| Dimension | Exam-Mate | Save My Exams |
|---|---|---|
| Provenance of topical questions | Real questions lifted from past papers, grouped by topic | Questions written by teachers and examiners to match the specification |
| Official mark schemes | Each topical question includes the official mark scheme | Mark schemes and model answers for its own questions; past paper mark schemes are separate |
| Offline use | Questions are displayed online and are not downloadable | Past papers and their mark schemes, and topic question papers, can be downloaded and printed |
| Course coverage | Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge AS and A Level, IB MYP and DP, Edexcel International GCSE and A Level | GCSE, IGCSE, A Level, IB and AP across a wide subject list, including AQA and OCR |
| Free tier | Topical and MCQ access up to 2019, one built PDF with five questions | Limited topic questions per subject, sample notes, limited past papers, one or two subjects |
| Paying for topical practice | $12 one month, $65 six months, $120 twelve months, $220 twenty-four months; Build Exam sold separately | Listed at $40 for one month, $48 for three months and $96 for twelve months at the last check |
| Best fit | Online topical drilling against real questions and official mark schemes | Learning and then practising, with notes, model answers and marking feedback |
| Main limitation | No download or print route for the question bank itself | Topical practice is not original past-paper practice, whatever the layout suggests |
Two different things are being sold as topical practice
A search for topical past papers usually means one thing: show me the questions this exam board has already asked about this topic. Exam-Mate does that, and says so. Its topical pages group exam questions by chapter or topic, and its help pages state that every topical question includes the official mark scheme from Cambridge, IB or Edexcel.
Save My Exams does something different. Its topic questions are written by its own teachers and examiners to match the specification, with model answers that show how marks are earned. Those questions are a considered imitation of the exam, not the exam itself. Its real past papers are a separate section of the site.
Neither approach is dishonest, and both can be useful. They just answer different questions, and the rest of this comparison follows from that split.
What Exam-Mate delivers for IGCSE and IB
Exam-Mate's topical service covers Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge AS and A Level, IB MYP and DP, and Edexcel International GCSE and A Level, and lists topical material in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English, Business Studies, Computer Science and Economics. Questions are filterable by chapter or topic name, question type, paper, year and season, can be practised in order or randomised, and can be saved into custom lists. You can pull up to 75 questions at random from a filtered list.
The warning banner is the important detail: questions are not downloadable. Exam-Mate is built for on-screen practice, so printing a set for a desk, a tutor session or a marking exercise is not part of the workflow. If you need paper, the site's own answer is to buy its topical worksheet e-books or order printed material from its shop, which is a different purchase from the topical subscription.
Pricing is modular, and it repays reading. The free tier gives topical and MCQ access up to 2019, one built PDF and five questions per PDF. Individual topical access is $12 for one month, $65 for six months, $120 for twelve months or $220 for twenty-four months. The Individual topical plan states that Online MCQ Papers Test and Build Exam are not included, while a Build Exam subscription already includes the topical service. Schools get yearly per-account pricing that falls from $50 to $25 per account across bands from 20 to 500 accounts.
Its wider platform is aimed at teachers as much as students: assigning papers, tracking progress and reviewing dashboards are advertised alongside the question bank, with separate add-ons for extra PDFs and for removing branding from generated worksheets.
What Save My Exams gives you instead
Save My Exams sells structure around the question bank. The free plan covers a limited selection of topic questions per subject, sample notes, limited past papers and one or two unlocked subjects. Premium opens every topic question and mark scheme, the revision notes, model answers, SmartMark feedback, Target Tests and mock exams.
For printing, its join page says past papers and their mark schemes, plus the question papers for its topic questions, can be downloaded and printed, while its own mark schemes and model answers for exam questions cannot be downloaded or edited for copyright reasons. That makes Save My Exams the friendlier of the two for a student who wants finished, printable topic question papers, even though those questions are written by Save My Exams rather than lifted from past sessions.
The price at the last check on 12 September 2026 was $40 for one month, $48 for three months and $96 for twelve months, with a seven-day free trial. PMT's October 2025 comparison reports UK pricing of £12, £30 and £48 for the same tiers, so expect currency differences rather than a single global number.
The deciding question: provenance, paper or teaching
Ask what you actually lack, then match it to the table above. If you cannot trust your own topical filing and you want the board's own questions with official mark schemes, Exam-Mate answers that on screen. If you want topic question papers you can print and mark, Save My Exams is the better of the two. If the gap is understanding the topic at all, neither topical service fixes it, and you should be reading your notes instead of buying anything.
Schools and tutors should separate the two questions of access and admin. Exam-Mate publishes per-account school pricing and advertises assignment, progress tracking and dashboards, so a department needs to compare seats rather than an individual plan. Save My Exams' public join page describes individual memberships rather than classroom administration, and its terms restrict account sharing, which matters if several teachers want one login.
- Real past-paper questions grouped by topic, marked against official schemes: Exam-Mate.
- Written topic questions with model answers and a printable question paper: Save My Exams.
- Notes, explanations and marking feedback as well as practice: Save My Exams.
- Twenty-plus student accounts with dashboards: compare Exam-Mate school pricing before committing.
Where PastPaperPrep lands between them
PastPaperPrep combines two things this comparison separates: real past-paper questions and a printable custom set. Its live banks cover Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics 0580, Additional Mathematics 0606, Biology 0610, Chemistry 0620, Physics 0625, Co-ordinated Sciences 0654 and Economics 0455, plus IB Mathematics AA and AI, Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Economics at HL and SL. Questions carry source details and can be filtered by course, topic, subtopic, year, paper, session and marks before you build a set.
Prices are $6 per month or $48 per year for one bank, two to five banks from $10 per month or $84 per year, and six or more banks at $25 per month or $216 per year, with complete older exam years free.
It is not a replacement for Exam-Mate's catalogue or Save My Exams' teaching. Exam-Mate covers far more curricula and subjects, while Save My Exams supplies the explanations. PastPaperPrep is worth considering only when your course is one of its supported banks, your weak topic is already identified, and having a printable set of real questions saves you more time than it costs.
Verdict by student type
A self-studying IGCSE candidate who wants the board's questions on one topic and will work on screen: Exam-Mate, one month at a time, free tier first.
A student who needs the topic explained and then wants question papers to print and mark: Save My Exams, and check that the specific course has the resources you expect before paying for a year.
A tutor or teacher who needs a filtered, printable set from a supported IGCSE or IB bank this week: PastPaperPrep, at the one-bank price.
A student who already owns papers, mark schemes and a teacher: buy none of them, and spend the money on a marking session instead.
Frequently asked questions
Is Exam-Mate or Save My Exams better for IGCSE topical past papers?
For original past-paper questions grouped by topic with official mark schemes, Exam-Mate is the closer match. For written topic questions with model answers, notes and printable question papers, Save My Exams is better. The two serve different stages of revision.
Can I download Exam-Mate topical questions?
No. Its topical past-paper page states that questions are not downloadable and they are practised on screen. Exam-Mate sells topical worksheet e-books and printed material separately if you need something on paper.
Are Save My Exams topic questions real past-paper questions?
No. Its topic questions are written by its teachers and examiners to match the specification, with model answers. Its real past papers are a separate part of the site, and those papers plus their mark schemes can be downloaded and printed.
What is the cheapest way to practise IGCSE topics?
Start with the free tiers: Exam-Mate's topical access up to 2019, Save My Exams' limited topic questions, PMT's free CIE papers and PastPaperPrep's free older exam years. Pay only once you know whether you need provenance, printing or teaching, because those three needs lead to three different purchases.