Introduction
Margin is a free study platform for Cambridge International AS & A Level, with long-form notes and the tools to learn from them.
Margin is a free place to study for Cambridge International AS & A Level. It pairs complete, exam-focused notes with the tools you need to learn from them: a grapher, a cheat sheet you build as you read, spaced-repetition flashcards, a revision planner and progress tracking.
Everything happens in one workspace. Notes open as tabs, tools open beside them, and anything you highlight in a note can go straight onto your cheat sheet or into the grapher. As you read, you mark notes as studied and rate your confidence, and Margin uses that to show your progress and plan your revision.
Who it is for#
Margin is written for students taking Cambridge International AS & A Level exams, typically aged 16 to 18, and for the teachers and tutors who support them. Each note is written to the current Cambridge International syllabus for its subject, in syllabus order, so you can work through a course from start to finish or jump straight to the topic you need.
Subjects#
Margin covers five Cambridge International subjects. Each subject is split into courses that follow how the exam papers are organised.
| Subject | Syllabus | Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 9709 | Pure Mathematics 1, Pure Mathematics 3, Mechanics, Probability & Statistics 1 and 2 |
| Physics | 9702 | AS Physics, A Level Physics |
| Chemistry | 9701 | AS Chemistry, A Level Chemistry |
| Biology | 9700 | AS Biology, A Level Biology |
| Computer Science | 9618 | AS Computer Science, A Level Computer Science |
Notes are being written subject by subject. A course appears in the app as soon as it has its first note, and a unit appears once it has a note, so some subjects are fuller than others today. Mathematics is the most complete. Each subject page lists what is available now.
Margin is independent. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Always check your school's entry details and the official syllabus for your exam series.
What a note gives you#
Every note is long-form teaching rather than a list of bullet points. A typical note:
- explains the idea from intuition up to the formal statement, defining every term the first time it appears
- sets out key results, definitions and methods in clearly marked blocks
- works through at least four examples, from routine to exam-hard, with full solutions you can reveal
- names the common mistakes and the exam technique examiners look for
- ends with a summary and a set of practice questions with worked answers
Notes link to the topics they build on and the topics they lead to, so you always know what to read first. See Reading notes for a tour.
The tools#
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Grapher | Plots functions, equations, inequalities, polar and parametric curves, with sliders and points of interest. |
| Cheat sheet | A printable page of formulas you collect from notes as you read. |
| Flashcards | Decks you write yourself, scheduled with FSRS spaced repetition. |
| Planner | Exam dates and a study schedule that works back from each exam, weakest topics first. |
| Progress | What you have studied, how confident you are, your study activity and the topics worth revisiting. |
| My notes | Your own notes, written like a page with headings, lists and maths. |
Free, with or without an account#
You can use Margin without signing up. As a guest, everything you create is saved in your browser on that device. If you sign in, your cheat sheet, flashcards, progress, plans and notes sync to your account so they follow you between devices. See Accounts and sync.
Next steps#
- Quick start: open your first note and try every tool in five minutes.
- The workspace: the sidebar, tabs, split panes and the command palette.
- Keyboard shortcuts: the full list.