# 9709 P6 The Poisson distribution Topic Questions

> CIE IAL 9709 P6: every The Poisson distribution topic question from 49 papers (2020–2026), grouped by syllabus point. 207 questions, 574 marks, with direct…

- Canonical HTML: https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/
- Markdown mirror: https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/index.md

---

CIE IAL · Mathematics · 9709 P6 · A Level

Every 9709 P6 The Poisson distribution topic question from the 2020–2027 syllabus, drawn from 49 papers (2020–2026) and grouped by syllabus point. Each row opens a page listing the exact question numbers, marks and a direct link into the paper. These are questions by topic, not full papers, so you can revise one topic at a time.

- 9709 P6
- 5 subtopics
- 207 topic questions
- 49 papers
- 574 tagged marks
- [Back to The Poisson distribution](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/)
- [All paper codes](https://www.examsci.com/topics/)

Core finding

**use formulae to calculate probabilities for the distribution … is the most frequently assessed subtopic in The Poisson distribution, with 94 topic questions and 260 marks across 40 papers.** use the normal distribution, with continuity correction, as… follows with 39 topic questions and 151 marks. The topic contains 5 subtopics, 207 topic questions and 574 marks in total. Rows count only the parts tagged to that subtopic, keep the same colour in both charts and repeat paper count, tagged marks and year range in the native table.

## Topic question count and mark distribution

Subtopics are on the vertical axis and sorted from highest to lowest. Only the parts whose knowledge graph matches a subtopic are counted for it, and percentages are each row's share of the tagged total in that chart. A part tagged to several subtopics is counted in each bar, so the bars are not a partition of the topic total.

### Questions by subtopic

question items

- [• use formulae to calculate probabilities for the distribution $\mathrm{Po}(\lambda)$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-formulae-to-calculate-probabilities-for-the-distribution-mathrm-po-lambda/) (40 papers) — 94 · 47.7%
- [• use the normal distribution, with continuity correction, as an approximation to the Poisson distribution where appropriate](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-normal-distribution-with-continuity-correction-as-an-approximation-to-the/) (33 papers) — 39 · 19.8%
- [• use the Poisson distribution as an approximation to the binomial distribution where appropriate](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-poisson-distribution-as-an-approximation-to-the-binomial-distribution-where/) (22 papers) — 38 · 19.3%
- [• understand the relevance of the Poisson distribution to the distribution of random events, and use the Poisson distribution as a model](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/understand-the-relevance-of-the-poisson-distribution-to-the-distribution-of-random/) (18 papers) — 22 · 11.2%
- [• use the fact that if $X\sim\mathrm{Po}(\lambda)$ then the mean and variance of $X$ are each equal to $\lambda$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-fact-that-if-x-sim-mathrm-po-lambda-then-the-mean-and-variance-of-x-are-each/) (4 papers) — 4 · 2.0%

### Marks by subtopic

marks

- [• use formulae to calculate probabilities for the distribution $\mathrm{Po}(\lambda)$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-formulae-to-calculate-probabilities-for-the-distribution-mathrm-po-lambda/) (40 papers) — 260 · 46.3%
- [• use the normal distribution, with continuity correction, as an approximation to the Poisson distribution where appropriate](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-normal-distribution-with-continuity-correction-as-an-approximation-to-the/) (33 papers) — 151 · 26.9%
- [• use the Poisson distribution as an approximation to the binomial distribution where appropriate](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-poisson-distribution-as-an-approximation-to-the-binomial-distribution-where/) (22 papers) — 95 · 16.9%
- [• understand the relevance of the Poisson distribution to the distribution of random events, and use the Poisson distribution as a model](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/understand-the-relevance-of-the-poisson-distribution-to-the-distribution-of-random/) (18 papers) — 46 · 8.2%
- [• use the fact that if $X\sim\mathrm{Po}(\lambda)$ then the mean and variance of $X$ are each equal to $\lambda$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-fact-that-if-x-sim-mathrm-po-lambda-then-the-mean-and-variance-of-x-are-each/) (4 papers) — 9 · 1.6%

## Subtopic comparison matrix

Curriculum order is by syllabus number, then alphabetically. Every row links to the matching past-paper question list.

| Subtopic | Topic questions | Papers | Marks | Years | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[• understand the relevance of the Poisson distribution to the distribution of random events, and use the Poisson distribution as a model](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/understand-the-relevance-of-the-poisson-distribution-to-the-distribution-of-random/)** | 22 | 18 | 46 | 2020–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/understand-the-relevance-of-the-poisson-distribution-to-the-distribution-of-random/) |
| **[• use formulae to calculate probabilities for the distribution $\mathrm{Po}(\lambda)$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-formulae-to-calculate-probabilities-for-the-distribution-mathrm-po-lambda/)** | 94 | 40 | 260 | 2020–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-formulae-to-calculate-probabilities-for-the-distribution-mathrm-po-lambda/) |
| **[• use the fact that if $X\sim\mathrm{Po}(\lambda)$ then the mean and variance of $X$ are each equal to $\lambda$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-fact-that-if-x-sim-mathrm-po-lambda-then-the-mean-and-variance-of-x-are-each/)** | 4 | 4 | 9 | 2020–2023 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-fact-that-if-x-sim-mathrm-po-lambda-then-the-mean-and-variance-of-x-are-each/) |
| **[• use the normal distribution, with continuity correction, as an approximation to the Poisson distribution where appropriate](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-normal-distribution-with-continuity-correction-as-an-approximation-to-the/)** | 39 | 33 | 151 | 2020–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-normal-distribution-with-continuity-correction-as-an-approximation-to-the/) |
| **[• use the Poisson distribution as an approximation to the binomial distribution where appropriate](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-poisson-distribution-as-an-approximation-to-the-binomial-distribution-where/)** | 38 | 22 | 95 | 2020–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-poisson-distribution-as-an-approximation-to-the-binomial-distribution-where/) |

## Browse every topic question

- [• understand the relevance of the Poisson distribution to the distribution of random events, and use the Poisson distribution as a model](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/understand-the-relevance-of-the-poisson-distribution-to-the-distribution-of-random/) — 22 question items · 18 papers — 46 marks · 2020–2026
- [• use formulae to calculate probabilities for the distribution $\mathrm{Po}(\lambda)$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-formulae-to-calculate-probabilities-for-the-distribution-mathrm-po-lambda/) — 94 question items · 40 papers — 260 marks · 2020–2026
- [• use the fact that if $X\sim\mathrm{Po}(\lambda)$ then the mean and variance of $X$ are each equal to $\lambda$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-fact-that-if-x-sim-mathrm-po-lambda-then-the-mean-and-variance-of-x-are-each/) — 4 question items · 4 papers — 9 marks · 2020–2023
- [• use the normal distribution, with continuity correction, as an approximation to the Poisson distribution where appropriate](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-normal-distribution-with-continuity-correction-as-an-approximation-to-the/) — 39 question items · 33 papers — 151 marks · 2020–2026
- [• use the Poisson distribution as an approximation to the binomial distribution where appropriate](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/use-the-poisson-distribution-as-an-approximation-to-the-binomial-distribution-where/) — 38 question items · 22 papers — 95 marks · 2020–2026

## Other topics in 9709 P6

- [Continuous random variables 146 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/continuous-random-variables/)
- [Hypothesis tests 206 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/hypothesis-tests/)
- [Linear combinations of random variables 109 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/linear-combinations-of-random-variables/)
- [Sampling and estimation 187 question items](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/sampling-and-estimation/)

## Topic question rules and edge cases

**How many subtopics does The Poisson distribution contain?**

This page lists 5 subtopics tagged to the current syllabus. They are ordered by syllabus number, then alphabetically, and each row opens a page of matching past-paper questions.

**How are the subtopic question and mark totals calculated?**

A multiple-choice question contributes one item and its marks to every subtopic it is tagged with. A structured question contributes one item per tagged part, and that part’s marks; untagged parts of the same question are not counted here. A part tagged to several subtopics therefore appears under each of them.

**Why do some subtopics have no numbered prefix?**

Practical-skills statements and some syllabus bullets are unnumbered. Numbered statements come first; unnumbered statements and ties are sorted alphabetically.

**Is the LaTeX rendered without JavaScript?**

Yes. Subtopics that contain formulas are converted to static KaTeX HTML during the build, and the KaTeX stylesheet is served from the same site.

---

Full page with native tables, bar charts and Practice Hub links: https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/mathematics/9709-p6/the-poisson-distribution/