IGCSE Maths Formula Sheet: What You Get and What You Must Memorise

The IGCSE Maths Formula Sheet

Cambridge provides a formula sheet at the front of each IGCSE 0580 paper. Many students are surprised by how short it is. Here is exactly what is included — and more importantly, what is not.

What Cambridge Provides (On the Formula Sheet)

Mensuration:

• Curved surface area of a cone: πrl
• Curved surface area of a sphere: 4πr²
• Volume of a cone: ⅓πr²h
• Volume of a sphere: ⁴⁄₃πr³

Trigonometry (the sine and cosine rules):

• Sine rule: a/sin A = b/sin B = c/sin C
• Cosine rule: a² = b² + c² − 2bc cos A
• Area of triangle: ½ab sin C

The quadratic formula: x = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) / 2a

That is essentially the complete list. It is shorter than many students expect.

What Students Must Memorise

Everything not on the formula sheet must be memorised. This includes:

Algebra:

• Difference of two squares: a² − b² = (a+b)(a−b)
• The rules of indices
• Standard function notation

Geometry:

• All circle theorems (angle in semicircle, angle at centre, cyclic quadrilateral, alternate segment, tangent rules)
• Angle properties of polygons
• Properties of similar and congruent triangles

Trigonometry:

• SOH CAH TOA
• Standard values: sin 30°, cos 60°, tan 45° etc.

Statistics:

• Mean = Σfx / Σf (from grouped data)
• Probability rules (addition, multiplication, conditional)

Mensuration:

• Area of rectangle, triangle, trapezium, circle
• Volume of cuboid, prism, cylinder
• Perimeter and arc length formulas

The Common Mistake: Over-Relying on the Sheet

Students who know the formula sheet is provided sometimes over-rely on it. The formulas provided are relatively obscure (sphere volumes, sine rule) — all the formulas you need every single question, like area of a triangle and basic trigonometry, must be memorised without a formula sheet to refer to.

How Teacher Rig Addresses Memorisation

Teacher Rig tests formula recall in warm-up exercises at the start of each session. Students who cannot recall a formula without looking it up are drilled on that specific formula until it is automatic. This takes 5–10 minutes per session and pays significant dividends in the exam.

Book a free trial — Teacher Rig will identify which formulas your child needs to consolidate as part of the first diagnostic session.