An internal combustion engine with a plurality of cylinders, which are each assigned an inlet valve, an outlet valve and a combustion space, with an inlet camshaft connected to a camshaft adjuster, with an outlet camshaft connected to a camshaft adjuster, with a switchable inlet-valve drive which has a plurality of inlet cams for actuating the respective inlet valve, with a switchable outlet-valve drive which has a plurality of outlet cams for actuating the respective outlet valve, and with an exhaust-gas system. The internal combustion engine is operated with compression ignition or with spark ignition as a function of the operating point. For this purpose, for the compression ignition, a specific residual exhaust-gas quantity is set in the combustion space. Furthermore, the internal combustion engine is operated as a function of the operating point by means of an outlet cam.