Cambridge IGCSE English - Second Language (0510) — 2025 Past Papers
The Cambridge IGCSE English - Second Language (0510) 2025 examination consisted of 3 exam sessions totalling 90 downloadable files (64.0 MB). Every session bundle includes question papers (QP), mark schemes (MS) and examiner reports (ER) for each of the 4 paper components, plus grade thresholds (GT) where Cambridge has released them. Use the session cards below to download individual papers, or jump to a different year at the bottom of the page.
2025 Exam Sessions
March
2025
May-June
2025
October-November
2025
0510 Paper Components Set in 2025
In 2025, Cambridge set 12 distinct paper variants across the 3 sessions of IGCSE English - Second Language. 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 eastward before Western candidates sat down. Each variant is timed and assigned to a specific administrative zone so candidates in different time zones never see the same questions.
How to read the variant code: the two-digit number after the slash is paper-number + variant-number. So 0510/12 is Paper 1, Variant 2; 0510/41 is Paper 4, Variant 1. Your school's administrative zone determines which variant you sit — Variant 1 typically goes to schools in Africa, Europe and the Middle East; Variant 2 to South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) and parts of South-East Asia; Variant 3 to East Asia and the Pacific.
2025 variant pattern: the Feb/March series — where offered — only sets Variant 2 papers because it serves a single administrative zone; May/June and October/November sessions typically set all available variants. March 2025 set variants 12, 22, 32, 42; May-June 2025 set variants 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43; October-November 2025 set variants 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long is each 0510 paper and how many marks is it worth?
Cambridge IGCSE English - Second Language (0510) is made up of 4 paper components totalling 230 marks.
- 1Reading and Writing (Core)1 hr 30 min 70 marks
- 2Reading and Writing (Extended)2 hr 90 marks
- 3Listening (Core)30-40 min 30 marks
- 4Listening (Extended)45 min 40 marks
Note: Times shown are the official Cambridge writing time and do not include the 5 minutes of reading time given before most papers begin. Your tier (Core or Extended, where the subject offers tiering) determines which papers you sit.
When are Cambridge IGCSE English - Second Language exams held?
Cambridge IGCSE English - Second Language (0510) is offered in up to three sessions each year: Feb/March (limited to certain regions, mainly India), May/June (the main worldwide session), and October/November. Most candidates sit either the May/June or October/November series. The 2025 papers on this page cover all 3 sessions that ran in 2025.
What's the difference between Paper variants like 11, 12 and 13?
Is one paper variant harder than another?
Are mark schemes and examiner reports free to download?
How should I use the 2025 English - Second Language 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 highlights the questions students typically got wrong and explains why — that's where the highest-leverage revision wins are. Cambridge updates each syllabus in roughly 3-year cycles, so the 2025 papers reflect the syllabus version that was active in 2025. Before relying on these for the year you're sitting, confirm the active syllabus on Cambridge International's official 0510 page.