Cambridge O Level · 4037 · Data 2020–2025
Most-tested topics in O-Level Additional Mathematics
Just 3 chapters — Calculus, Logarithmic and exponential functions, Trigonometry — carry about 50% of all the marks. Revise those first.
Based on 48 real Cambridge past papers and 10,085 tagged marks, 2020–2025. Ranked by marks, not guesswork.
Historical counts from past papers — not an exam prediction. Download the data (CSV)
Revise these first
The topics that carry the most marks, highest first. Each opens the free past-paper questions.
- 1Practise →Solving logarithm equation4% of marksLogarithmic and exponential functionsEvery year
- 2Practise →Differentiation4% of marksCalculusEvery year
- 3Practise →Solving trigonometric equation3% of marksTrigonometryEvery year
- 4Practise →Application of dy/dx3% of marksCalculusEvery year
- 5Practise →Trigonometric Identity3% of marksTrigonometryEvery year
- 6Practise →dy/dx of composite function2% of marksCalculusEvery year
- 7Practise →Arithmetic Progression2% of marksSeriesEvery year
- 8Practise →Rules of dy/dx2% of marksCalculusEvery year
See the full breakdown — all 79 topics across 15 chapters
Calculus
33% of marks- DifferentiationEvery year377 marks · 45 qs
- Application of dy/dxEvery year306 marks · 38 qs
- dy/dx of composite functionEvery year247 marks · 32 qs
- Rules of dy/dxEvery year245 marks · 33 qs
- Definite integrationEvery year224 marks · 28 qs
- IntegrationEvery year200 marks · 25 qs
- dy/dx of trigonometric functionEvery year169 marks · 23 qs
- Displacement, velocity & accelerationEvery year164 marks · 20 qs
- Integration of composite functionEvery year157 marks · 20 qs
- Integration of exponential function and 1/xEvery year139 marks · 18 qs
- Application of integrationRecurring130 marks · 15 qs
- Integration of trigonometric functionEvery year125 marks · 16 qs
- b) Stationary pointEvery year117 marks · 13 qs
- KinematicsEvery year114 marks · 15 qs
- dy/dx of exponential and logarithmmic functionEvery year94 marks · 13 qs
- Graph of motionRecurring89 marks · 10 qs
- Concept of dy/dxRecurring80 marks · 10 qs
- c) Rate of changeRecurring56 marks · 8 qs
- Rules of integrationRecurring55 marks · 8 qs
- Concept of integrationRecurring52 marks · 7 qs
- b) Area under the curveRecurring46 marks · 5 qs
- a) Equation of tangent & normalRecurring44 marks · 5 qs
- a) Equation of curveRecurring27 marks · 4 qs
- d) Approximation changeRecurring26 marks · 4 qs
Logarithmic and exponential functions
9% of marks- Solving logarithm equationEvery year399 marks · 53 qs
- Rule of logarithmEvery year227 marks · 29 qs
- Exponential functionEvery year130 marks · 17 qs
- Graph of logarithmEvery year72 marks · 9 qs
- Natural logarithmsRecurring65 marks · 7 qs
- Conversion of index to logaritm and vice versaRecurring28 marks · 5 qs
Trigonometry
8% of marks- Solving trigonometric equationEvery year327 marks · 41 qs
- Trigonometric IdentityEvery year271 marks · 35 qs
- Six trigonometric functions and special anglesRecurring117 marks · 14 qs
- Graph of trigonometric functionsEvery year93 marks · 20 qs
- Concept of quadrant, reference angle & negative angleOne-off9 marks · 1 qs
Factors of polynomials
7% of marks- Factorisation of cubic equationEvery year233 marks · 34 qs
- Solving cubic equationEvery year188 marks · 26 qs
- Factor TheoremEvery year176 marks · 23 qs
- Remainder TheoremEvery year127 marks · 17 qs
- Polynomial divisionOne-off11 marks · 2 qs
Straight-line graphs
7% of marks- Gradient and equation of intercept formEvery year153 marks · 19 qs
- Parallel & perpendicular linesEvery year145 marks · 17 qs
- Distance between two pointsRecurring119 marks · 14 qs
- MidpointEvery year115 marks · 14 qs
- Linear Law (After logarithm)Every year98 marks · 15 qs
- Area of rectilinear figuresRecurring50 marks · 6 qs
Series
6% of marks- Arithmetic ProgressionEvery year246 marks · 25 qs
- Geometric ProgressionEvery year243 marks · 26 qs
- Binomial ExpansionEvery year163 marks · 25 qs
Circular measure
6% of marks- Area of sectorEvery year198 marks · 24 qs
- Arc lengthEvery year182 marks · 22 qs
- Solution of triangleEvery year146 marks · 18 qs
- Area of segmentEvery year118 marks · 14 qs
Quadratic functions
6% of marks- Stationary point (Max/Min)Every year151 marks · 20 qs
- Solving Quadratic EquationEvery year146 marks · 20 qs
- Type of rootsEvery year132 marks · 21 qs
- Quadratic InequalitiesEvery year91 marks · 15 qs
- Inverse of quadratic functionRecurring35 marks · 5 qs
Vectors in two dimensions
5% of marks- Vectors in Cartesian planeEvery year210 marks · 27 qs
- Concept of vectors and resultant vectorsEvery year206 marks · 26 qs
- Concept of collinearEvery year92 marks · 11 qs
- Postion and velocity vectorRecurring35 marks · 4 qs
Functions
4% of marks- Inverse functionEvery year163 marks · 19 qs
- Concept of object, image, domain, rangeEvery year115 marks · 14 qs
- Composite functionEvery year100 marks · 13 qs
- Absolute value functionRecurring39 marks · 6 qs
- Type of relationshipOne-off4 marks · 1 qs
Permutations and combinations
3% of marks- PermutationEvery year174 marks · 24 qs
- CombinationEvery year167 marks · 24 qs
Simultaneous equations
2% of marks- Simultaneous equation of a linear and non linear functionEvery year146 marks · 18 qs
- Simultaneous equation of 2 linear functionRecurring30 marks · 5 qs
Equations, inequalities and graphs
2% of marks- Sketching graph of cubic equationRecurring54 marks · 11 qs
- Solving cubic inequalitiesRecurring50 marks · 10 qs
- Solution of modulus linear inequalitiesRecurring45 marks · 8 qs
- Solution of modulus linear equationRecurring26 marks · 4 qs
Coordinate geometry of the circle
1% of marks- Tangents to CircleRecurring68 marks · 9 qs
- Equation of a CircleRecurring66 marks · 9 qs
- Intersection of two circlesOne-off5 marks · 1 qs
Sets & Matrices (2016-2019 syllabus only)
0% of marks- MatricesOne-off3 marks · 1 qs
Turn the data into practice
Every topic above is drawn from real Cambridge O Level Additional Mathematics papers, tagged to the syllabus. Students can drill the high-frequency topics in the free bank; teachers can turn any of them into a ready-to-print worksheet in seconds. Or explore the full six-year trends in the interactive records.