Home › Guides
Revision guides

GCSE and IGCSE revision guides

Practical guides to revising with past papers, understanding mark schemes and making sense of grades.

Revision and exam techniquePast papers by subjectFAQ

Free, practical guides to help GCSE and IGCSE students revise with past papers and understand how their exams are marked and graded. Each guide is written to be useful whatever subject or exam board you are studying, and links to the official papers on our subject pages.

Revision and exam technique

📝
How to use past papers to reviseA step by step method for sitting, marking and learning from every past paper, with a simple progress tracker.Read the guide →
✅
How to use mark schemes and examiner reportsPoints based and levels based marking, common abbreviations, and how to turn examiner feedback into marks.Read the guide →
📊
GCSE grade boundaries explained9 to 1 and A* to G grading, how boundaries are set each year, and how to use them with practice papers.Read the guide →
🗓️
How to make a GCSE revision timetableSix steps to a realistic plan, with an example week and tips for keeping it going.Read the guide →
🔤
GCSE command words explainedWhat describe, explain, compare and evaluate really ask for, and how to answer each.Read the guide →
🧪
How to answer 6 mark science questionsHow extended responses are marked, a five step routine and a worked method answer.Read the guide →
🎯
Foundation or higher tierWhich grades each tier allows and the questions to ask before entries are confirmed.Read the guide →
📘
GCSE vs IGCSE: what is the difference?Who sets them, how they are graded and which past papers to use.Read the guide →
📬
GCSE results day: reviews of marking and resitsWhat to do on the day, how remarks work and when you can resit.Read the guide →
✅
GCSE exam day checklistWhat to bring, what to leave at home and a plan for the paper.Read the guide →
📋
How to use your GCSE mock examsTurn mock results into targets and better grades.Read the guide →

Past papers by subject

Ready to practise? Our subject pages explain how each exam board structures its papers and link straight to the official past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports.

🧬
BiologyGCSE and IGCSE biology papers for every UK board.Biology papers →
⚗️
ChemistryGCSE and IGCSE chemistry papers for every UK board.Chemistry papers →
⚛️
PhysicsGCSE and IGCSE physics papers for every UK board.Physics papers →
📐
MathsFoundation and higher tier papers for every board.Maths papers →
📚
EnglishEnglish language and English literature papers.English papers →
🏛️
HistoryPapers for every board and option.History papers →
🌍
GeographyPhysical and human geography papers for every board.Geography papers →

Frequently asked questions

Who writes these guides?

They are written by the Exam Paper Depot team. Exam Paper Depot is part of the World of Teaching family of sites; see our About page for more.

Are the guides specific to one exam board?

No. They are written to apply to GCSE and IGCSE students on any UK board. Where boards differ, the guides say so and point you to the official sources.

Updated October 2026