Exam guide

Paper structure

IGCSE Islamiyat has two written papers. Each one is worth half of the final grade.

Both papers follow the same pattern:

• Question 1 (compulsory, 8 marks). Paper 1 prints three set Qur'an passages and Paper 2 prints four set Hadiths. You choose two. Part (a), 4 marks, asks for the themes or teachings. Part (b), 4 marks, asks why they matter today, or how Muslims can act on them.
• Question 2 (compulsory, 14 marks). Part (a) is a 10-mark account and part (b) is a 4-mark evaluation. On Paper 1 it covers the history of the Qur'an (revelation, compilation, the Qur'an as a source of law) or a themed essay on the set passages. On Paper 2 it covers the history of the Hadiths (isnad and matn, collections, sources of law) or an essay that uses the set Hadiths.
• Questions 3–5 (choose two, 14 marks each). Each has a 10-mark (a) and a 4-mark (b). On Paper 1 they cover the Prophet's life and the first Muslim community. On Paper 2 they cover the caliphs, the Articles of Faith and the Pillars.

Part (a) tests knowledge (AO1) and part (b) tests understanding and evaluation (AO2). The structure did not change between May/June 2022 and May/June 2026. Unlike O Level, IGCSE grades run from A* to G. The grade threshold documents for 2022, 2025 and 2026 May/June also list Component 50 (90 marks), a separate route. None of its papers are in this set, so check the current syllabus if it applies to you.

Topic weights

The shares come from 18 papers: variant 2 of Paper 1 and Paper 2 in 9 sessions, 900 marks in all. Optional questions count at two-thirds of their marks, because you answer two of the three. "Sessions examined" is the number of sessions, out of 9, in which the topic came up at least once.

Bankers

These topics come up in almost every session:

• Set Qur'an passages (Paper 1, Q1). These appear every session. Learn all 15 set passages under their three themes:
  • God in Himself: Suras 112, 2.255, 6.101–103, 41.37 and 42.4–5.
  • God and the created world: Suras 1, 2.21–22, 96.1–5, 99 and 114.
  • God and His messengers: Suras 2.30–37 (Adam), 6.75–79 (Abraham), 5.110 (Jesus), 93 and 108.

All three themes are used. The created world and the messengers each appeared in 8 of 9 sessions, and Sura 114 was set three times.

• Set Hadiths (Paper 2, Q1). These appear every session. For every set Hadith, be able to state its teaching in your own words and give a fresh, practical example of how to act on it.
• Life of the Prophet (pbuh) (Paper 1, Q3–5). There are one or two optional questions on it in every session.
  • The Makkan period came up most often (5 of 9 sessions). Questions covered open preaching and the Makkans' response, persecution of the early Muslims, Ta'if, patience, and the migration to Abyssinia.
  • Battles were also frequent: Badr, Khandaq, Khaybar and Tabuk.
  • So was the Madina period: the Constitution of Madina, the letters to rulers, and relations with the Quraysh.
• Rightly Guided Caliphs (Paper 2, Q3–4). At least one question came up in every session, and often two. Questions on 'Umar (4 sessions) and 'Ali (4 sessions) were the most common.
• Pillars of Islam (Paper 2). These appear every session. Prayer came up most often: its benefits, the adhan and steps, missed prayers, and Friday and Eid prayers. Hajj and sacrifice came next.
• Companions (Paper 1, Q5). These came up in four sessions, usually as a pair or a group of named Companions.

Rarely tested

These came up only once in the 9 sessions sampled. Revise them, but give them less time than the bankers:

• A question on 'Uthman's caliphate. His martyrdom was asked in 2022, and again as one option in 2026.
• Angels, life after death, and predestination as stand-alone Article of Faith questions.
• Jihad (2022 Oct/Nov, on peaceful forms of jihad).
• The Scribes of the Prophet, and the Emigrants and Helpers (both in 2025 Oct/Nov).
• The golden age of Hadith compilation (2023 Oct/Nov).
• The Prophet's early life before prophethood (2023 May/June, on his mother and his foster-mother).

The papers sampled had no full question on zakat or fasting. However, the 2025 May/June examiner report shows a zakat question, and a predestination question, on the other variant (Paper 21). Both topics are clearly still examined, so do not leave them out.

Trends

• Question 2 alternates. On Paper 1, Q2 was on the history of the Qur'an in 6 sessions. In the other 3 (2023 Oct/Nov and both 2025 sessions) it was a themed essay on the set passages. The essays covered God's blessings in creation, how God describes Himself, and God's relationship with Adam and Abraham. Prepare for both kinds.
• Sources of Islamic law are rising. The use of the Qur'an, Hadith, ijma' and qiyas in law-making came up five times in nine sessions across the two papers:
  • Paper 1: 2024 Oct/Nov and 2026 May/June;
  • Paper 2: 2022 May/June, 2024 May/June and 2025 Oct/Nov.
• Isnad, matn and classification of Hadiths is a regular Paper 2 Q2 topic: 2023 May/June, 2025 May/June and 2026 May/June.
• Tawhid has appeared twice recently, in 2024 Oct/Nov and 2026 May/June. It did not appear in 2022–2023.
• Comparisons between the caliphs have appeared: the leadership qualities of all four in 2022, and the martyrdom of two of the three in 2026.
• Part (b) is becoming more evaluative. More questions ask "to what extent", "in your opinion" or "which was the most…". These need a reasoned judgement, not a list.

Question styles

• Part (a), 10 marks: "Give an account of…", "Write about…", "Describe…", "Outline…". These are narrative or descriptive answers. They need accurate names, dates, places and order of events. Relevant references to the Qur'an or Hadith add depth.
• Part (b), 4 marks: "Why do you think…", "What lessons can Muslims learn…", "How can Muslims…", "To what extent…", "In your opinion…, give reasons". Give one or two well-developed points, link each one to life today, and reach a judgement when one is asked for.
• Question 1: In (a), state the theme or teaching of each chosen passage or Hadith, and do not just paraphrase it. In (b), explain why it matters or what action it calls for, with a concrete modern example.
• Multi-part instructions are common. Examples are "two of the following", "three of the following Companions" and "give two examples from the time of the Companions". Leaving out any part loses marks.

Common mistakes

These points come from the examiner reports for 2022 May/June, 2022 Oct/Nov, 2023 May/June and 2025 May/June.

Question 1 (set passages and Hadiths)

• Paraphrasing the printed passage or Hadith. Examiners want the meaning and the teaching, not the translation in other words.
• Writing background instead of themes. Some answers gave the sura's name, number or place of revelation when the question asked about its themes.
• Mixing up passages. Answers confused Sura Ikhlas with Ayat al-Kursi, or wrote about one brotherhood Hadith when the question was about another.
• Mixing up (a) and (b). Some answers put actions into part (a), or repeated the part (a) teachings in part (b). Label both parts and keep them separate.
• Too few themes. The strongest answers picked out three or more themes from a passage and developed each one.

Questions 2–5 (part (a), the 10-mark accounts)

• Pre-prepared answers that miss the question. Examples:
  • writing about armed fighting when the question asked about peaceful jihad;
  • writing about personal benefits when the question asked about communal benefits;
  • writing about the brotherhood of Madina when the question asked about the Constitution of Madina;
  • listing Abu Bakr's achievements without linking each one to a leadership quality.
• Confusing similar events or ideas. Examples:
  • battles: Nihawand with Nahrawan or Qadisiyya, Tabuk with Mu'tah, and the Battle of the Camel with Siffin;
  • beliefs: predestination with tawhid or life after death, and the Day of 'Arafah with the Day of Judgement;
  • sources of law: ijma' with qiyas.

Battle questions need exactly the right facts.

• Answering only half the question. Examples:
  • covering 'Uthman's martyrdom but not 'Ali's election;
  • writing about the arbitration instead of the fighting at Siffin;
  • writing a lot on revealed books and little on prophets;
  • describing isnad, matn, musnad and musannaf without explaining how they relate.
• Uneven pairs. In 2025, many answers knew Abu Talib well but knew little about Salman al-Farsi. A balanced answer is needed for the top levels.

Part (b) (the 4-mark evaluations)

• Answers that are too simple. Statements like "Muslims should believe in God", with no reasons or examples, stay in the low levels.
• Lists or retold facts. Retelling the story, or listing points without explaining them, keeps part (b) in the middle levels.
• Misreading the focus or key words. Examples are writing about why Muslims use qiyas when the question asked why some are reluctant to use it, and writing about authentic Hadiths in general when the question asked about their role in law.
• Writing about several items when the question asks for one. If asked for the single greatest service, the time is better spent explaining one choice well.
• Legibility. Handwriting and clearly labelled continuation pages were flagged repeatedly.

Grade thresholds

These are the minimum raw marks for each grade on the components sampled (12 and 22, each out of 50) and for the 12 + 22 option overall (out of 100). Component tables do not give an A*.

Since 2023, an A overall has needed about 57–61 out of 100, and an A* about 66–71. A C has needed about 39–46. Paper 2 thresholds are usually a few marks lower than Paper 1.

Revision priorities for Oct/Nov 2026 and 2027

1. All 15 set Qur'an passages and all the set Hadiths. These questions are compulsory every session and together carry 16 marks. Prepare a theme or teaching, and a modern application, for each one.
2. Sources of Islamic law. Learn the Qur'an, Hadith, ijma' and qiyas, and how they work together. Learn examples from the time of the Companions and from today. This topic can now appear on either paper.
3. Hadith science and compilation. Learn isnad, matn, the categories of Hadith (sahih, hasan, da'if), musnad and musannaf collections, and the main compilers.
4. The Makkan period and the main battles. Cover:
   • the first revelation, open preaching and persecution;
   • Ta'if, Abyssinia and the hijrah;
   • Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khaybar and the conquest of Makka.
5. The caliphs. For 'Umar and 'Ali, learn their reforms, battles and leadership qualities. Also learn Abu Bakr's achievements and how each caliph died.
6. Pillars and Articles of Faith. Learn prayer, Hajj and the festivals. Then learn zakat, which appeared on the other 2025 variant. Then learn tawhid and the prophets and revealed books.
7. Topics not seen recently. Revise fasting, jihad, angels, life after death and predestination, so that a rare question does not catch you out.
8. Practise part (b). For each topic, prepare two developed lessons for life today, with reasons and a judgement.

Comparison with O Level Islamiyat (2058)

• The papers are identical. In every session from 2022 to 2026, the 0493 question papers and mark schemes were compared line by line with the 2058 papers of the same paper and variant. The questions, mark allocations and mark schemes match word for word. The only differences are the cover title, barcodes and reference codes, and some line wrapping.
• The analysis is the same. The topic weights, bankers, trends and revision advice above apply equally to O Level 2058 students.
• Grade thresholds match too. The raw marks for A* to E were the same for both syllabuses in every session. IGCSE also reports grades F and G, which O Level does not.
• Extra examiner report. The 2025 May/June examiner report was available for 0493 but not in the 2058 set. Because the papers are shared, its advice is just as useful for O Level candidates.