All exam insights

0580 · June 2024

Mathematics

There were a considerable number of questions proved to be generally well understood and, in most cases, there did not seem to be confusion about what was being asked. When two or more steps are needed in a calculation, it is best if each step is shown separately.

16 pitfalls140 questions8 takeawaysView official report
Last reviewed: 2026-06-30Paraphrased for study purposes — not an official publication of the exam board.

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

No data available in official reports

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

Need to have completed the full Core syllabus.

2

Are reminded of the need to read the questions carefully, focusing on instructions and key words.

3

Must not round figures in the middle of a calculation but only at the end.

4

Need to check that their answers are accurate, are in the correct form and make sense in the context.

5

Build up a vocabulary of mathematical names of shapes and terms.

6

Check that responses are sensible for what is asked in the question.

7

Read questions carefully and ensure answers are given appropriately for example in the simplest form.

8

Ensure full working is shown on ‘show that’ questions.

Question difficulty map

How candidates performed on each question in this series

0580/11

Paper 1 (Core)

Q1
Q1(a)
Q1(b)
Q1(c)
Q2
Q3(a)
Q3(a)(b)
Q4
Q5
Q6(a)
Q6(a)(b)
Q7
Q8
Q9
Q10
Q11(a)
Q11(a)(b)
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16
Q17(a)
Q17(a)(b)
Q18
Q19(a)
Q19(a)(b)
Q20(a)
Q20(a)(b)
Q21
Q22
Q23
Q24
Q25
Q25(a)
Q25(b)
StrongMixedWeak

0580/12

Paper 1 (Core)

Q1
Q2(a)
Q2(a)(b)
Q2(a)(c)
Q2(a)(d)
Q3
Q4
Q5(a)
Q5(a)(b)
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9(a)
Q9(a)(b)
Q10
Q11(a)
Q11(a)(b)
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16(a)
Q16(a)(b)
Q17
Q18
Q19
Q20
Q21
Q22
Q23
Q24
Q25(a)
Q25(a)(b)
StrongMixedWeak

0580/13

Paper 1 (Core)

Strongest: Q4(a), Q8, Q10(a)(i)(a)(ii)Weakest: Q17
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4(a)
Q4(a)(b)
Q4(a)(c)
Q5(a)
Q5(a)(b)
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9(a)
Q9(a)(b)
Q10(a)(i)(a)(ii)
Q10(a)(i)(b)
Q11
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16
Q17
Q18
Q19
Q20
Q21(a)(i)
Q21(a)(i)(a)(ii)
Q21(a)(i)(b)
Q22(a)(i)
Q22(a)(i)(a)(ii)
Q22(a)(i)(b)
Q23
StrongMixedWeak

0580/21

Paper 2 (Extended)

Strongest: Q3(a)Weakest: Q3(a)(b), Q12, Q16(a)(b), Q17, Q20, Q21
Q1
Q2(a)
Q2(a)(b)
Q3(a)
Q3(a)(b)
Q4
Q5(a)
Q5(a)(b)
Q6
Q7(a)
Q7(a)(b)
Q8
Q9
Q10
Q11
Q12
Q13
Q14
Q15
Q16(a)
Q16(a)(b)
Q17
Q18
Q19(a)
Q19(a)(b)
Q20
Q21
Q22
StrongMixedWeak

0580/22

Paper 22 (Extended)

Strongest: Q7, Q9(a)(b)Weakest: Q6
Q1
Q2
Q3(a)
Q3(a)(b)
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Q9(a)
Q9(a)(b)
StrongMixedWeak

Assessment objectives

Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Method marks watchlist

Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost

0580/11 · Q25(a)

Method marks · 0580/11 · Q25(a)

Others found the area of circle and did not divide by 2 to find the area of semicircle; this was credited with a method mark.

0580/13 · Q6

Method marks · 0580/13 · Q6

A small number of candidates ordered from largest to smallest, but those that had shown decimal equivalents earned the method mark.

0580/13 · Q23

Method marks · 0580/13 · Q23

Candidates who knew that the volume of a cylinder was 2 r h often gained a method mark for working out this volume correctly, but many used the diameter instead of the radius.

Recurring mistakes across years

Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject

No data available in official reports

Question choice intelligence

Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)

No data available in official reports

Level exemplars

What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like

No data available in official reports

Grade & admission context

How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards

No data available in official reports

Deep insights

What top candidates did

Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series

No data available in official reports

Command word playbook

How to match each command word to the expected response style

No data available in official reports

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

No data available in official reports

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

No data available in official reports

MCQ trap analytics

Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Topic heatmap across years

Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject

Mark intensity

LowHigh
Topic
2024
Σ

Algebraic manipulation

30
30

Surface area and volume

22
22

Perpendicular lines

21
21

Non-right-angled triangles

19
19

Percentages

19
19

Difficulty trend

How session difficulty has shifted across recent years

202320242025
2023 June 2023 · 3.5/52024 June 2024 · 3.8/52025 June 2025 · 3.5/5

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

No data available in official reports

Marks you can still earn

Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit

No data available in official reports

Practise what examiners flagged

Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    Need to have completed the full Core syllabus.

  • 2Message

    Are reminded of the need to read the questions carefully, focusing on instructions and key words.

  • 3Message

    Must not round figures in the middle of a calculation but only at the end.

  • 4Message

    Need to check that their answers are accurate, are in the correct form and make sense in the context.

  • 5Message

    Build up a vocabulary of mathematical names of shapes and terms.

  • 6Message

    Check that responses are sensible for what is asked in the question.

  • 7Message

    Read questions carefully and ensure answers are given appropriately for example in the simplest form.

  • 8Message

    Ensure full working is shown on ‘show that’ questions.

  • 9Method

    Others found the area of circle and did not divide by 2 to find the area of semicircle; this was credited with a method mark.

  • 10Method

    A small number of candidates ordered from largest to smallest, but those that had shown decimal equivalents earned the method mark.

  • 11Method

    Candidates who knew that the volume of a cylinder was 2 r h often gained a method mark for working out this volume correctly, but many used the diameter instea

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

June 2024 2024

Mathematics

Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education 0580 Mathematics June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 MATHEMATICS Paper 0580/11 Paper 1 (Core) Key messages To succeed with this paper candidates • Need to have completed the full Core syllabus.

  • Need to have completed the full Core syllabus.

  • Are reminded of the need to read the questions carefully, focusing on instructions and key words.

  • Must not round figures in the middle of a calculation but only at the end.

Examiner insights

General comments

  • There were a considerable number of questions proved to be generally well understood and, in most cases, there did not seem to be confusion about what was being asked.
  • When two or more steps are needed in a calculation, it is best if each step is shown separately.
  • This is particularly important with problem solving questions and vital for those that explicitly say to show all your working, for example, with Questions 14 and 22.
  • The questions that presented least difficulty were Questions 1, 3, 6(a), 7 and 20(a).
  • Those that proved to be the most challenging were Questions 10 a problem-solving question to find height of cuboid, 13 find coordinates of a point on a line given the equation, 20(b) use laws of…