How the maths exam works (official description)
The exam itself comes first. The CSCA Mathematics Exam Syllabus (2025 edition) specifies that the maths exam lasts 60 minutes and is worth 100 points; the paper is provided in Chinese or English and contains 48 single-choice questions.
The exam content is divided into four modules:
- Sets and inequalities
- Functions
- Geometry and algebra
- Probability and statistics
In the official sample questions, each question has 4 options, and only 1 of them is correct.
We analysed 7 past papers
To see clearly what is actually tested, we classified all 333 questions in 7 past papers one by one. Each question was counted only once, according to its main tested knowledge point, with no double counting.
The question counts across the four modules are as follows:
- Functions: 198 questions (59%)
- Geometry and algebra: 94 questions (28%)
- Sets and inequalities: 35 questions (11%)
- Probability and statistics: 6 questions (2%)
It should be noted that the functions module includes trigonometric functions and sequences, which is why it has the most questions.
The 16 topics tested in all 7 papers (223 questions in total, 67%)
These 16 topics appeared in every one of the 7 past papers, accounting for 223 questions, or 67% of all 333. In other words, two-thirds of the questions fall on these 16 topics:
- Definition and relationships of trigonometric functions: 36 questions
- Plane rectangular coordinate system: 23 questions
- Arithmetic sequences: 21 questions
- Logarithms and logarithmic functions: 16 questions
- Circles: 14 questions
- Concept of sequences and related formulas: 13 questions
- Geometric sequences: 13 questions
- Concept of functions: 12 questions
- Parallelism and perpendicularity of lines in the plane: 12 questions
- Solving quadratic inequalities in one variable: 10 questions
- Graphs and properties of sine and cosine functions: 10 questions
- Ellipses: 10 questions
- Inverse functions: 9 questions
- Angle of inclination and slope of a line in the plane: 9 questions
- Equations of lines in the plane: 8 questions
- Operations on sets: 7 questions
The 10 that appeared in 5 to 6 papers (67 questions in total)
Besides the topics that appeared in every paper, 10 more topics appeared in 5 to 6 of the 7 past papers, totalling 67 questions:
- Parabolas: 10 questions
- Solving fractional inequalities: 7 questions
- Reduction formulas for trigonometric functions: 7 questions
- Double-angle formulas for sine, cosine and tangent: 7 questions
- Properties of inequalities: 6 questions
- Monotonicity of functions: 6 questions
- Odd and even properties of functions: 6 questions
- Four basic operations on complex numbers: 6 questions
- Intersection points of lines in the plane: 6 questions
- Hyperbolas: 6 questions
The 13 that never appeared in the 7 papers
The count also found 13 topics that did not appear even once in the 7 past papers, such as permutations and combinations, the binomial theorem, conditional probability, random variables, normal distribution, basic concepts of statistics, and numerical characteristics of data.
But note: not appearing does not mean a topic will not be tested. Normal distribution, mean and variance are all written into the 2025 syllabus and are within its scope.
How to use this count
The distribution above makes the revision order clear:
- Begin with the 16 must-test topics and practise them until you are fluent, since together they account for 67% of the questions.
- Then move on to the 26 topics mentioned above (the 16 plus 10 more), which will give you fairly complete coverage.
- Trigonometric functions — their definitions and the relationships between them — account for 36 questions on their own, making this the part most worth tackling first.
Keep two things in mind. First, this count describes only the last 7 past papers. It is not an official promise about what will be set, and the official body has not published the marks for each module. Second, the exam has 48 questions in 60 minutes — an average of 75 seconds per question — so practise under time limits and without a calculator.
You can start with CSCA.PRO's 15-minute diagnostic to see which module you are weakest in, then study in this order in the Learning Centre.