IGCSE Maths Preparation: September Start for Oct/Nov 2026
The October/November 2026 IGCSE maths papers typically fall in late October or early November. Students starting preparation in September have approximately 8–10 weeks — a tight but workable window.
Who This Plan Is For
This plan suits:
- Students resitting after the May/June 2026 session
- Students sitting IGCSE for the first time in the October/November session
- Students who completed Year 11 in a school running the Oct/Nov calendar
Week 1–2 of September: Diagnostic
Day 1–3: Sit a full 2024 Cambridge 0580 Extended past paper (Papers 2 and 4) under timed conditions. Mark using the official mark scheme.
Day 4–7: Analyse results. Identify the 4–5 topics with the most mark loss. Build a topic priority list.
If you are a resit student and have your May/June 2026 paper available, use that as your diagnostic — it tells you exactly where you lost marks last time.
Week 3–4 of September: Targeted Topic Drilling
Focus on the 2 highest-priority topics from your diagnostic. For each topic:
- 15–20 past paper questions under mild time pressure
- Mark scheme review after every batch of questions
- Note recurring errors in your error log
Tuition focus: 2 sessions per week with Teacher Rig, covering the same priority topics.
October: Full Paper Phase
From the first week of October, transition primarily to full past papers:
- 2–3 full timed papers per week
- Mark scheme review after each paper
- Weekly tuition session to review the most significant paper errors
In the final 2 weeks of October (typically the exam window):
- Reduce to 1–2 papers per week
- Error log review daily (10–15 minutes)
- Confirm exam date, time, venue, equipment
For Resit Students: What’s Different
Resit students typically need less topic drilling (assuming the May/June preparation covered the syllabus) and more:
- Past paper practice to re-establish exam conditions familiarity
- Specific focus on the weak topics from May/June
- Careless error reduction — often the highest-ROI fix for a resit
Book a free trial with Teacher Rig for a September diagnostic session and Oct/Nov 2026 preparation plan.
Need Help With IGCSE Maths?
Book a free 60-minute trial class with Teacher Rig and get personalised guidance for your IGCSE Maths preparation.