CIE A Level Maths 9709 Paper 1: which topics have the most questions
By the Examaced team. , 5 min read
Pure Mathematics 1 is the paper every CIE A Level Mathematics 9709 student sits. The Examaced question bank holds 535 Paper 1 questions from 49 past papers, 2020–2026, each tagged with its syllabus topic. Here's where those questions sit, and how to use that when you plan your revision.
Paper 1 questions by topic, 2020–2026
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| Differentiation | 134 |
| Series | 127 |
| Functions | 93 |
| Integration | 90 |
| Trigonometry | 77 |
| Coordinate geometry | 65 |
| Circular measure | 46 |
| Quadratics | 40 |
Counts are the question bank's topic tags. A question can sit under more than one topic, so treat them as a guide to weight, not exact shares of the paper.
What the numbers say
Calculus and series carry the paper
Differentiation (134) and Series (127) are the two biggest topics by a clear margin. Add Integration (90) and those three topics carry about half of all the topic tags on the paper. It matters because the long, multi-part questions carry a large share of the marks. One recent paper, 9709/11 from May / June 2026, had 11 questions worth 75 marks, and its last three questions were worth 11, 11 and 9.
Functions is the hidden big one
Functions has 93 questions, more than Trigonometry or Coordinate geometry. Inverses, composite functions and transformations of graphs turn up on their own and inside other questions, so it pays to make them automatic.
Small topics are quick marks, not optional ones
Quadratics has the fewest tagged questions (40), but completing the square and the discriminant run through the whole paper. A topic with few questions is one you can finish completely in a single session, which makes it a good warm-up.
How to plan Paper 1 practice
- Start with the biggest three. Work through Differentiation, Series and Integration one topic at a time, newest questions first.
- Filter by marks. Once short questions feel easy, filter to 9+ marks. Long questions are where method marks and dependent marks decide your grade.
- Mark strictly. Pure 1 schemes are full of M1, A1 and B1 marks. If you're not sure what each one needs, read how to read a CIE mark scheme.
- Then time a full paper. Paper 1 is 1h 50m. When your topic scores hold steady, sit a whole paper against the clock.
Practicing Paper 1 in Examaced
In Examaced, choose Mathematics 9709, Paper 1, then a topic. Each question opens with its mark scheme a click away, in a split view beside your working, and the formula sheet sits in the viewer. Save your score and it appears in Review with your error log.
Start with differentiation, or see every 9709 paper and topic.