Cambridge Primary Checkpoint · Mathematics 0096 · Stage 6 · Start here

Checkpoint 6 Maths: The Test and How to Prepare

How the Cambridge Primary Checkpoint Mathematics test works — papers, marks, calculator rules, mark-scheme words and results — plus a study plan and Thinking and Working Mathematically explained.

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 6 › Checkpoint 6 Maths — Complete Course

In the curriculum

This course follows the Cambridge Primary Mathematics curriculum framework (0096) for Stage 6: all 54 content objectives in three strands — Number; Geometry and Measure; Statistics and Probability.
It also builds the eight characteristics of Thinking and Working Mathematically (TWM.01–TWM.08), which run through every topic rather than being a separate chapter.
Every lesson page starts with a box like this one that lists its objectives and their codes (for example 6Ni.01), so students, parents and teachers can see exactly what is covered.

Cambridge Primary Checkpoint is taken at the end of Cambridge Primary. It tests the skills, knowledge and understanding a student should have at the end of Stage 6. This page explains how the Mathematics test works, what the examiners look for, and how to use this free course to get ready — step by step.

1. The test at a glance

Checkpoint Mathematics: two papers of 45 minutes, 40 marks each.

	Paper 1	Paper 2
Time	45 minutes	45 minutes
Marks	40	40
Calculator	Not allowed	Allowed
Where you answer	On the question paper	On the question paper
Test code	0096/01	0096/02

Equipment: the paper covers list compasses and a protractor, with tracing paper as optional. You also need your pens and an HB pencil, and a calculator for Paper 2.
Pen and pencil: write answers in black or dark blue pen. Use an HB pencil for diagrams and graphs. Do not use erasable pens or correction fluid — if you make a mistake, cross it out neatly and write the new answer next to it.
Working: show all your working in the booklet, in the space next to the question.
Size of the papers: recent papers have been about 20 pages long, with roughly 30 numbered questions. Most questions are worth 1 mark; a few are worth 2 marks.
When: from 2026 Cambridge runs Checkpoint in three series a year — March, May and October — on a fixed timetable. Your school will tell you which series and dates apply to you.

Older past papers

You may find past papers with the code 0845. They were written for the previous curriculum. They are still useful practice, but papers with the code 0096 match the current framework that this course follows.

2. What the questions look like

There is no separate multiple-choice section. Short "choose" questions (tick, ring, match) are mixed in with questions where you write your own answer. Here are the styles you will meet — every lesson in this course practises them.

Question style	What you do	Example
Short answer	Write a number in the answer box or space	Work out 3.6 × 7.
Ring / tick	Draw a ring around, or tick, the correct answer(s)	Ring the two numbers that are multiples of 6.
True or false + explain	Tick a box and give a reason	Is 0.5 bigger than 0.45? Explain how you know.
Complete the table	Fill in the empty cells	A position–term table for a sequence
Matching	Draw lines between equal values	Match each fraction to its percentage.
Sorting diagrams	Write numbers or shapes in a Venn or Carroll diagram	Sort 12, 15, 18, 20 by "even" and "multiple of 3".
Grids and drawings	Plot points, draw a reflection, rotation or translation, construct a circle	Reflect the triangle in the mirror line.
Read a graph or chart	Take values from a bar chart, line graph, pie chart…	How many more…? What was the temperature at 2 pm?
Missing numbers and symbols	Fill in boxes, or write <, > or =	3/4 ☐ 0.7
Written calculation layouts	Complete a column method or grid	Fill in the missing digits in a long multiplication.

Timing: 45 minutes for 40 marks is just over 1 minute per mark. A 1-mark question should not take you 5 minutes. If you are stuck, mark it in the margin, move on, and come back at the end.

3. How the papers are marked

The papers are marked by Cambridge using a mark scheme. Each row of the mark scheme gives the question, the correct answer, the marks, any part marks, and guidance for the examiner. Knowing the short codes helps you understand why working matters.

Code	Meaning	What it means for you
M1	method mark	You get a mark for a correct method, even if the final answer is wrong — so write the method down.
A1	accuracy mark	A mark for the correct answer. It usually depends on a correct method.
B1	independent mark	A mark for a correct answer or statement on its own.
FT	follow through	If you got part (a) wrong but used your answer correctly in part (b), you can still get the mark for (b).
oe	or equivalent	Other correct forms are accepted, e.g. ½, 0.5 or 2/4.
cao	correct answer only	Only that exact answer earns the mark — no other form, no part credit.
isw	ignore subsequent working	Once the correct answer is seen, later extra work is ignored.
soi	seen or implied	A step earns credit if it is written, or clearly used in your working.
dep	dependent	This mark can only be given if an earlier mark was given.
SC	special case	A mark given for a particular partly correct answer described in the scheme.
nfww	not from wrong working	The answer only scores if it did not come from incorrect working.

Typical examiner guidance says things like "award 1 mark for a complete correct method with arithmetic errors" or "if any arithmetic is shown, it must be correct". So on 2-mark questions, always show your working: a clear method can earn 1 mark even if you slip at the end. But keep the working neat and correct — wrong extra working can cost you.

"Show your working" — what to write

Write the calculation you are doing, not just the answer: 3 × 28 = 84, then 100 − 84 = 16.
Number lines, tables, bar models and sketches count as working.
Put your final answer where the question asks (in the box or on the line), with units if needed.
If you change your mind, cross out the wrong work with one neat line so the examiner can see your new answer.

4. How results are reported

Students receive a statement of achievement.
Schools receive a diagnostic feedback report, showing strengths and weaknesses. Results are reported for the subject as a whole and for each strand (Number; Geometry and Measure; Statistics and Probability).
Results also give schools an international benchmark for their students' performance.

Because results are reported by strand, a gap in one area (for example Statistics) shows up clearly. This course is arranged by strand so that you can fix weak areas one at a time.

5. How to use this course

Every lesson page has the same shape: In the curriculum → key words (with Arabic) → teaching with diagrams → worked examples → common mistakes and How Checkpoint asks this → an interactive practice quiz with full solutions → Remember summary.

Read the teaching sections and copy the key words and rules into a maths notebook.
Cover each worked example's solution, try it yourself, then compare line by line.
Do the practice quiz without a calculator unless it says calculator allowed. Use paper for working, exactly as in the real test.
Write every question you got wrong into an error log: the question, your mistake, the correct method.
One week later, redo the quiz. Aim for full marks before you move on.
After each strand, do a mixed review; at the end, do the three full practice tests in timed conditions (45 minutes per paper).

Suggested weeks	Pages	Focus
Week 1	This page	Know the test, set up your notebook and error log
Weeks 2–5	Number: integers and calculation (7 pages)	Negative numbers, sequences, order of operations, ×, ÷, factors, squares and cubes
Weeks 6–9	Number: place value, decimals, fractions, percentages and ratio (8 pages)	Most of Paper 1 and Paper 2 use these skills
Weeks 10–14	Geometry and measure (9 pages)	Bring compasses, protractor and a ruler
Weeks 15–16	Statistics and probability (3 pages)	Reading and drawing graphs; averages; probability words
Weeks 17–18	Practice tests 1–3	Timed: Paper 1 without a calculator, Paper 2 with one; mark using the solutions

This is a suggestion — two lesson pages a week fits well around school. If your test is sooner, do one page a day and spend the extra time on your weakest strand.

لولي الأمر

امتحان Checkpoint رياضيات = ورقتين، كل ورقة 45 دقيقة و40 درجة. الورقة الأولى بدون آلة حاسبة، والثانية مسموح فيها بالآلة الحاسبة.
الطالب بيجاوب في ورقة الأسئلة نفسها، ولازم يكتب خطوات الحل لأن في درجات على الطريقة (method marks).
النتيجة بتطلع شهادة للطالب وتقرير للمدرسة يوضح المستوى في كل فرع (الأعداد – الهندسة والقياس – الإحصاء والاحتمالات).
أفضل طريقة: صفحتين في الأسبوع، وكراسة أخطاء يكتب فيها الطالب كل سؤال غلط فيه ويعيد حله بعد أسبوع.

6. Thinking and Working Mathematically (TWM)

Cambridge wants you not only to calculate, but to think like a mathematician. There are eight characteristics, in four pairs. You will not see the words "specialising" or "conjecturing" in a test question, but you will see questions such as "Explain how you know", "Give an example to show this is wrong", "Sort these numbers" and "Describe the pattern" — those are TWM.

The eight TWM characteristics come in four pairs.

Code	Characteristic	In simple words	Stage 6 example
TWM.01	Specialising	Try a particular example to test an idea	Is the sum of three numbers in a row always a multiple of 3? Try 4 + 5 + 6 = 15 ✓ and 10 + 11 + 12 = 33 ✓.
TWM.02	Generalising	Spot the pattern that works for all the examples	"The sum of three numbers in a row is always 3 × the middle number."
TWM.03	Conjecturing	Make a guess or ask a "what if…?" question	"I think two odd numbers always add to an even number." "What if I add four numbers in a row?"
TWM.04	Convincing	Give evidence to prove an idea — or one example to show it is wrong	"All numbers ending in 4 are multiples of 4" is wrong: 14 ÷ 4 = 3.5.
TWM.05	Characterising	Describe the mathematical properties of something	A square: 4 equal sides, 4 right angles, 2 pairs of parallel sides, 4 lines of symmetry, rotational symmetry of order 4.
TWM.06	Classifying	Sort things into groups by their properties	Put 6, 9, 12, 14, 15 into a Venn diagram for "even" and "multiple of 3".
TWM.07	Critiquing	Compare methods or answers; find advantages and disadvantages	For 8 × 49: column method vs 8 × 50 − 8. The second is quicker in your head.
TWM.08	Improving	Make a method or diagram better	Change a messy list of pairs that add to 10 into an organised table, so no pair is missed.

A TWM example in action. Look at 1 + 3 = 4, 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 16. Specialising: we tried three cases. Conjecturing: "I think adding the first few odd numbers always gives a square number." Generalising: the first 5 odd numbers should give 5 × 5 = 25 — check: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 = 25 ✓. Convincing: the dot diagram of a square grows by an L-shape of an odd number of dots each time.

7. Exam technique for both papers

Read every question twice. Underline the key words: estimate, explain, show, nearest, units, two.
If a question says "Tick two" or "Ring all", count how many you have given.
Write the units (cm, cm², kg, °C) when the answer line does not already show them.
On Paper 1, use quick written methods and number facts; on Paper 2, use the calculator but still write the calculation you typed.
Estimate before you calculate, then check your answer is sensible.
For "Explain" questions write a full sentence with a number fact, e.g. "No, because 7 × 7 = 49 and 8 × 8 = 64, so 50 is not a square number."
Use a sharp HB pencil and a ruler for drawings; draw points and lines accurately.
Leave no question blank — a sensible attempt or a method can still score.

Common mistakes in Checkpoint Maths

Answering a different question: giving the total when it asks for the difference, or the area when it asks for the perimeter.
Only writing an answer on a 2-mark question, with no method — a slip then scores 0 instead of 1.
Forgetting "to the nearest…" or "give your answer as a fraction".
Spending too long on one hard question and not finishing the paper.
Using the calculator for everything on Paper 2 and typing it wrongly — always ask: is my answer about the right size?
Writing the answer in pencil or using correction fluid.

How Checkpoint asks TWM

"Explain how you know." → give a reason with numbers (Convincing).
"Give an example to show that … is not correct." → one counter-example (Specialising/Convincing).
"Sort these numbers/shapes into the diagram." → Classifying.
"Describe the pattern" / "What is the 20th term?" → Generalising.
"Which method is better? Why?" or "Explain the mistake" → Critiquing.

Check your understanding

Remember

Two papers, 45 minutes and 40 marks each. Paper 1: no calculator. Paper 2: calculator allowed.
Answer on the paper in black or dark blue pen; diagrams in HB pencil; no correction fluid.
Show your working — 2-mark questions often give a method mark.
Results are reported for the subject and for each strand, so work on your weakest strand.
Think like a mathematician: test examples, spot patterns, explain, sort, compare and improve (TWM).
Use every lesson page fully: worked examples → quiz → error log → redo.

All pages in this course

Start here

Checkpoint 6 Maths: The Test and How to Prepare

Number: integers and calculation

Number: place value, decimals, fractions, percentages and ratio

Geometry and measure

Statistics and probability

Practice tests