Cambridge IGCSE Additional Mathematics (0606) is the IGCSE for students who are strong at mathematics and want to go further than IGCSE Mathematics. In Malaysia it is a common choice in international schools, especially for students heading to A-Level Mathematics, sciences or engineering. Here is how the course and the exam work.
0606 at a glance
- Who takes it: usually Year 10 and Year 11 students, often alongside IGCSE Mathematics (0580).
- Exam series in Malaysia: June and November.
- Papers: two written papers of 2 hours each, one without a calculator.
- Tiers: none. Every student sits the same two papers and answers every question.
- Grades: A* to E only. There is no F or G: below E is ungraded.
The two papers
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weighting | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Non-calculator | 2 hours | 80 | 50% | Calculators are not allowed |
| Paper 2: Calculator | 2 hours | 80 | 50% | A scientific calculator is required |
Both papers mix short structured questions with longer unstructured ones, and both cover the whole syllabus. The 2028–2030 syllabus keeps the same papers, so this is the format for the next few years.
What changed in 2025
The 2025–2027 syllabus brought the biggest change in years, so older past papers and revision books need a little care:
- Paper 1 became non-calculator. Before 2025 calculators were allowed on both papers.
- Indices and surds is no longer a topic of its own: students are expected to know it already.
- Coordinate geometry of the circle was added.
- Mark schemes reward working. More marks go to method, so a correct answer without working can lose marks.
Past papers from before 2025 are still good practice for most topics, but any Paper 1 question that leans on a calculator is no longer typical.
Topics
The syllabus has fourteen topics:
- Functions
- Quadratic functions
- Factors of polynomials
- Equations, inequalities and graphs
- Simultaneous equations
- Logarithmic and exponential functions
- Straight-line graphs
- Coordinate geometry of the circle
- Circular measure
- Trigonometry
- Permutations and combinations
- Series
- Vectors in two dimensions
- Calculus
Functions, logarithms, trigonometry and calculus carry straight on into A-Level Mathematics, so time spent on them pays off twice.
Add Maths or only IGCSE Mathematics?
Additional Mathematics is an extra subject, not a harder tier of IGCSE Mathematics. Because only grades A* to E exist, it suits students who are already comfortable at the top of IGCSE Mathematics (the Extended tier). It is worth taking if your child is considering A-Level Mathematics, physics or engineering: the algebra, functions and calculus give a real head start on A-Level Maths 9709. IGCSE Mathematics 0580 also has non-calculator papers since 2025 (Papers 1 and 2), so the two courses reinforce each other.
SPM Additional Mathematics is a different course with its own exam, set by Malaysia's examinations board. If you are comparing the national and Cambridge routes, read IGCSE vs SPM.
How to prepare
- Practise without a calculator every week: fractions, surds, exact trigonometric values and algebraic manipulation.
- Show every step. Method marks are a large share of the total.
- Work to time. 80 marks in 2 hours is about one and a half minutes per mark, including checking.
- Use recent past papers (2025 onwards) for full papers, and older ones by topic.
- Fix algebra early. Most errors in calculus and coordinate geometry are algebra slips, not misunderstood ideas.
A tutor helps most when your child is stuck on one or two topics, or is moving to Add Maths from a school where IGCSE Mathematics alone was the norm. Browse IGCSE Additional Mathematics online tuition to see classes open now, or all IGCSE tuition.
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