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Exam builder vs printed past papers vs textbook exercises vs question banks
Four common ways to set exam practice for Cambridge IGCSE (0580, 0606, 0610, 0620, 0625). Each has a place; this page sets them side by side.
| Exam builder | Printed past papers | Textbook exercises | Question banks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Questions written like the real exam | Yes: past-paper questions | Yes | Partly: written to teach a topic, often shorter | Depends on the bank |
| Choose questions by topic | Yes: syllabus topic, skill and level | No: one paper covers many topics | Yes: by chapter | Usually |
| Mark scheme with each question | Yes, part by part | In a separate document | Answers at the back, rarely mark by mark | Varies |
| Mix questions from many years | Yes | No: one sitting | Not applicable | Sometimes |
| A printable paper with numbered questions | Yes: an A4 PDF | Yes, as set | Not designed for it | Varies |
| A second version of the same paper | Yes: a variation with the same subtopics and levels | Another year's paper | No | Sometimes |
When each one fits
- Printed past papers: the closest rehearsal of the real sitting, timed and complete. Best near the exam.
- Textbook exercises: practice while a topic is first taught, in small steps.
- Question banks: quick practice on one topic, often on screen.
- An exam builder: a paper on exactly the topics taught so far, at the level the class needs, with the mark scheme for each question; and a second version for a resit.
Try it
STEM Exam Builder is an exam builder for Cambridge IGCSE: Mathematics (0580), Additional Mathematics (0606), Biology (0610), Chemistry (0620), Physics (0625).