Before reusing any old resource, check the exam year it was written for, then compare its topics with the syllabus for your own code and exam year. The answer is rarely “everything is out of date”. It is usually “most of it is fine, and a few parts need checking”.
This page is for learners retaking a subject, borrowing a sibling’s notes or finding a book second-hand. It gives a simple way to sort each resource without rewriting it all.
Why do old resources and new webpages disagree?
Cambridge revises syllabuses in cycles, and some changes apply only from a later exam year. A webpage published this month may describe a syllabus you will never sit. Your notes may describe an earlier one.
Both can be correct for their own year and unhelpful for yours.
For some subjects, Cambridge has announced changes for 2027 or later. See the source-checked pages on Business, Geography, Accounting, Economics and Computer Science for what to verify. Other subjects may also change, so always read the page for your own code.
The keep, check or retire method
- List your resources. Notes, a workbook, a revision guide, a set of past papers, a video playlist.
- Write the exam year each one was made for. If it is not stated, write “unknown”.
- Write your own code and exam year at the start of the page. Confirm them with your exam centre.
- Compare topic headings. Open the syllabus for your year and compare each resource’s topic list with it.
- Give each resource a verdict.
| Verdict | Meaning | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Keep | Same year, or topics clearly unchanged | Use it, then test it |
| Check | Different or unknown year, or wording differs | Compare the specific topics and ask your teacher or centre if unsure |
| Retire | Topic is not in your syllabus | Set it aside, do not spend study time on it |
For the official source of changes, use Cambridge’s syllabus changes page together with the syllabus document on your subject page.
Worked example: three resources, one retake
Lina is retaking a subject. She has three resources and builds this table after checking her exam year against each one.
| Resource | Made for | Verdict and reason |
|---|---|---|
| Her own class notes from last year | The same syllabus her new entry uses, confirmed with her centre | Keep |
| A cousin’s revision guide, printed some time ago | Year not printed | Check: compare the contents page with the syllabus headings |
| A website summary she found last night | A later exam year than hers | Retire for now, and come back only if she is told her exam year changes |
The second resource is where the work is. She compares eight topic headings.
Seven appear in her syllabus with the same wording. One chapter has no heading in her syllabus, so she marks it optional and moves on.
The whole sort took about half an hour, and she kept two of three resources.
Retest to be sure
Keep does not mean correct. Test each kept resource with one fresh question per topic, closed notes. Anything you cannot answer goes into the mistake log and retest queue with the resource named, so you can tell whether the gap is in your memory or in the resource.
The mistake to watch for
The common error is to treat the newest source as the right source.
Mistaken check: “The website is more recent than my notes, so the website is correct for me.”
Correction: “More recent only means later. Correct means it names my exam year.”
A second error is throwing everything out in a panic. Most of a subject carries across versions, so sort before you discard.
Check yourself
1. Your friend’s notes are from two years ago, and you are entered for this year. What should you do before using them?
Show answer
Write down your exam year and compare the notes’ topic headings with the syllabus for that year. Keep what matches, check what differs, and set aside what is no longer in your syllabus.
2. A resource says nothing about which exam year it covers. Which verdict fits, and why?
Show answer
Check. An unknown year means you cannot yet trust it. Compare its topic list with your syllabus before deciding.
3. You keep a resource. What should you still do?
Show answer
Test it with a fresh question on each topic. Keeping a resource only means it is a fair source. It does not mean you know the content.
Where this leads next
With your resources sorted, turn the weak topics into a timeline with a retake plan built around entry deadlines. If you have not yet reviewed your last attempt, start with reviewing it without judging yourself. The source-checked exam guidance collects the official routes in one place.
If you are unsure which of your old work still applies, a paid one-hour trial in online one-to-one IGCSE tuition gives you a teacher’s view of it. Ask the exam centre to confirm your code and year first, because that is the centre’s responsibility, not ours.