What Is in the Cambridge 9709 Syllabus: Papers, Topics, and the 2026-27 Position
What Cambridge 9709 Actually Assesses
Cambridge 9709 is Mathematics at International AS and A Level. It is examined entirely by written papers, all marked externally by Cambridge. There is no coursework and no practical component.
There are six components in the syllabus. You do not sit all six. You sit two for AS Level, or four for the full A Level.
- Paper 1, Pure Mathematics 1
- Paper 2, Pure Mathematics 2
- Paper 3, Pure Mathematics 3
- Paper 4, Mechanics
- Paper 5, Probability and Statistics 1
- Paper 6, Probability and Statistics 2
Which Papers You Sit: AS Versus Full A Level
This is the single most common point of confusion, so here it is as a table. Every row is a legal combination.
| Qualification | Papers you sit | Grades available | Progresses to A Level? |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS Level, Pure only | Paper 1 and Paper 2 | A to E | No |
| AS Level, Pure plus Mechanics | Paper 1 and Paper 4 | A to E | Yes |
| AS Level, Pure plus Statistics | Paper 1 and Paper 5 | A to E | Yes |
| A Level, Mechanics route | Papers 1, 3, 4 and 5 | A* to E | n/a |
| A Level, Statistics route | Papers 1, 3, 5 and 6 | A* to E | n/a |
- Paper 1 is compulsory on every route, AS and A Level.
- Paper 3 is compulsory for the full A Level.
- Paper 5 is compulsory for the full A Level, on both routes.
- Paper 4 and Paper 6 cannot be combined, because Paper 6 builds on the Paper 5 content.
You can take the A Level in one series, or stage it across two years by sitting the AS components first and carrying the result forward. Carry-forward has rules and time limits set by Cambridge, so your exams officer is the person to confirm your specific case.
What Each Paper Is Worth
| Paper | Time | Marks | Roughly how many questions | Share of AS | Share of A Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1, Pure 1 | 1 hour 50 minutes | 75 | 10 to 12 | 60% | 30% |
| Paper 2, Pure 2 | 1 hour 15 minutes | 50 | 6 to 8 | 40% | AS only |
| Paper 3, Pure 3 | 1 hour 50 minutes | 75 | 9 to 11 | n/a | 30% |
| Paper 4, Mechanics | 1 hour 15 minutes | 50 | 6 to 8 | 40% | 20% |
| Paper 5, P&S 1 | 1 hour 15 minutes | 50 | 6 to 8 | 40% | 20% |
| Paper 6, P&S 2 | 1 hour 15 minutes | 50 | 6 to 8 | A Level only | 20% |
Read the last two columns carefully. On the full A Level, Pure 1 and Pure 3 together are 60% of your grade. Every question in every paper is compulsory. There is no choice section to skip.
What Is on Each Pure Paper
Pure Mathematics 1, for Paper 1
- Quadratics
- Functions
- Coordinate geometry
- Circular measure
- Trigonometry
- Series
- Differentiation
- Integration
Pure Mathematics 3, for Paper 3
- Algebra
- Logarithmic and exponential functions
- Trigonometry
- Differentiation
- Integration
- Numerical solution of equations
- Vectors
- Differential equations
- Complex numbers
Pure 3 builds on Pure 1. The topic names repeat, but the level does not. Differentiation in Pure 1 means powers of x, the chain rule on composite functions, and connected rates of change. Differentiation in Pure 3 means implicit, parametric, product and quotient work on trigonometric, logarithmic, and exponential functions. Do not assume a topic you cleared in Pure 1 is finished.
Questions are allowed to cross topics. A single Pure 3 question can start in partial fractions and finish in integration. Revising topic by topic gets you the technique. Full papers get you the joins.
The Two Assessment Objectives, and Why They Matter
Cambridge marks 9709 against two assessment objectives.
- AO1, knowledge and understanding. Do you know the concepts, the notation, and the manipulative techniques, and can you use them accurately?
- AO2, application and communication. Can you pick the right procedure for an unfamiliar situation, combine techniques to solve a problem, and set your work out clearly enough for the examiner to follow?
Here is the part almost nobody notices. The split is not the same on every paper.
| Paper | AO1 | AO2 |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1, Pure 1 | 55% | 45% |
| Paper 2, Pure 2 | 55% | 45% |
| Paper 3, Pure 3 | 45% | 55% |
| Paper 4, Mechanics | 55% | 45% |
| Paper 5, P&S 1 | 55% | 45% |
| Paper 6, P&S 2 | 55% | 45% |
Paper 3 is the only component where application outweighs knowledge. That is why students who drilled Pure 1 successfully sometimes stall on Pure 3. Knowing the method is no longer most of the marks. Choosing the method, and writing it up so the examiner can follow the logic, is.
Across the whole qualification, the AO split is 55% AO1 and 45% AO2 at AS Level, and 52% AO1 and 48% AO2 at A Level.
Rules That Cost Marks
- Give non-exact answers to three significant figures, or one decimal place for angles in degrees, unless the question asks for something else.
- Do not round part-way through. Round once, at the end, or you lose accuracy marks.
- You need a scientific calculator. Graphical calculators, and any calculator that does symbolic algebra, differentiation, or integration, are not allowed.
- A ruler is expected. A protractor and compasses are not needed.
- Show your working. Answers that appear from a calculator with nothing to support them score nothing.
- You write in the answer spaces on the question paper itself, and use the lined page at the back if you need more room.
Command Words: What Cambridge Is Actually Asking
The command word tells you how much work the examiner expects to see. Getting this wrong is how students lose marks on questions they can do.
- Show that wants structured evidence leading to the result you have been given. Every step, in order. Jumping to the stated answer scores badly.
- Verify wants you to confirm that a given result is true, which is a lighter job than showing it from scratch.
- Sketch wants a freehand drawing with the key features and sensible proportions, not a plotted graph.
- State means express in clear terms. It signals a short answer, not a worked derivation.
- Determine wants the result established with certainty.
The 2026-27 Syllabus: What Changed
Short answer: for you, almost nothing.
Cambridge issues one 9709 syllabus document covering exams in both 2026 and 2027. The current version is version 3, published February 2025. Cambridge's own change log for that version lists corrections to typographical errors on three pages of the subject content, and nothing else. Version 2, published November 2024, updated the headers on one page.
The document states plainly that there are no significant changes affecting teaching, and that textbooks endorsed for the syllabus from 2020 onwards remain suitable.
One practical warning. Older revision material sometimes refers to 9709 syllabuses before 2020, when the paper structure was different. If a resource does not say which years it is written for, check before you trust it.
Exams are available in the June and November series, and in a March series in India.
Read the Official Document
Everything above is our summary. The syllabus itself is free, and Cambridge is the only authority on it. Read the assessment overview, the subject content for your papers, and the list of command words at minimum.
- Official 9709 syllabus page, Cambridge International: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-international-as-and-a-level-mathematics-9709/
- Our hosted copy of the 2026-27 syllabus PDF: https://papers.exampilot.io/cie/mathematics/specification/9709/2026-2027-full-syllabus_6f6d0cb2.pdf
Two companion pages you will want next. The MF19 formula sheet page shows what you are handed in the exam and what you have to carry in your head. The grade thresholds page explains how Cambridge turns your raw marks into a grade.
Turning the Syllabus Into a Revision Plan
A syllabus tells you what is examinable. It does not tell you what you are weak at. That gap is the whole problem with revising from a topic list: you spend time on the topics you already like.
ExamPilot is built on learning science, not on a topic checklist. It scores your accuracy topic by topic against the 9709 specification, gives you an Exam Readiness Index based on how you actually perform, and uses spaced repetition so the topics you cleared in September are still there in June.
Reviewed by
Teresa González is co-founder of ExamPilot, an adaptive learning platform for Cambridge and Edexcel A-Level students. She holds Law and Marketing degrees from ICADE, and an MBA from ICEX-CECO, Spain's leading international trade institution.
Her career spans international trade and investment across Spain, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom. She subsequently became an entrepreneur and trading coach and educator at an internationally recognised trading education firm, before co-founding ExamPilot.
Her direct experience with A-Level preparation comes from supporting her children through the Edexcel and Cambridge examination systems. At ExamPilot, she leads educational content strategy, syllabus alignment, and quality review.
What Is in the Cambridge 9709 Syllabus: Papers, Topics, and the 2026-27 Position: frequently asked questions
Two for AS Level, four for the full A Level. For AS you sit Paper 1 with one of Paper 2, Paper 4 or Paper 5. For the full A Level you sit Paper 1 and Paper 3, plus either Paper 4 with Paper 5, or Paper 5 with Paper 6.
Yes, unless you took the Pure-only route of Paper 1 with Paper 2. That combination is available at AS Level only and cannot be carried forward. Carry-forward has rules and time limits set by Cambridge, so confirm your specific case with your exams officer.
Pure 3 is the one students most often underestimate. It is the only component where AO2, application and communication, outweighs AO1, knowledge and understanding, at 55% against 45%. Every other paper is 55% AO1. That means Pure 3 rewards choosing and communicating a method, not just executing one you have drilled.
Almost nothing. One document covers both years. Version 3, published February 2025, corrected typographical errors on three pages of subject content. Version 2 updated headers on one page. Cambridge states there are no significant changes affecting teaching, and that textbooks endorsed from 2020 onwards are still suitable.
Exams run in the June and November series. A March series is also available in India.