Paper 2 is the shorter Extended written paper, and a clear strategy for how you work through it is worth marks before you’ve solved a single equation. This guide covers the approach; for the specific demands of working without a calculator (now a feature of this paper), see our non-calculator Paper 2 tips.
Know the Shape of the Paper
Paper 2 moves from shorter, accessible questions toward longer multi-mark ones. The early questions are where marks are won most cheaply, so the worst mistake is getting bogged down at the start and running out of time before reaching questions you could easily do.
Manage Time by Marks
A simple rule keeps you on pace: spend roughly a minute per mark, and if a question is taking far longer than its marks justify, leave it and move on. You can return with whatever time remains. Protecting the easy marks at the end is almost always better than grinding on one hard early question.
Always Show Working
On the Extended paper, method marks are substantial. A wrong final answer with correct method still scores; a right-looking answer with no working can score nothing if it’s wrong. Show every step, even when it feels obvious.
Leave Time to Check
Build in a few minutes at the end to revisit flagged questions and sanity-check answers — verify a value satisfies its equation, confirm a probability sits between 0 and 1, re-read what each question actually asked.
Practise the Whole Paper
Strategy only sticks under realistic conditions. Sit full past papers to time, so pacing and question-order decisions become automatic.
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