What the board asks

We went through the ISC board papers, question by question, and matched each question to a topic. Here is what was asked, how often, and what was never asked.

Mathematics: 309 topics in the 2027 syllabus, across 11 units. The board has asked 255 of them at least once. 54 were never asked in the papers we checked.

Pick a unit

M9 Three-Dimensional Geometry

This unit carries about 6 marks in the paper. We split it into 33 topics: each is one thing an examiner can ask, and you can practise it on paper in 5 to 25 minutes. The board has asked 28 of them. 5 were never asked. The top 5 topics make 36% of all the times this unit was asked. Last asked: Specimen 2027.

28asked by the board at least once

5in the syllabus, never asked

50times a topic of this unit was asked

5.4hours for one attempt at every topic

What the papers ask most

  • Case study or linked parts on lines and planes5 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Foot of perpendicular and image of a point in plane4 times, last 2026
  • Convert a line between vector, Cartesian and non-standard forms3 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Distance of a point from a plane3 times, last 2026
  • Line through a point perpendicular to two given lines3 times, last 2023
  • Show two lines intersect and find the point2 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Plane equation basics: normal DRs, point on plane, form conversion2 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Parallel planes: find a coefficient or plane through a point2 times, last Specimen 2027
  • Intercept form: plane with given or equal intercepts2 times, last 2026
  • Line through a point parallel to a given direction2 times, last 2025

In the syllabus, never asked (5)

They can still come, because they are in the syllabus. Give each one clean attempt. Your plan has two practice questions for each.

  • Condition for perpendicular or parallel lines: find the unknownSum
  • Test whether two lines are coplanar or skewSum
  • Distance of a point from a line, via the footSum
  • Shortest distance between two skew linesSum
  • Two-statement or assertion-reason on lines and planesGive reason

All the topics in Mathematics: Three-Dimensional Geometry →

The 10 topics Mathematics papers ask most

Counted on the board papers from 2018 to the 2027 specimen paper, which every unit has been checked against.

  1. 1.Formulate an LPP from a word problemM10 Linear Programming · asked 7 times since 2018
  2. 2.Scalar and vector projection of one vector on anotherM8 Vector Algebra · asked 6 times since 2018
  3. 3.Mean (expected value) of a random variableM11 Probability · asked 6 times since 2018
  4. 4.Find the inverse of an invertible algebraic function and verifyM1 Relations and Functions · asked 5 times since 2018
  5. 5.Principal value of expressions and nested inverse trigM1 Relations and Functions · asked 5 times since 2018
  6. 6.Evaluate or show zero without expanding, using propertiesM2 Algebra: Matrices and Determinants · asked 5 times since 2018
  7. 7.Prove a determinant equals a factorised expression using propertiesM2 Algebra: Matrices and Determinants · asked 5 times since 2018
  8. 8.Definite integral of a modulus functionM5 Calculus: Integrals · asked 5 times since 2018
  9. 9.Case study or linked parts on lines and planesM9 Three-Dimensional Geometry · asked 5 times since 2018
  10. 10.Equations solved with the complementary identitiesM1 Relations and Functions · asked 4 times since 2018

See when each unit comes in your plan