# Exam Countdown vs Past Code

The clearest difference is rating: Exam Countdown at 4.7 against Past Code's 4.0. Exam Countdown also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 50%) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 4). Past Code's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Exam Countdown sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 3 months. Past Code asks for nothing beyond the download.

Exam Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exam Countdown has 1.6K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Exam Countdown's written reviews are positive against 50% of Past Code's.

Exam Countdown ships an update every 2 months, Past Code every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Exam Countdown | Past Code |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exam-countdown-school-and-uni/id873279955/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/past-code/id1551535957/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **82.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 99 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ROOT38 LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1206411222) | [Omar Rayyan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551535959) |

## What reviewers say

### Exam Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exam-countdown-school-and-uni/id873279955)

This app helps students, teachers, and schools keep track of important dates. It provides countdown timers for exams, tests, and coursework deadlines, with options for reminders and sharing progress with others. Users can organize their academic schedule and stay on top of their responsibilities.

**Highlights:** Countdown timers for exams and tests, Unlimited exam countdowns, Color-coded exams, Icon customization, Share countdowns with others, Add notes to exams, Basic and detailed notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium 3 Months | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium Yearly | $4.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $4.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $5.49 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for organizing exams
- 🎨 Customizable with colors and icons
- ⏱️ Countdown timer for exams
- 🎯 Tracks completed exams
- 🆓 Free with optional premium features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Some features locked behind paywall
- 🔍 Limited customization options in free version
- 🔋 High battery consumption reported
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues after device change
- Subscription not working as expected
- Loading screen freezes
- Incompatibility with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Calendar view
- Sync with device calendar
- Customizable exam reminders
- Widget support
- More icons and color options


### Past Code

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/past-code/id1551535957)

Instantly find mark schemes for IGCSE and A-Level past papers by scanning their codes with your camera. Save time and effort by accessing the correct resources directly.

**Highlights:** Scan past paper codes with camera, Instant mark scheme retrieval, Supports IGCSE papers, Supports A-Level papers, User-friendly interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Exam Countdown free?

Exam Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Past Code free?

Past Code is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Exam Countdown or Past Code?

Exam Countdown is rated higher. Exam Countdown averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Past Code averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Exam Countdown or Past Code have ads?

Exam Countdown shows ads; Past Code does not.

### Which is updated more often, Exam Countdown or Past Code?

Exam Countdown ships an update every 2 months, and Past Code every 6 days. Most recently, Exam Countdown was updated on September 22, 2026 and Past Code on September 9, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*