For teachers · Worked example
Sample custom paper: Edexcel IAL Mathematics
A 10-question worksheet assembled from free Pure Mathematics 1 and 2 past papers, with one question carrying a custom mark override.
In short
This worked example shows what a custom paper — also called a compilation paper, compiled paper or worksheet — looks like in practice. It uses 10 questions from 4 free Edexcel IAL papers, ordered from algebra through trigonometry and integration. The original questions add up to 74 marks; one question is raised from 5 to 6 marks, so the paper total is 75. AI marking scales that question by 6/5 and adds a note, while the other nine keep their original mark schemes. A suggested time is 90 minutes.
How this sample was assembled
The questions come from four free papers: WMA11 January 2020, WMA12 January 2020, WMA11 June 2019 and WMA12 October 2020. Each question was filtered by unit and topic first, then ordered so the paper moves from short algebra questions to longer trigonometry and integration questions.
Nothing here is copied from a Pro paper. The source column links to the original paper, and the question link opens the exact row in that paper's question list. That makes every mark traceable to an official session.
What the marks show
The original questions add up to 74 marks. One question — indefinite integration from WMA11 June 2019 — is raised from 5 to 6 marks, giving 75. This is deliberate: it demonstrates that a custom paper can weight a topic without rewriting the mark scheme.
When that question is marked, the official mark scheme is still used, then the awarded score is multiplied by 6/5 and rounded to two decimals. The feedback adds a scaling note with both totals. All other questions keep their original totals, so no note appears for them.
How to rebuild or adapt it
This sample is also a live paper: the button above opens it in the practice hub, and because it is published and public it can be selected directly when you create a task.
To change it, open the public custom paper list, find this sample's card and use Make a Copy. Any signed-in teacher can copy a public custom paper, not only its author. Published papers are immutable, so the copy is a fresh editable draft where you can drag questions into another order, drop one, or override marks. Rebuilding it from scratch is also possible: filter by exam board Edexcel, subject Mathematics, the unit and topic shown in the table, and add the ten questions in this order.
Worked example: 10 questions, 75 marks
All 10 questions come from free papers; the Marks column shows the original total and, for one question, the custom total used in this sample.
| # | Question | Source paper | Topic | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laws of Indices | WMA11 · January 2020 | 1. Algebra and functions | 5 |
| 2 | Coordinate Geometry and Parallelograms | WMA11 · January 2020 | 2. Coordinate geometry in the (x, y) plane | 8 |
| 3 | Stationary Points and Differentiation | WMA11 · January 2020 | 4. Differentiation | 6 |
| 4 | Binomial Expansion | WMA12 · January 2020 | 4. Sequences and series | 7 |
| 5 | Factor Theorem and Trigonometric Equations | WMA12 · January 2020 | 2. Algebra and functions / 6. Trigonometry | 8 |
| 6 | Coordinate Geometry of Circles | WMA12 · January 2020 | 3. Coordinate geometry in the (x, y) plane | 8 |
| 7 | Trigonometric Identities and Equations | WMA12 · January 2020 | 6. Trigonometry | 7 |
| 8 | Indefinite Integration | WMA11 · June 2019 | 5. Integration | 5 → 6 (custom) |
| 9 | Sector Geometry and Sine/Cosine Rules | WMA11 · June 2019 | 3. Trigonometry | 10 |
| 10 | Logarithms & Exponential Equations | WMA12 · October 2020 | 5. Exponentials and logarithms | 10 |
Questions teachers ask
- Is this an official past paper?
- No. It is a worked example of a custom paper, also called a compilation paper, compiled paper or worksheet: questions selected from existing papers and ordered into a new set. The original papers remain unchanged.
- Are all the questions free to open?
- Yes. Every source paper is from 2020 or earlier, so the full question text and mark scheme are free. No Pro content is copied into this sample.
- Why does the paper total 75 marks when the originals add up to 74?
- One question — indefinite integration, originally 5 marks — is raised to 6 marks in this sample. That is a custom mark override: marking still uses the official mark scheme and scales that question by 6/5, adding a note in the feedback.
- Can I assign this paper as homework?
- Yes. The sample is a published public custom paper, so it appears in the paper picker when you create a task and can be assigned to a student or a group without rebuilding it.
- Can I change the order or remove a question?
- Not on this sample: published papers are immutable so that attempts already made against them stay stable. Use Make a Copy on its card in the public custom paper list — any teacher can copy a public paper — to get an editable draft, then drag questions into a different order or remove any question whose marks do not fit.
Build your own version
Open the builder and assemble these questions into a paper, or swap in questions from a topic you want to target.
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