IGCSE English - First Language (0990) — real past-paper questions, marked by AI
IGCSE First Language English (0990) is the 9-1 graded route through the same course as 0500 — same two papers, same skills, different grading scale. Paper 1 tests reading through comprehension, summary and writers' effects questions on unseen passages, and Paper 2 is Directed Writing and Composition, pairing a directed-writing task with a full composition. Writers' effects answers are marked for how precisely you analyse the language on the page, not for naming the most devices.
This hub holds 184 real 0990 questions from 16 papers set between 2023 and 2025. Descriptive and narrative composition tasks lead the topic table, and reading questions covering explicit meaning, implicit meaning and directed writing follow close behind. Write your answer in full and the AI examiner marks it instantly against the real Cambridge mark scheme, applying the same reading and writing assessment objectives a human marker uses — so you see exactly why a writers' effects paragraph earned its marks.
Free, with no signup: work topic by topic, or sit a full paper and check every answer against the scheme afterwards.
Past papers by year
2025
| Paper | Session | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 11 | May–June 2025 | 3 |
| Paper 12 | May–June 2025 | 3 |
| Paper 21 | May–June 2025 | 5 |
| Paper 22 | May–June 2025 | 5 |
2024
| Paper | Session | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 11 | May–June 2024 | 3 |
| Paper 12 | May–June 2024 | 3 |
| Paper 21 | May–June 2024 | 5 |
| Paper 22 | May–June 2024 | 5 |
| Paper 12 | October–November 2024 | 3 |
| Paper 22 | October–November 2024 | 5 |
2023
| Paper | Session | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 11 | May–June 2023 | 3 |
| Paper 12 | May–June 2023 | 3 |
| Paper 21 | May–June 2023 | 5 |
| Paper 22 | May–June 2023 | 5 |
| Paper 12 | October–November 2023 | 3 |
| Paper 22 | October–November 2023 | 5 |
Practise IGCSE English - First Language by topic
- Writing (12 questions)
Frequently asked questions
Which 0990 papers and years are covered?
Both papers — Reading and Directed Writing and Composition — across every May–June and October–November session from 2023 to 2025, 16 papers in total.
How does the AI marking work for First Language English answers?
You write a full answer to a reading or composition question, and an AI examiner marks it against the real Cambridge mark scheme, applying the same reading and writing assessment objectives a human examiner uses and explaining the mark it gave.
Is 0990 the same as 0500?
0990 is the 9-1 graded version of IGCSE First Language English (0500), with the same course content and exam style — only the grading scale differs, so questions from either code are good practice.
Is it really free?
Yes — every question, mark scheme and AI marking run is free, with no signup and no card details.
How should I revise First Language English with past papers?
Practise writers' effects and summary questions from the reading paper topic by topic, then move to full timed papers and use the AI feedback to see which reading or writing objective needs work.
Are these official Cambridge papers?
The questions are transcribed from real Cambridge papers, and answers are marked against the real mark schemes, which remain © Cambridge International. Cambridge Papers is an independent study tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge.