t take the O Level and IGCSE versions of the same subject in one exam series. Tell your tutor which one you’re taking.
The exam coach marks answers against what mark schemes reward, says how many marks it would get, and shows what to add. Use it alongside your teacher’s marking.
Yes. Tutopiya AI covers Cambridge IGCSE too. Tell your tutor which qualification and syllabus code you’ll sit, and it follows that one.
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