There is a copy of paper 1 here, but I don't know how long it will be
there.
For paper 1, I think the questions are not intrinsically very
difficult, but quite a few questions cannot be done mechanically,
so many students may have found the paper tough. (Only about 60% is
"mechanical".)
E.g. the complex numbers loci
question is non-standard, but if your basics are good, you can
figure out the two loci without much difficulty.
The diff. eqns question is also non-standard, but if you have a
clear understanding of the topic, the qn. is not that hard.
Also, the first part of the G.P. question, where you must prove
an unusual log equation. If your log algebra is good, it is not
hard, but because the working is not standard, some may have gotten
stuck. E.g., it helps to notice that ln 128 = 7 ln 2.
And then question 5, the
periodic function question, which is both abstract and involves an
unfamiliar function, so you need to be clear-headed to draw the
graph.
Typically, for A-level, the algebra required is not very
intensive - you need rather to be strong conceptually so that you
can understand what is going on when the question is "out of the
box".
(I can't find a copy of paper 2 online, but, from what I
know, it was slightly easier than paper 1, but I'm not sure. Anyone
can show me paper 2, I'd be grateful.)
For those who found the papers
tough, don't worry too much. Apparently many students found it
tough, so this will be taken into account in the
marking.