Mark schemes for IGCSE show how marks are awarded for each question. Students search for them because using mark schemes correctly is one of the fastest ways to improve: you learn exactly what examiners accept and how many points you need for full marks.

What IGCSE Mark Schemes Include

• Mark allocation – How many marks per part or per point.
• Acceptable answers – Often several correct alternatives (e.g. “allow … or …”).
• Marking instructions – e.g. “accept correct numerical value with unit”, “ignore …”.
• Example answers – Sometimes model or indicative answers are given.

Mark schemes are written for markers, so they can look dense; with practice you learn to spot the key phrases and apply them to your own answers. They are usually published as PDFs alongside the question paper for each component and series.

Understanding “Allow” and “Ignore” in Mark Schemes

• “Allow X or Y” – Either answer gets the mark; so if you wrote Y and the scheme says “allow X or Y”, you get the mark.
• “Ignore…” – The examiner will not penalise that (e.g. “ignore minor spelling errors in technical terms”).
• “Accept…” – Another way of saying “allow”; the list that follows are all credit-worthy.
• “Do not accept…” – That answer does not get the mark even if part of it is right.
• “Omission of…” – If you miss that, you might still get the mark if everything else is there, or you might lose one mark; the scheme will say.

Learning to read these instructions quickly makes marking your own work much faster and more accurate.

How to Use Mark Schemes When Revising

• Mark your own work strictly – don’t give yourself marks for vague or incomplete answers.
• Compare your wording to the scheme: do you need one word, a phrase, or a full sentence?
• Note recurring patterns – e.g. “state” = short answer; “explain” = cause and effect.
• Use them with examiner reports – reports explain why candidates lost marks and what gained marks.

Common Mistakes When Using Mark Schemes

• Being too generous – If your answer is vague or only partly right, do not give yourself the mark. Mark as the examiner would.
• Only looking at the answer – The number of marks and the instruction (e.g. “accept any two from”) tell you how many points to expect. If the question is worth 3 marks and you only have one point, you are probably missing something.
• Not checking alternative answers – Schemes often list several acceptable wordings; make sure you have seen the full list before deciding your answer is wrong.
• Ignoring the mark scheme after practice – The main benefit is learning what gets marks; always mark and then read the scheme carefully.

Matching Your Writing to the Mark Scheme

Over time, you should start to write like the scheme. For “state” questions, use the same kind of short, precise phrase. For “explain”, include the cause–effect or mechanism the scheme rewards. For maths, show the same steps that the scheme gives method marks for. Past paper practice plus strict marking trains you to produce scheme-friendly answers in the exam.

Tutopiya’s auto-marked questions and tutors help you internalise mark-scheme style so your exam answers match what examiners look for.

Tutopiya Resources and Free Trial

Practice with mark schemes and get extra feedback and technique from IGCSE tutors who know how Cambridge and Edexcel mark.

Book a free trial or explore Tutopiya’s learning portal for past papers and free resources to use with mark schemes.