Cambridge · Cambridge IGCSE First Language English (0500), 2027-2029 syllabus

Cambridge IGCSE First Language English Paper 1

Reading

Time: 2 hours
Marks: 80
Share: 50% of the IGCSE
Questions: 6

Four compulsory questions, 20 marks each, on three texts printed in a separate insert: comprehension, a summary, short answers with a language task, and a piece of writing in a set form. This guide is for exams in 2027, 2028 and 2029; if you sit Paper 1 in November 2026, your paper follows the older 2024-2026 syllabus, with three questions worth 30, 25 and 25 marks, so its question numbers and marks are not the ones in this guide.

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The questions at a glance

Question	What it is	Marks	Tests	Time
Question 1	Comprehension (Text A)	20	R1, R2, R3, R4, R5	25 min
Question 2(a)	Selective summary (Text B)	15	R1, R2, R5, W1, W2, W3	19 min
Question 2(b)	Writer's attitude (Text B)	5	R2, R3	6 min
Question 3: short-answer parts	Short answers on words and phrases (Text C)	10	R1, R2, R4	12 min
Question 3: language task	Language analysis (Text C)	10	R1, R2, R4	13 min
Question 4	Extended response to reading (Text C)	20	R1, R2, R3, R5, W1, W2, W3, W4	25 min

What the examiner is looking for

The board calls these its assessment objectives. Each question tests one or more of them.

R1: Understand what a text says directly: the facts and details actually on the page.
R2: Work out what a text suggests without saying it outright, including what the writer or the people in it think and feel.
R3: Examine the facts, ideas and opinions in a text, judge how far they hold up and build on them, backing each point with details from the text.
R4: Show how a writer creates effects and influences the reader, for example through the choice of particular words and phrases.
R5: Pick out the information a task needs and use it for that task, leaving the rest aside.
W1: Put experiences, and what you think, feel and imagine, clearly into words.
W2: Organise facts, ideas and opinions on purpose, so the order and shape of the writing help it do its job.
W3: Use varied words chosen with care, and different kinds of sentences, to suit the task.
W4: Write in a way that suits your purpose and keeps your reader interested.

Question 1: Comprehension20 marks

Short questions on Text A, testing what it says directly and what it suggests.

Question 1

Comprehension (Text A)

20 marksR1, R2, R3, R4, R5About 25 min

What it asks

Answer a series of short questions on Text A. Some ask you to find a detail, some to explain a word or phrase in your own words, and some to explain what the writer suggests, why something happened or why a particular word was used.

What earns marks

One mark for each correct, separate point, up to the marks shown for that part: in the specimen mark scheme every part of Question 1 is marked this way, not in levels.
Your own words when a part asks for them, and whenever you explain: in the specimen mark scheme, one 'explain why' part gave no marks to an answer copied word for word from the text, even though that question did not ask for own words.
For a part asking what a phrase means, an explanation of every part of the phrase: in the specimen, explaining only part of it earned 1 of the 2 marks.
Answers drawn from the paragraph or lines the question points you to.

What to avoid

Copying out long stretches of the text in the hope that the answer is somewhere inside.
Making the same point twice in different words: a repeated point earns nothing extra.
Writing a paragraph for a 1-mark part, which eats into the time Questions 2 to 4 need.

Tip: The marks for each part are printed in square brackets: a [3] part needs three separate points, so count them as you write.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 2: Summary task20 marks

Two parts on Text B: a summary in your own words, then a short answer on the writer's attitude.

Question 2(a)

Selective summary (Text B)

15 marksR1, R2, R5 · 10W1, W2, W3 · 5About 19 min

What it asks

Pick out the points in Text B that fit the focus the question gives you, and write them up as a summary in your own words: continuous writing (full, linked sentences, not notes or bullet points) of no more than 120 words.

What earns marks

Reading (10 marks): a wide range of the points that fit the focus, including ones the text only implies.
Selection: only what the question asks for, with no examples, quotations, repetition or opinions of your own.
Writing (5 marks): clear, fluent sentences in your own words that pack a lot into a few words.
Related points grouped and linked, so the summary reads as one connected piece rather than a list.

What each level looks like

Top level first.

Reading
Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 5	9-10	Gathers the points that matter most, never strays from the focus and selects so well that the reader sees the whole picture.
Level 4	7-8	Covers plenty of the points that matter, keeps to the focus throughout and chooses with care, so the main lines of the text start to show.
Level 3	5-6	Covers a fair number of relevant points with the odd lapse in focus; it selects, but unneeded material creeps in.
Level 2	3-4	Has a general grasp of the relevant points but keeps to the focus only some of the time, and selects without much judgement.
Level 1	1-2	Picks up only a few relevant points, loses sight of the focus and does little real selecting.

Writing
Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 3	4-5	Smooth and easy to follow, well ordered, saying a lot in few words, in a good range of your own words.
Level 2	2-3	Mostly clear and sometimes well ordered; tight in places, but elsewhere it borrows the text's own wording.
Level 1	1	Hard to follow and loosely organised, with stretches copied from the text.

What to avoid

Going over the 120-word limit the question sets.
Notes or bullet points: the summary must be continuous writing.
Copying sentences from Text B, or adding quotations, examples or your own views.
Including points that fall outside the focus of the question.

Tip: Underline every point in Text B that fits the focus, cross out repeats and examples, then write the points up in fresh words, combining related ones into single sentences.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 2(b)

Writer's attitude (Text B)

5 marksR2, R3About 6 min

What it asks

Explain the writer's attitude in Text B (what the writer thinks and feels about the subject), supporting your answer with details from the text. If the question asks for a set number of details, give that number.

What earns marks

A precise statement of the writer's attitude, which can have more than one side to it.
Details from Text B that show the attitude, each with a few words on what it reveals.
Reading between the lines: what the writer's word choices give away, not only what the text states.

What each level looks like

Top level first.

Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 3	4-5	Pins down the writer's attitude accurately and proves it with well-chosen details from the text.
Level 2	2-3	Identifies part of the writer's attitude and backs it up with a detail or two.
Level 1	1	Makes a basic point about how the writer feels, with little or nothing to show it.

What to avoid

Retelling the text instead of saying what the writer thinks of the subject.
Giving your own opinion of the subject.
Writing at length: this part is worth 5 marks.

Tip: Name the attitude in a few words first (for example, 'hopeful but cautious'), then give as many details as the question asks for (three in the specimen), each with a few words on what it shows.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 3: Short-answer questions and language task20 marks

Short answers on Text C, then a longer answer analysing the writer's language in an extract from it.

Question 3: short-answer parts

Short answers on words and phrases (Text C)

10 marksR1, R2, R4About 12 min

What it asks

Answer short questions on Text C: for example, find the word or phrase in the text that matches an idea you are given, explain what particular words mean in your own words, or explain what one example of the writer's language suggests.

What earns marks

The exact word or phrase from the text when you are asked to find one.
An accurate explanation, in your own words, of what each word means in its sentence.
Most parts earn a mark for each correct answer. In the specimen paper, one 5-mark part on what an example of the writer's language suggests was marked in three levels (1, 2-3 and 4-5 marks).

What to avoid

Copying a whole sentence when you are asked for a word or phrase.
Explaining a word with the same word, or another form of it.
Giving a dictionary meaning that does not fit how the word is used in the text.

Tip: Test an explanation by putting it in place of the word in the sentence: if the sentence still makes sense, you are probably close.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 3: language task

Language analysis (Text C)

10 marksR1, R2, R4About 13 min

What it asks

Pick out a few striking words or phrases from the extract of Text C given in the question (three in the specimen paper) and explain how the writer's language creates its effects. Write about 200 to 250 words.

What earns marks

Precise choices: short words or phrases that carry more than their plain meaning.
For each choice, what it means in context and what it suggests: the associations (connotations) it brings and the picture it creates.
Images (similes, metaphors and other comparisons) explained, not just named.
Comments on grammar, sentence shape or punctuation, which earn credit only on top of comments on the words themselves.
The quality of your analysis as a whole rather than the number of choices, though the higher levels expect a range of choices that includes images you explain.

What each level looks like

Top level first.

Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 5	9-10	The sharpest choices, each opened up to show what it suggests and why the writer used it, with images explained exactly and thoughtfully.
Level 4	7-8	Good choices, with confident explanations of what they mean in the passage, a first go at explaining images, and some sense of what the writer is doing.
Level 3	5-6	Chooses sensible words and can say what most of them mean, but any comment on their effect is basic.
Level 2	3-4	Chooses less telling words; the comments mostly repeat the text or stay vague, even if techniques are named correctly.
Level 1	1-2	Chooses words that do little for the task and shows little understanding of them.

What to avoid

Long quotations: choose short, precise words or phrases.
Naming a technique ('this is a metaphor') without explaining what it suggests.
Writing about lines outside the extract you are given.
Retelling what happens in the extract.

Tip: For each choice, ask what the word makes you picture or feel, and why the writer chose it over a plainer word.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 4: Extended response to reading20 marks

A piece of about 250 to 300 words in a set form, using and developing ideas from Text C.

Question 4

Extended response to reading (Text C)

20 marksR1, R2, R3, R5 · 10W1, W2, W3, W4 · 10About 25 min

What it asks

Write about 250 to 300 words based on Text C in the form the question sets: a letter, report, journal, speech, interview or article. The question sets the situation and gives bullet points to cover (in the specimen paper you write as a person from the text), and you use and develop ideas from the text to answer them.

What earns marks

Reading (10 marks): plenty of relevant ideas from Text C, developed beyond what the text says outright and backed by details from it.
Every bullet point covered, in a balanced way.
A voice that suits the role and the form, kept up throughout: in the specimen mark scheme the voice counts towards the reading mark.
Writing (10 marks): your own words, organised for the reader, with varied, precise vocabulary and a style that suits the audience and purpose.

What each level looks like

Top level first.

Reading
Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 5	9-10	Uses most of the useful ideas, develops and weighs them up, weaves in detail throughout, covers every bullet fully and keeps a believable voice.
Level 4	7-8	Uses many of the useful ideas and develops some, covers all the bullets, backs points up often and sounds right for the role.
Level 3	5-6	Offers simple ideas from the text but rarely takes them further; some bullets get more attention than others and the voice is flat.
Level 2	3-4	Gets hold of some main ideas, but leans on the words of the text, drifts from the bullets and may sound wrong for the role.
Level 1	1-2	Uses very little from the text, or copies it without reshaping it for the task.

Writing
Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 5	9-10	Confident and fluent, shaped so the reader follows it easily, with wide and exact vocabulary and a tone that fits throughout.
Level 4	7-8	Reads smoothly most of the time, with ideas in a sensible order, a good range of words and a tone that often fits.
Level 3	5-6	Easy to follow but plain; it sticks to the order of the original text, the vocabulary does the job and there is some sense of the audience.
Level 2	3-4	Clumsy in places and jumbled in order, with plain or borrowed words and little thought for the audience.
Level 1	1-2	Hard to understand, too short to develop anything, and partly copied from the text.

What to avoid

Retelling Text C in its own order: reorganise the material around the bullet points.
Leaving out a bullet point, or giving one only a line.
Inventing content with no basis in the text: ideas should come from Text C and grow out of it.
Forgetting the form: an interview, a letter and a speech each need their own shape.

Tip: Before you write, note two or three ideas from Text C under each bullet, then add what each one suggests or leads to: that development is what the higher reading levels look for.

Mark an answer to this question

Using your time

Reading the three texts: about 15 minutes. This is the one timing Cambridge itself gives, in the syllabus.
Each question is worth 20 marks, so about 25 minutes each is a fair share. This and the splits below are suggestions based on the marks, not rules.
Question 2: about 19 minutes on the summary, 2(a), and 6 on 2(b).
Question 3: about 12 minutes on the short answers and 13 on the language task.
Keep the last 5 minutes for checking.

Before you hand in

Every part of every question has an answer: all four questions are compulsory.
Answers that ask for your own words do not copy the text.
The summary is continuous writing of no more than 120 words, with no quotations or opinions.
The language task explains what each chosen word or phrase suggests, not only what it means.
Question 4 covers every bullet point, in the form and role the question sets.

About this guide

This guide explains the mark scheme in plain English, in our own words. It is not the board's mark scheme, and it is not a prediction of any mark. The questions, marks and levels were checked against Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500 syllabus for exams in 2027, 2028 and 2029, Version 1 (pages 13 to 15), with the 0500/01 specimen mark scheme for examination from 2027 for the level ranges on 24 October 2026.

The official mark schemes and past papers (Cambridge)

Cambridge · Cambridge IGCSE First Language English (0500), 2027-2029 syllabus

Cambridge IGCSE First Language English Paper 1

Reading

Time: 2 hours
Marks: 80
Share: 50% of the IGCSE
Questions: 6

Mark an answer against this paper Jump to the questions

The questions at a glance

Question	What it is	Marks	Tests	Time
Question 1	Comprehension (Text A)	20	R1, R2, R3, R4, R5	25 min
Question 2(a)	Selective summary (Text B)	15	R1, R2, R5, W1, W2, W3	19 min
Question 2(b)	Writer's attitude (Text B)	5	R2, R3	6 min
Question 3: short-answer parts	Short answers on words and phrases (Text C)	10	R1, R2, R4	12 min
Question 3: language task	Language analysis (Text C)	10	R1, R2, R4	13 min
Question 4	Extended response to reading (Text C)	20	R1, R2, R3, R5, W1, W2, W3, W4	25 min

What the examiner is looking for

The board calls these its assessment objectives. Each question tests one or more of them.

R1: Understand what a text says directly: the facts and details actually on the page.
R2: Work out what a text suggests without saying it outright, including what the writer or the people in it think and feel.
R3: Examine the facts, ideas and opinions in a text, judge how far they hold up and build on them, backing each point with details from the text.
R4: Show how a writer creates effects and influences the reader, for example through the choice of particular words and phrases.
R5: Pick out the information a task needs and use it for that task, leaving the rest aside.
W1: Put experiences, and what you think, feel and imagine, clearly into words.
W2: Organise facts, ideas and opinions on purpose, so the order and shape of the writing help it do its job.
W3: Use varied words chosen with care, and different kinds of sentences, to suit the task.
W4: Write in a way that suits your purpose and keeps your reader interested.

Question 1: Comprehension20 marks

Short questions on Text A, testing what it says directly and what it suggests.

Question 1

Comprehension (Text A)

20 marksR1, R2, R3, R4, R5About 25 min

What it asks

What earns marks

One mark for each correct, separate point, up to the marks shown for that part: in the specimen mark scheme every part of Question 1 is marked this way, not in levels.
Your own words when a part asks for them, and whenever you explain: in the specimen mark scheme, one 'explain why' part gave no marks to an answer copied word for word from the text, even though that question did not ask for own words.
For a part asking what a phrase means, an explanation of every part of the phrase: in the specimen, explaining only part of it earned 1 of the 2 marks.
Answers drawn from the paragraph or lines the question points you to.

What to avoid

Copying out long stretches of the text in the hope that the answer is somewhere inside.
Making the same point twice in different words: a repeated point earns nothing extra.
Writing a paragraph for a 1-mark part, which eats into the time Questions 2 to 4 need.

Tip: The marks for each part are printed in square brackets: a [3] part needs three separate points, so count them as you write.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 2: Summary task20 marks

Two parts on Text B: a summary in your own words, then a short answer on the writer's attitude.

Question 2(a)

Selective summary (Text B)

15 marksR1, R2, R5 · 10W1, W2, W3 · 5About 19 min

What it asks

What earns marks

Reading (10 marks): a wide range of the points that fit the focus, including ones the text only implies.
Selection: only what the question asks for, with no examples, quotations, repetition or opinions of your own.
Writing (5 marks): clear, fluent sentences in your own words that pack a lot into a few words.
Related points grouped and linked, so the summary reads as one connected piece rather than a list.

What each level looks like

Top level first.

Reading
Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 5	9-10	Gathers the points that matter most, never strays from the focus and selects so well that the reader sees the whole picture.
Level 4	7-8	Covers plenty of the points that matter, keeps to the focus throughout and chooses with care, so the main lines of the text start to show.
Level 3	5-6	Covers a fair number of relevant points with the odd lapse in focus; it selects, but unneeded material creeps in.
Level 2	3-4	Has a general grasp of the relevant points but keeps to the focus only some of the time, and selects without much judgement.
Level 1	1-2	Picks up only a few relevant points, loses sight of the focus and does little real selecting.

Writing
Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 3	4-5	Smooth and easy to follow, well ordered, saying a lot in few words, in a good range of your own words.
Level 2	2-3	Mostly clear and sometimes well ordered; tight in places, but elsewhere it borrows the text's own wording.
Level 1	1	Hard to follow and loosely organised, with stretches copied from the text.

What to avoid

Going over the 120-word limit the question sets.
Notes or bullet points: the summary must be continuous writing.
Copying sentences from Text B, or adding quotations, examples or your own views.
Including points that fall outside the focus of the question.

Tip: Underline every point in Text B that fits the focus, cross out repeats and examples, then write the points up in fresh words, combining related ones into single sentences.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 2(b)

Writer's attitude (Text B)

5 marksR2, R3About 6 min

What it asks

What earns marks

A precise statement of the writer's attitude, which can have more than one side to it.
Details from Text B that show the attitude, each with a few words on what it reveals.
Reading between the lines: what the writer's word choices give away, not only what the text states.

What each level looks like

Top level first.

Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 3	4-5	Pins down the writer's attitude accurately and proves it with well-chosen details from the text.
Level 2	2-3	Identifies part of the writer's attitude and backs it up with a detail or two.
Level 1	1	Makes a basic point about how the writer feels, with little or nothing to show it.

What to avoid

Retelling the text instead of saying what the writer thinks of the subject.
Giving your own opinion of the subject.
Writing at length: this part is worth 5 marks.

Tip: Name the attitude in a few words first (for example, 'hopeful but cautious'), then give as many details as the question asks for (three in the specimen), each with a few words on what it shows.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 3: Short-answer questions and language task20 marks

Short answers on Text C, then a longer answer analysing the writer's language in an extract from it.

Question 3: short-answer parts

Short answers on words and phrases (Text C)

10 marksR1, R2, R4About 12 min

What it asks

What earns marks

The exact word or phrase from the text when you are asked to find one.
An accurate explanation, in your own words, of what each word means in its sentence.
Most parts earn a mark for each correct answer. In the specimen paper, one 5-mark part on what an example of the writer's language suggests was marked in three levels (1, 2-3 and 4-5 marks).

What to avoid

Copying a whole sentence when you are asked for a word or phrase.
Explaining a word with the same word, or another form of it.
Giving a dictionary meaning that does not fit how the word is used in the text.

Tip: Test an explanation by putting it in place of the word in the sentence: if the sentence still makes sense, you are probably close.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 3: language task

Language analysis (Text C)

10 marksR1, R2, R4About 13 min

What it asks

What earns marks

Precise choices: short words or phrases that carry more than their plain meaning.
For each choice, what it means in context and what it suggests: the associations (connotations) it brings and the picture it creates.
Images (similes, metaphors and other comparisons) explained, not just named.
Comments on grammar, sentence shape or punctuation, which earn credit only on top of comments on the words themselves.
The quality of your analysis as a whole rather than the number of choices, though the higher levels expect a range of choices that includes images you explain.

What each level looks like

Top level first.

Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 5	9-10	The sharpest choices, each opened up to show what it suggests and why the writer used it, with images explained exactly and thoughtfully.
Level 4	7-8	Good choices, with confident explanations of what they mean in the passage, a first go at explaining images, and some sense of what the writer is doing.
Level 3	5-6	Chooses sensible words and can say what most of them mean, but any comment on their effect is basic.
Level 2	3-4	Chooses less telling words; the comments mostly repeat the text or stay vague, even if techniques are named correctly.
Level 1	1-2	Chooses words that do little for the task and shows little understanding of them.

What to avoid

Long quotations: choose short, precise words or phrases.
Naming a technique ('this is a metaphor') without explaining what it suggests.
Writing about lines outside the extract you are given.
Retelling what happens in the extract.

Tip: For each choice, ask what the word makes you picture or feel, and why the writer chose it over a plainer word.

Mark an answer to this question

Question 4: Extended response to reading20 marks

A piece of about 250 to 300 words in a set form, using and developing ideas from Text C.

Question 4

Extended response to reading (Text C)

20 marksR1, R2, R3, R5 · 10W1, W2, W3, W4 · 10About 25 min

What it asks

What earns marks

Reading (10 marks): plenty of relevant ideas from Text C, developed beyond what the text says outright and backed by details from it.
Every bullet point covered, in a balanced way.
A voice that suits the role and the form, kept up throughout: in the specimen mark scheme the voice counts towards the reading mark.
Writing (10 marks): your own words, organised for the reader, with varied, precise vocabulary and a style that suits the audience and purpose.

What each level looks like

Top level first.

Reading
Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 5	9-10	Uses most of the useful ideas, develops and weighs them up, weaves in detail throughout, covers every bullet fully and keeps a believable voice.
Level 4	7-8	Uses many of the useful ideas and develops some, covers all the bullets, backs points up often and sounds right for the role.
Level 3	5-6	Offers simple ideas from the text but rarely takes them further; some bullets get more attention than others and the voice is flat.
Level 2	3-4	Gets hold of some main ideas, but leans on the words of the text, drifts from the bullets and may sound wrong for the role.
Level 1	1-2	Uses very little from the text, or copies it without reshaping it for the task.

Writing
Level	Marks	What an answer at this level does
Level 5	9-10	Confident and fluent, shaped so the reader follows it easily, with wide and exact vocabulary and a tone that fits throughout.
Level 4	7-8	Reads smoothly most of the time, with ideas in a sensible order, a good range of words and a tone that often fits.
Level 3	5-6	Easy to follow but plain; it sticks to the order of the original text, the vocabulary does the job and there is some sense of the audience.
Level 2	3-4	Clumsy in places and jumbled in order, with plain or borrowed words and little thought for the audience.
Level 1	1-2	Hard to understand, too short to develop anything, and partly copied from the text.

What to avoid

Retelling Text C in its own order: reorganise the material around the bullet points.
Leaving out a bullet point, or giving one only a line.
Inventing content with no basis in the text: ideas should come from Text C and grow out of it.
Forgetting the form: an interview, a letter and a speech each need their own shape.

Tip: Before you write, note two or three ideas from Text C under each bullet, then add what each one suggests or leads to: that development is what the higher reading levels look for.

Mark an answer to this question

Using your time

Reading the three texts: about 15 minutes. This is the one timing Cambridge itself gives, in the syllabus.
Each question is worth 20 marks, so about 25 minutes each is a fair share. This and the splits below are suggestions based on the marks, not rules.
Question 2: about 19 minutes on the summary, 2(a), and 6 on 2(b).
Question 3: about 12 minutes on the short answers and 13 on the language task.
Keep the last 5 minutes for checking.

Before you hand in

Every part of every question has an answer: all four questions are compulsory.
Answers that ask for your own words do not copy the text.
The summary is continuous writing of no more than 120 words, with no quotations or opinions.
The language task explains what each chosen word or phrase suggests, not only what it means.
Question 4 covers every bullet point, in the form and role the question sets.

About this guide

The official mark schemes and past papers (Cambridge)