Past Papers · Paper technique

What to Do When You Get Stuck in the Exam

8 years teaching IGCSE & SPM maths · Updated 19 August 2026

Every candidate meets a 0606 question they can’t immediately finish. What separates a good result from a wrecked one isn’t avoiding that moment, it’s handling it calmly. A fixed routine keeps panic out and salvages the marks that are there.

First, attempt the start, not the whole

Before deciding you’re stuck, translate the question into maths: write the given information as equations, mark the unknowns, quote any formula the topic suggests. This often reveals the first step on its own, and even when it doesn’t, those set-up lines frequently earn method marks. Being “stuck” on the full solution doesn’t mean there are no marks to bank on the way in.

Know when to move on

If a question genuinely won’t move after a reasonable time for its marks, flag it and move on. This is discipline, not defeat: one hard question is not the paper, and the accessible marks later in it are worth more than more minutes here. Coming back with fresh eyes, after your mind has quietly kept working on it, often reveals the step that wasn’t visible under pressure.

Never leave a genuine attempt off the page

Because 0606 rewards method so heavily, a sensible attempt almost always scores something. Write your working, commit to one method rather than half-starting several, and carry it through. On a “show that” question, working from the given toward the target picks up marks line by line. A blank scores zero with certainty; an attempt at the right topic rarely does.

The calm comes from preparation

A student panics on a hard question mostly when they fear the whole paper turns on it. The antidote is having met enough unfamiliar questions in practice to trust the routine: attempt, bank what you can, move on, return. That trust is built beforehand, not summoned on the day. A specialist can put your child in front of exactly the questions that unsettle them, so the routine becomes second nature. A trial class is a good place to start. Message us on WhatsApp to book.

Common questions

My child panics when they can't do a question. What should they do instead?

Have a fixed routine so panic has no room. First, write down the given information as maths and attempt the first step, which often earns method marks even on a question you can't finish. If it still won't move after a reasonable time for its marks, flag it, move on, and come back later with fresh eyes. The key mental shift is that one hard question is not the paper; leaving it temporarily to secure easier marks elsewhere is the disciplined choice, not a failure.

Is it better to leave a question blank or attempt it?

Always attempt it. 0606 rewards method generously, so writing the given information, quoting a relevant formula, and making a genuine start often scores one or two marks even when the final answer never comes. A blank scores zero with certainty. On a 'show that' question especially, working toward the target from what you're given can pick up marks all the way along, so there's never a reason to leave a genuine attempt off the page.

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