A credit in SC Maths matters more than any other single grade in Grade 11. It counts towards the credits you need for HSC, and it is one of the subjects where Mauritian results have fallen most. This guide explains what a credit actually is, how the Cambridge O Level Mathematics (4024) papers work for 2027, and gives a topic-by-topic plan that puts your time where the marks are.

What a credit in SC Maths means

The School Certificate (SC) is the Cambridge O Level, run in Mauritius by the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) with Cambridge. SC results are graded on a 1 to 9 scale (Royal Society case study on Mauritius):

SC grade	What it counts as
1–2	Distinction (also a credit)
3–6	Credit
7–8	Pass
9	Fail

So a credit is grade 6 or better. A grade 7 or 8 is a pass, which may be enough for some purposes but does not count as one of your credits.

Grade thresholds are set by Cambridge each series. There is no fixed percentage that always earns a credit, so aim well above the line.

Why SC Maths results matter in 2027

Maths is one of the weakest SC subjects. Figures published on the MES website and compiled by L’Express show a steady drop (L’Express, February 2026):

SC Maths	Pass	Credit
2021	82.39%	51.28%
2024	75.18%	45.71%
2025	70.73%	42.43%

In 2025, nearly three candidates in ten failed Maths. The overall SC pass rate also fell, from 72.65% in 2024 to 69.28% (L’Express, January 2026). Writing in the Mauritius Times, Paramanund Soobarah estimated that only about a fifth of students reached grade 4 or better in Maths in 2025 (Mauritius Times, January 2026).

The credit is what opens doors:

• HSC. Entry to Grade 12 depends on your number of SC credits. The 2026 HSC cohort was the first admitted with three or four credits (mega.mu, September 2026). Your school has the final word on the rules for your year.
• University and diplomas. The University of Mauritius asks for at least three SC credits for both degrees and diplomas, and individual programmes can add their own subject requirements (UoM regulations 2026/2027).

SC Maths papers: Cambridge O Level 4024 for 2027

If you sit SC in 2027, you use the 2025–2027 syllabus of Cambridge O Level Mathematics (Syllabus D) 4024 (Cambridge 4024 syllabus). Students sitting in 2028 move to the 2028–2030 syllabus, so check that version if that is your year.

Paper	Time and marks	Calculator
Paper 1	2 hours, 100 marks (50%)	Not allowed
Paper 2	2 hours, 100 marks (50%)	Scientific required

Key rules from the syllabus:

• Answer every question on both papers. There is no choice.
• Any topic can appear on either paper, except calculator skills, which are not tested on Paper 1.
• A list of formulas is printed on page 2 of each paper, but not every formula is given.
• Paper 2 accuracy: give answers to 3 significant figures (angles to 1 decimal place) unless told otherwise, and don’t round until the final answer.

The syllabus has nine topic areas: number, algebra and graphs, coordinate geometry, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry, transformations and vectors, probability, and statistics.

Topic-by-topic plan for an SC Maths credit

Not every topic is equally hard to secure. This plan is Tutopiya’s suggestion for a student aiming at a credit, not an official weighting. It starts with topics that appear in many questions and reward steady practice, then builds towards the harder ones.

Priority 1: secure these first

These skills turn up across both papers, often inside questions on other topics. Losing them costs marks everywhere.

Topic	What to master
Fractions, decimals, percentages	Percentage change, reverse percentages, interest
Ratio, rates, money	Sharing in a ratio, speed, currency conversion
Indices and standard form	Rules of indices, calculating in standard form
Algebra basics	Expanding, factorising, substituting
Linear equations	Solving, rearranging formulas
Angles	Parallel lines, polygons, triangles

Worked example (non-calculator). A phone costs Rs9,600 after a 20% discount. What was the original price?

After the discount the phone costs 80% of the original. 80% = Rs9,600, so 1% = Rs120 and 100% = Rs12,000.

The common mistake is to add 20% of Rs9,600. Reverse percentages always start from the percentage you are left with.

Priority 2: the credit-makers

Once the basics are secure, these topics usually separate a pass from a credit.

Topic	What to master
Simultaneous equations	Elimination and substitution
Quadratics	Factorising, the formula, graphs
Straight-line graphs	Gradient, y = mx + c, midpoint
Mensuration	Area, circles, arcs, volume, surface area
Pythagoras and trigonometry	SOHCAHTOA, then sine and cosine rules
Probability	Tree diagrams, combined events
Statistics	Mean, median, charts, scatter diagrams

Worked example (Paper 2). In triangle ABC, AB = 7 cm, AC = 9 cm and angle BAC = 52°. Find BC.

Two sides and the angle between them means the cosine rule. BC² = 7² + 9² − 2 × 7 × 9 × cos 52° = 130 − 126 × 0.61566 = 52.43 BC = 7.24 cm (3 significant figures)

Keep the full calculator value until the end. Rounding cos 52° to 0.6 gives 7.38 cm and loses the accuracy mark.

Priority 3: extend your score

Leave these until Priorities 1 and 2 are secure, but don’t skip them. A few marks from each can lift a borderline grade.

Topic	What to master
Sets and Venn diagrams	Notation, shading regions
Sequences	nth term, including quadratic and exponential
Inequalities	Solving and showing on a number line
Transformations and vectors	Describing transformations fully, vector paths
Similarity and circle theorems	Scale factors, angle facts with reasons
Functions and graphs	Inverse and composite functions, sketching
Cumulative frequency and histograms	Reading medians and quartiles

A three-term plan for Grade 11

Grade 11 runs over three terms, and the 2026 SC exams ran from mid-September to mid-November (mega.mu). Check the 2027 timetable from the MES when it is published.

Period	Focus	Practice
Term 1	Priority 1 topics	30 min a day, short drills
Term 2	Priority 2 topics	Topic questions from past papers
Holidays	Weakest three topics	One timed half-paper a week
Term 3	Priority 3 and full papers	Two full papers a week, both types

Three habits make the plan work:

1. Do non-calculator practice every week, even if Paper 2 feels easier. Paper 1 is half the marks.
2. Show your working. Method marks are available even when the final answer is wrong.
3. Keep an error log. Write down each mark you lose and why (careless slip, missing method, didn’t know the topic). Revise from the log, not from the textbook.

The free O Level Maths 4024 revision checklist lets you tick off topics as you secure them. For a general outline of a full course, see our O Level Maths preparation course guide.

SC English matters too

English results fell in 2025 as well. The credit rate dropped from 55.35% to 54.07%, and the pass rate from 90.08% to 84.72% (L’Express, February 2026). The University of Mauritius requires at least a pass in SC English for degree entry, so give it a regular slot in your week alongside Maths.

If you are weighing O Level against IGCSE for a younger sibling, our IGCSE vs O Level comparison explains the differences.

What extra practice costs

School candidates sitting SC for the first time have their fees for eight subjects paid by the State (L’Express, June 2026). Repeat candidates pay their own. For 2026, a repeater sitting five SC subjects paid Rs15,706, up from Rs14,051 in 2025 (L’Express, May 2026).

Tutopiya Learning Portal Premium is S$50 a year, about Rs1,850, or S$10 a month (about Rs370), and covers every subject. A year of Premium costs about an eighth of a repeat SC entry, so getting the credit first time is the cheaper route. We converted at 1 SGD ≈ USD 0.78 and USD 1 ≈ Rs47.36 (currency.me.uk, 12 November 2026).

Start free

• Create a free Learning Portal account. The Tutopiya Learning Portal covers 15 curricula and more than 8,600 subtopics, organised by syllabus code, with study notes, practice questions by difficulty, quizzes, flashcards and past papers. A large section is free.
• Moving on to Grade 12? Read our HSC Sociology 9699 model answers and the guide to HSC results in Mauritius.
• Stuck on a topic? Tutopiya’s one-to-one tutors teach Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics, which shares its core topics with 4024. Book a free trial lesson.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a credit in SC Maths? +

SC results are graded from 1 to 9. Grades 1 and 2 are distinctions, grades 3 to 6 are credits, 7 and 8 are passes and 9 is a fail, so any grade from 1 to 6 gives you a credit. A grade 7 or 8 is a pass but not a credit.

Which syllabus is SC Maths? +

SC Mathematics is Cambridge O Level Mathematics (Syllabus D), code 4024. Students sitting in 2025, 2026 or 2027 use the 2025–2027 syllabus, which has two 2-hour papers of 100 marks each.

How many students got a credit in SC Maths in 2025? +

According to figures published by the MES and reported by L'Express, 42.43% of candidates got a credit in Maths in 2025, down from 45.71% in 2024. The Maths pass rate fell from 75.18% to 70.73%.

Is a calculator allowed in SC Maths? +

Only in Paper 2, where a scientific calculator is required. Paper 1 is non-calculator. Algebraic and graphical calculators are not permitted.

Do I need a credit in Maths to go into Grade 12? +

Admission to HSC studies depends on the number of SC credits, and the 2026 HSC cohort was the first admitted with three or four credits. Your school and the Ministry of Education set the exact rules for each year, so check them before you choose subjects.

Are formulas given in the SC Maths exam? +

A list of formulas is printed on page 2 of each 4024 paper. Not every formula is given, so you still need to learn the ones the syllabus marks as required, such as the speed, distance and time relationship.

Ready to Excel in Your Studies?

Get personalised help from Tutopiya's expert tutors. Whether it's IGCSE, IB, A-Levels, or any other curriculum — we match you with the perfect tutor and your first session is free.

Book Your Free Trial