9694 Past Paper AS & A LEVEL Thinking Skills Question paper & Mark Scheme 2023

The 9694 AS & A Level Thinking Skills Question Papers & Mark Schemes 2023 are authentic Cambridge assessment resources for students, teachers, tutors, and schools preparing for the Cambridge International AS & A Level Thinking Skills (9694) qualification.

The 2023 resources are available for both the May/June and October/November examination series. Each session contains 12 question papers and 12 corresponding mark schemes, covering three variants of each of the four papers.

Papers Included

• Paper 1 – Problem Solving
• Paper 2 – Critical Thinking
• Paper 3 – Problem Analysis and Solution
• Paper 4 – Applied Reasoning

Each paper is available in Variants 1, 2 and 3, with the corresponding mark scheme matching the same paper and variant. For example, 9694_s23_qp_23 matches 9694_s23_ms_23.

Question Papers

The 2023 question papers assess students’ ability to apply logical reasoning, analyse information, solve problems, evaluate arguments, and construct well-supported conclusions.

For example, Paper 1 is a 50-mark Problem Solving examination, with candidates required to answer all questions and show working where appropriate.

Mark Schemes

The corresponding Cambridge Mark Schemes provide:

• Mark allocation for each question
• Accepted answers
• Generic marking principles
• Question-specific marking guidance
• Requirements for reasoning and working
• Guidance for awarding marks for valid alternative answers

Cambridge states that the mark schemes should be read together with the relevant question paper and Principal Examiner Report.

Examination Sessions

May/June 2023

The session includes Papers 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42 and 43, together with their corresponding mark schemes.

October/November 2023

The session likewise includes all four papers across Variants 1–3, with corresponding mark schemes.

Practising these papers helps students:

• Understand the Cambridge examination format
• Improve problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
• Practise reasoning under timed conditions
• Learn how marks are awarded
• Identify weaknesses through mark-scheme comparison
• Develop stronger analytical and evaluative responses

For complete preparation, students can use these materials alongside the 9694 Examiner Report 2023, Grade Thresholds 2023, Syllabus Documents, Syllabus Updates, Specimen Papers, Scheme of Work, Learner Guide, and Teacher Guide. Cambridge’s official past-paper page provides past papers, examiner reports and specimen examinations for the qualification.