Cambridge IGCSE™

MATHEMATICS 1521/32
Paper 3 (Core) May/June 2021
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 104

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2021 series for most Cambridge
IGCSE™, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level components.

This document consists of 7 printed pages.

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1521/32 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme May/June 2021
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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers. They
should be applied alongside the specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptors for a question.
Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit is given for
valid answers which go beyond the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme, referring to your Team
Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these features
are specifically assessed by the question as indicated by the mark scheme. The meaning, however,
should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed instructions or in the
application of generic level descriptors.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question
(however; the use of the full mark range may be limited according to the quality of the candidate responses
seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should not be
awarded with grade thresholds or grade descriptors in mind.

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Maths-Specific Marking Principles

1 Unless a particular method has been specified in the question, full marks may be awarded for any correct
method. However, if a calculation is required then no marks will be awarded for a scale drawing.

2 Unless specified in the question, answers may be given as fractions, decimals or in standard form. Ignore
superfluous zeros, provided that the degree of accuracy is not affected.

3 Allow alternative conventions for notation if used consistently throughout the paper, e.g. commas being
used as decimal points.

4 Unless otherwise indicated, marks once gained cannot subsequently be lost, e.g. wrong working
following a correct form of answer is ignored (isw).

5 Where a candidate has misread a number in the question and used that value consistently throughout,
provided that number does not alter the difficulty or the method required, award all marks earned and
deduct just 1 mark for the misread.

6 Recovery within working is allowed, e.g. a notation error in the working where the following line of
working makes the candidate’s intent clear.

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Abbreviations
cao correct answer only
dep dependent
FT follow through after error
isw ignore subsequent working
oe or equivalent
SC Special Case
nfww not from wrong working
soi seen or implied

Question Answer Marks Partial Marks

1(a) 20 2 10
cao B1 for
103 51.5

1(b)(i) 5 : 13 : 9 1

1(b)(ii) 1 1
2.25 or 2
4

1(b)(iii) 51.5 B1

their 51.5 their 51.5 M1

or [×60]
their 2.25 135

22.89 or 22.889 or 22.88[8....] A1

1(b)(iv) 7.41 or 7.407(......) 3 135 −125  125 

M2 for ×100 or 1 −  ×100
135  135 

 125 
or 100 −  ×100  oe
 135 

135 −125  125 

or M1 for or 1 − 
135  135 

 125 
or  ×100  oe
 135 

1(c) 128 1

2(a)(i) 162 −486 2 FT their 162 × (−3) for second term

B1 for each

Multiply by −3 oe 1

2(a)(ii) 27 38 2 FT their 27 + 11 for second term

B1 for each

Add next odd number oe 1

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Question Answer Marks Partial Marks

2(b)(i) −1 −3 2 FT their −1 minus 2

B1 for each

2(b)(ii) Each term is 2 less than the 1

previous term oe

2(b)(iii) −2n + 9 oe final answer 1

2(b)(iv) 21 2 FT their (b)(iii)

M1 for their (b)(iii) = −33

3(a)(i) Hexagon 1

3(a)(ii) 720 2 B1 for (90 + 90 + 135 + 45 + 225 +135) oe

or M1 for (6 – 2) × 180 oe

3(b)(i) Translation 2 B1 for each

 −2 
 
 −5 

3(b)(ii) Reflection 2 B1 for each

y=2

3(b)(iii) Enlargement 3 B1 for each

[Scale factor] 3
[Centre] (−6, −5)

3(c) Correct rotation 2 B1 for correct size and orientation but wrong
(1, −2), (1, −3), (2, −4), (2, −5), position, or for 5 correct points.
(3, −4), (3, −2) If 0 scored SC1 for polygon correctly rotated
90° clockwise.

4(a)(i) 10 2 M1 for (8 + 9 + 6 + 4 + 15 + 17 + 11) ÷ 7

4(a)(ii) Correct bar chart 2 B1 for 5 or 6 correct height and all equal width
and gaps
or 7 correct height but not equal widths or gaps

Correct vertical scale 1

4(b)(i) 900 – (320 + 190) oe M1

4(b)(ii) 76 156 2 B1 for each

190 390
or M1 for × 360 or × 360
900 900

190 390
or ×128 or ×128
320 320

4(b)(iii) 3 correct sectors 2 FT if their answers to part (b)(ii) total 232

B1FT for 1 correct sector.

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Question Answer Marks Partial Marks

5(a) 3 −1 −1 9 3 B2 for 3 correct

or B1 for 2 correct

5(b) Correct smooth curve 4 B3FT for 7 or 8 correct plots.

or B2FT for 5 or 6 correct plots
or B1FT for 3 or 4 correct plots

5(c) (−0.5, −3.1 to −3.4) 1

5(d)(i) Correct line drawn 1

5(d)(ii) x = −0.5 oe 1

6(a) 25 2 B1 for 625 ÷ k or k ÷ 25 seen in working

6(b) 31 1

6(c) Any irrational number 1

6(d) 3 × 3 × 5 × 7 or 32 × 5 × 7 2 B1 for 3,3,5,7

or M1 for correct factor tree/diagram/list/table

6(e)(i) 14 2 B1 for an answer of 2 or 7 or

2 × 7 as final answer

or M1 for [28=] 2 × 2 × 7 or 22 × 7
and [70=] 2 × 5 × 7

or for complete correct list of factors for

28 and 70

6(e)(ii) 140 2 B1 for 140k or 2 × 2 × 5 × 7 as final answer

or M1 for [28=] 2 × 2 × 7 or 22 × 7
and [70=] 2 × 5 × 7

or a list of multiples of 28 and 70 with at least 3

of each

6(f)(i) 1 1
64

6(f)(ii) 0.016 cao 2 B1 for [0].0156(25)

If zero scored SC1 for answer of [0].02

7(a) a+c 2 a c
[b =] final answer oe B1 for a + c = 5b or =b−
5 5 5

7(b) −2x + 9 final answer 2 M1 for 4x + 12 or −6x −3 or 6x + 3

or for -2x or 9 in final answer

7(c) 5x(2x – 3y) final answer 2 B1 for 5(2x2 – 3xy) or x(10x – 15y)
or 5x(2x – 3y) seen then spoilt

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Question Answer Marks Partial Marks

7(d) 6 2 M1 for 5x −3x = 8 + 4 or better

7(e) 2 cao 2 M1 for a correct Rise/Run

or (y2 – y1)/(x2 – x1) for 2 correct points on the
line.

8(a)(i) 190 2 B1 for 9.5 cm

8(a)(ii) 105 1

8(b) Quadrilateral ABCD correctly 3 B1 for 60° between BC and CD.

drawn with ruled lines CD and DA. B1 for CD = 10.5

8(c)(i) Arc, centre C, radius 4.5 cm from 2 FT their CD

CD to CB. B1 for E at 4.5 cm from C.
or M1 for an arc, centre C, radius their CE.

8(c)(ii) 4.71 or 4.712 to 4.713 2 FT their CE

M1 for 60 ÷ 360 × 2 × π × their CE oe

9(a)(i) 16 3 M2 for 202 – 122 or better

or M1 for 202 = 122 + BC2 or better

9(a)(ii) 53.1 or 53.13[0.....] 2 12

M1 for cos[CAB=] oe
20

9(b)(i) 3456 3 M2 for 0.5 × 12 × their (a)(i) × 36 oe

or M1 for 0.5 × 12 × their (a)(i) oe

9(b)(ii) 1920 2 M1 for 20 × 36 or 12 × 36 or their (a)(i) × 36

or (2 × ) 0.5 × 12 × their (a)(i)

cm2 1

9(b)(iii) 7.5 2 B1 for 720 or 6 × their(a)(i) correctly evaluated

9(c) Correct ruled net 3 B1 for each correct face correctly placed

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