The syllabus that applies to you is decided by the year you sit the exam, not the year you began lessons. Start with the exam year, then find the syllabus written for it.
This matters most when a course runs across two calendar years, or when you join late, repeat a paper or switch from another programme.
Why do two correct sources disagree?
A syllabus is a fixed document with a stated range of exam years on its cover. When Cambridge publishes a new version, the old one does not become false. It simply serves earlier cohorts.
So a revision guide from a few years ago and a page published this month can both be correct and still disagree. One was written for your exam year and the other was not. Your job is to work out which is which.
How to match your exam year to a syllabus
- Write down your exam year. Ask your exam centre which series and year you are entered for. Do not use your own guess.
- Open the Cambridge subject page for your subject and find the syllabus documents listed there.
- Read the cover of each document for the phrase saying which examination years it covers.
- Pick the one that lists your year. If two documents are listed, use the one whose range includes your exam year.
- Label your resources with that document’s code and years before you study from them.
The syllabus-version comparison viewer can show what changed between two versions, with the source and year attached to each change.
Worked example: two cousins, two timelines
Aina starts Form 4 lessons in January 2027 and will sit the exam in 2028. Her cousin Hafiz started in January 2026 and sits in 2027. They study the same subject and share a folder of notes.
| Student | Lessons begin | Exam year | Syllabus must list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hafiz | 2026 | 2027 | 2027 |
| Aina | 2027 | 2028 | 2028 |
Suppose the subject page shows one syllabus covering 2025 to 2027 and a second covering 2028 to 2030. Hafiz follows the first. Aina follows the second.
The shared folder belongs to Hafiz’s syllabus. Aina can reuse the concepts, but she must check each task instruction against her own document before trusting it.
The mistake to watch for
Mistaken reasoning: “I start in 2027, so I need the 2027 syllabus.”
The start year is only when you begin. If the syllabus covers exam years 2028 to 2030, the 2027 label on your timetable tells you nothing about it. Work backward from the day you sit the paper.
The correction is one question asked first: “In which year do I sit this paper?” Everything else follows from the answer.
Check yourself
1. A syllabus cover says “for examination in 2027, 2028 and 2029”. Maya sits in 2028. Does it apply to her?
Show answer
Yes. 2028 is inside the stated range, so this document covers her exam year.
2. Daniel starts lessons in 2027 and sits in 2028. A syllabus covers exam years 2029 to 2031. Is it his syllabus?
Show answer
No. His exam year is 2028, which is outside that range. The start year is not what matters.
3. Who do you ask to confirm the year and series you are entered for?
Show answer
Your exam centre. Registration and entry belong to the centre and Cambridge, not to a tuition team.
Where this leads next
Once you know which syllabus is yours, check the resources you already own against it. After that, keep the useful concepts from older paper instructions. The students guide has other situations like this one.
If you are still unsure which version fits your year, one-to-one IGCSE tuition can begin the paid trial hour with your exam year and syllabus document on the screen.