A-Level 9709

Cambridge A-Level Mathematics (9709) — 2020 Past Papers

The Cambridge A-Level Mathematics (9709) 2020 examination consisted of 3 exam sessions totalling 88 downloadable files (22.0 MB). Every session bundle includes question papers (QP), mark schemes (MS), examiner reports (ER) and grade thresholds (GT) for each component, covering both the AS Level and the full A-Level routes. Use the session cards below to download individual papers, or jump to a different year at the bottom of the page.

Exam sessions
3
Papers / files
88
Download size
22.0 MB
Paper components
6

2020 Exam Sessions

March Series

March

2020

M
Files 14
Size 3.7 MB
Series code 9709_m20
View papers
May/Jun Series

May-June

2020

S
Files 36
Size 7.6 MB
Series code 9709_s20
View papers
Oct/Nov Series

Oct-Nov

2020

W
Files 38
Size 10.7 MB
Series code 9709_w20
View papers

9709 Paper Components Set in 2020

In 2020, Cambridge set 18 distinct paper variants across the 3 sessions of A-Level Mathematics. AS Level is two papers: Paper 1 (Pure Mathematics 1) plus Paper 2 (Pure Mathematics 2), Paper 4 (Mechanics) or Paper 5 (Probability & Statistics 1). The Paper 1 and 2 route is AS only and does not count towards the full A Level. The full A Level is four papers: Papers 1 and 3 (Pure Mathematics 1 and 3) plus either Papers 4 and 5 (Mechanics and Probability & Statistics 1) or Papers 5 and 6 (Probability & Statistics 1 and 2). All variants of a given paper test the same syllabus content and are graded to the same standard — only the specific questions differ.

Why multiple variants? Cambridge sets two or three versions of every paper to manage exam security across global time zones. A paper sat at 9am local time in Singapore would finish before the same paper started in the UK — without separate variants, leaked questions could spread westward before Western candidates sat down. Each administrative zone's timetable sets which variant its schools sit.

How to read the variant code: the two-digit number after the slash is paper-number + variant-number. So 9709/12 is Paper 1, Variant 2; 9709/41 is Paper 4, Variant 1. Your school's administrative zone determines which variant you sit: in the November 2026 timetable, for 9709, Variant 1 is sat in Zones 1 and 2, Variant 2 in Zones 3 and 4, and Variant 3 in Zones 5 and 6. Which zones sit which variant differs from subject to subject, so ask your exams officer which zone your school is in.

2020 variant pattern: the March series — where offered — sets Variant 2 papers for most components; May/June and October/November sessions typically set all available variants. March 2020 set variants 12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62; May-June 2020 set variants 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53, 61, 62, 63; Oct-Nov 2020 set variants 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53, 61, 62, 63.

Paper 1
AS
Pure Mathematics 1
75 marks · 1h 50min
2020 variants
11, 12, 13
Paper 2
AS
Pure Mathematics 2
50 marks · 1h 15min
2020 variants
21, 22, 23
Paper 3
A2
Pure Mathematics 3
75 marks · 1h 50min
2020 variants
31, 32, 33
Paper 4
AS
Mechanics
50 marks · 1h 15min
2020 variants
41, 42, 43
Paper 5
AS
Probability & Statistics 1
50 marks · 1h 15min
2020 variants
51, 52, 53
Paper 6
A2
Probability & Statistics 2
50 marks · 1h 15min
2020 variants
61, 62, 63

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is each 9709 paper and how many marks is it worth?

Cambridge A-Level Mathematics (9709) has 6 paper components; a full A-Level is four of them, worth 250 marks. AS Level is two papers: Paper 1 (Pure Mathematics 1) plus Paper 2 (Pure Mathematics 2), Paper 4 (Mechanics) or Paper 5 (Probability & Statistics 1). The Paper 1 and 2 route is AS only and does not count towards the full A Level. The full A Level is four papers: Papers 1 and 3 (Pure Mathematics 1 and 3) plus either Papers 4 and 5 (Mechanics and Probability & Statistics 1) or Papers 5 and 6 (Probability & Statistics 1 and 2).

  • 1
    Pure Mathematics 1
    1h 50min 75 marks AS-Level
  • 2
    Pure Mathematics 2
    1h 15min 50 marks AS-Level
  • 3
    Pure Mathematics 3
    1h 50min 75 marks A2 (Full A-Level only)
  • 4
    Mechanics
    1h 15min 50 marks AS-Level
  • 5
    Probability & Statistics 1
    1h 15min 50 marks AS-Level
  • 6
    Probability & Statistics 2
    1h 15min 50 marks A2 (Full A-Level only)

Note: Times shown are the official Cambridge exam lengths.

When are Cambridge A-Level Mathematics exams held?

Cambridge International A-Level Mathematics (9709) is offered in up to three sessions each year: March (for schools in India and Romania only), May/June (the main worldwide session for both AS and full A-Level), and October/November. The 2020 papers on this page cover all 3 sessions that ran in 2020.

View the full Cambridge exam timetable →

What's the difference between AS and full A-Level for Mathematics?
AS Level is two papers: Paper 1 (Pure Mathematics 1) plus Paper 2 (Pure Mathematics 2), Paper 4 (Mechanics) or Paper 5 (Probability & Statistics 1). The Paper 1 and 2 route is AS only and does not count towards the full A Level. AS Level can be taken as a standalone qualification. The full A Level is four papers: Papers 1 and 3 (Pure Mathematics 1 and 3) plus either Papers 4 and 5 (Mechanics and Probability & Statistics 1) or Papers 5 and 6 (Probability & Statistics 1 and 2). The full A-Level is what most universities require for entry to Mathematics-related degrees. All six papers for 9709 are available in this 2020 bundle.
What's the difference between paper variants like 11, 12 and 13?
Cambridge produces several variant papers from each paper to manage exam logistics across global time zones. Papers 11, 12 and 13 are three different versions of Paper 1; papers 21, 22 and 23 are three versions of Paper 2; and so on. Your school assigns you to one version based on your administrative zone. Variant papers typically share no specific questions, with the specific questions varying between versions. Cambridge calibrates all variant papers to equivalent overall difficulty and sets a separate grade threshold for each one. When you can, practise past papers from more than one version rather than only your zone's — you'll meet a broader range of the syllabus that way.
Is one A-Level paper variant harder than another?
There's no single version of the paper that's reliably easier than the others. Cambridge writes each variant paper to the same overall difficulty standard, and per-paper grade thresholds are set after marking to absorb any small variation in difficulty between the three versions — so a slightly tougher paper tends to attract a slightly lower threshold and ends up worth the same grade. You can't pick your variant paper in any case (your school's administrative zone determines it), so the most productive way to handle this concern is to practise across multiple versions and treat every paper as if it could be the toughest one.
Are mark schemes, examiner reports and grade thresholds free to download?
Yes — and LumiExams makes them easy to find. The 9709 question papers (QP), mark schemes (MS), examiner reports (ER) and grade thresholds (GT) are all © Cambridge Assessment International Education, published after each session as free educational materials. LumiExams does not own these documents — we organise the official Cambridge PDFs by year and session so you can study with the same materials your teachers and exam officers reference, and we link directly to each file. For official syllabuses, registration and assessment policy, refer to cambridgeinternational.org.
How should I use the 2020 Mathematics papers for revision?

Work through one full paper under timed exam conditions, mark it with the official mark scheme, then read the examiner report for that session. The examiner report tells you exactly which questions students lost the most marks on and why — that's where the highest-leverage revision wins are. Cambridge updates each syllabus in roughly 3-year cycles, so the 2020 papers reflect the syllabus version that was active in 2020. Before relying on these for the year you're sitting, confirm the active syllabus on Cambridge International's official 9709 page.

Cambridge International 9709 syllabus page →