O Level and IGCSE Maths
O Level vs IGCSE Maths: 4024 and 0580 Compared
Cambridge O Level Maths (4024) and IGCSE Maths (0580 Extended) are at the same level and share almost all their content. Both have a 2-hour non-calculator paper and a 2-hour calculator paper worth 100 marks each. The main differences: 0580 Extended adds differentiation, trigonometric functions and conditional probability, 0580 has a Core tier graded C to G, and O Level is only offered in some regions.
Part of the guide O Level and IGCSE Maths: Syllabuses, Papers and Grading Explained
Key takeaways
- Same level: Cambridge treats O Level and IGCSE as equivalent qualifications.
- Same exam shape since 2025: a 2-hour non-calculator paper and a 2-hour calculator paper, 100 marks each (0580 Extended).
- 0580 Extended has four extra topic areas: differentiation, exact trig values, trig functions and conditional probability.
- 0580 has Core and Extended tiers; 4024 has one tier graded A* to E.
- O Level is only available in Cambridge administrative zones 3, 4 and 5.
“Is O Level the same as IGCSE?” is one of the most searched questions about Cambridge maths, and most answers online were written before the 2025 syllabus changes. Here is the comparison using the current 2025 to 2027 syllabuses.
This article compares Cambridge O Level Mathematics (4024), the international qualification taken in countries such as Pakistan. It is not about the Singapore-Cambridge GCE O Level, which is a separate national exam.
Is O Level the same as IGCSE maths?
| O Level Mathematics (4024) | IGCSE Mathematics (0580) | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Same level as IGCSE | Same level as O Level |
| Tiers | One | Core and Extended |
| Papers | Paper 1 (non-calculator) and Paper 2 (calculator) | Extended: Paper 2 (non-calculator) and Paper 4 (calculator). Core: Paper 1 and Paper 3 |
| Time and marks | 2 h and 100 marks per paper | Extended: 2 h and 100 marks per paper. Core: 1 h 30 min and 80 marks |
| Grades | A* to E | Extended: A* to E. Core: C to G |
| Formula list | On page 2 of each paper | On page 2 of each paper |
| Exam series | June and November | June and November, plus March in India |
| Where offered | Administrative zones 3, 4 and 5 only | All zones |
| Private candidates | Allowed | Allowed |
The exam shapes are now almost identical for an Extended student. Before 2025 they were not: IGCSE used to allow a calculator on both papers, which is why older comparisons say O Level is “harder” for having a non-calculator paper. That difference no longer exists.
What does 0580 Extended cover that 4024 does not?
The two syllabuses use the same topic structure: number, algebra, coordinate geometry, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry, transformations and vectors, probability and statistics. Going through both topic lists, 0580 Extended has four extra areas:
- Differentiation (E2.12): gradients of curves and stationary points of simple functions.
- Exact trigonometric values (E6.3).
- Trigonometric functions (E6.4): graphs of sine, cosine and tangent and solving simple trig equations.
- Conditional probability (E8.4).
Everything else, including surds, exponential growth and decay, functions, circle theorems, vectors, histograms and cumulative frequency, appears in both.
This matters for A Level. Cambridge’s A Level Maths (9709) assumes the content of 0580 Extended or 4024, so an O Level student meets differentiation for the first time in A Level Paper 1. That is a good reason for O Level students to consider Additional Maths.
How do the grade boundaries compare?
June 2026 syllabus thresholds, both out of 200:
| Grade | 4024 (components 12, 22) | 0580 Extended (components 21, 41) | 0580 Extended (components 22, 42) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A* | 173 | 162 | 177 |
| A | 147 | 138 | 154 |
| B | 104 | 114 | 120 |
| C | 62 | 90 | 87 |
Boundaries move between series and variants, so do not read too much into one table. What it does show: at the top, both need well above 80%.
Can you take both?
No. Cambridge does not allow 4024 to be taken in the same series as 0580, 0980 (IGCSE 9 to 1) or 0607 (International Mathematics). Your school or exam centre decides which one you are entered for, usually based on where you are and which board the school uses.
Which should you choose?
- If your school offers O Level (common in Cambridge zones 3, 4 and 5), 4024 is a solid route to A Level, especially with Additional Maths alongside it.
- If you want the extra topics before A Level and your centre offers both, 0580 Extended covers a little more.
- If you are not confident of a C or above, 0580 Core gives a safer route, but it caps your grade at C.
Back to the O Level and IGCSE Maths guide.
Frequently asked questions
- Is O Level maths harder than IGCSE maths?
- Not in level: Cambridge treats them as equivalent. 0580 Extended actually has slightly more content, because it includes differentiation, trigonometric functions and conditional probability, which 4024 does not.
- What is the difference between 4024 and 0580?
- 4024 is O Level Mathematics (Syllabus D) with two papers graded A* to E. 0580 is IGCSE Mathematics with Core and Extended tiers; Extended is graded A* to E and includes a few extra topics such as differentiation.
- Do universities accept O Level and IGCSE maths equally?
- Cambridge presents them as the same level, and both are widely recognised. Always check the specific university's entry requirements and, in Pakistan, the IBCC equivalence rules for your route.
- Is a calculator allowed in O Level maths?
- Only in Paper 2. Since 2025, 4024 Paper 1 is a non-calculator paper.
Sources
Checked against these official documents on 26 Oct 2026. Boards update them, so check the latest version before your exam.
