IGCSE Physics Past Papers: The Complete Guide (Syllabus 0625)
Ask any Cambridge IGCSE Physics student what actually moves their grade, and most will say the same thing: past papers. Not notes, not YouTube videos, past papers.
That is not a myth. Cambridge sets a fixed style of question year after year, and the fastest way to learn that style is to sit real papers under real time pressure.
This guide is written for Pakistani students taking Cambridge IGCSE Physics, syllabus 0625. It covers the paper structure, Core versus Extended, grade thresholds, where to find genuine past papers, how to use them properly, and a topic-by-topic look at where the marks usually sit.
Quick answer: IGCSE Physics (0625) past papers are previous exam question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports published by Cambridge International after each exam series (March, June and November). Every candidate sits three papers: a multiple-choice paper, a theory paper, and a practical or alternative-to-practical paper, totalling 160 marks.
What Are IGCSE Physics Past Papers?
Past papers are the actual question papers used in previous Cambridge IGCSE Physics exam sessions, released afterward along with their mark schemes and, for many sessions, examiner reports and grade threshold tables.
Cambridge publishes these for teaching and revision use. Because the syllabus content and question style stay consistent from year to year, working through past papers is close to a dress rehearsal for the real exam.
Key details:
- Exam board: Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE)
- Syllabus code: 0625
- Exam series: June and November worldwide; March is available in India only
- What’s included per session: Question paper, mark scheme, and often an examiner report and grade thresholds
- Cost: Free to download from legitimate sources
What Is the IGCSE Physics (0625) Paper Structure?
Every candidate sits exactly three components: one multiple-choice paper, one theory paper, and one practical-skills paper. Together these total 160 marks and decide the entire grade. There is no coursework.
| Paper | Type | Tier | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Multiple Choice | Core | 40 | 45 minutes |
| Paper 2 | Multiple Choice | Extended | 40 | 45 minutes |
| Paper 3 | Theory | Core | 80 | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Paper 4 | Theory | Extended | 80 | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Paper 5 | Practical Test | Both | 40 | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Paper 6 | Alternative to Practical | Both | 40 | 1 hour |
Which papers do you actually sit?
You sit one multiple-choice paper, one theory paper, and one practical-route paper, based on your tier.
- Core tier: Paper 1 + Paper 3 + (Paper 5 or Paper 6) → eligible for grades C to G
- Extended tier: Paper 2 + Paper 4 + (Paper 5 or Paper 6) → eligible for grades A* to G
Your school decides your tier and whether you sit Paper 5 (a real practical test) or Paper 6 (a written alternative). You cannot mix Core and Extended components.
What does each paper actually test?
- Papers 1 and 2 (multiple choice): 40 questions, four options each, covering the full breadth of the syllabus quickly
- Papers 3 and 4 (theory): Short-answer and structured questions with calculations, graphs and explanation. This is the paper worth the most marks, so it deserves roughly half your revision time
- Paper 5 (practical test): Hands-on experiment work, including measurement, recording results and drawing conclusions
- Paper 6 (alternative to practical): Tests the same practical skills on paper, using given data and diagrams instead of real apparatus
Key details:
- Calculators are allowed in every 0625 paper, including the multiple-choice papers. It must be a standard scientific calculator, not a graphing model
- No coursework component exists for 0625
- Variants: Papers are set in two or three variants (v1, v2, v3) for different time zones. Content and difficulty are equivalent across variants, so any variant is fine for practice
Core vs Extended: Which Tier Should You Practise?
This is one of the most searched questions about IGCSE Physics, and it matters for which past papers you should be solving.
| Factor | Core Tier | Extended Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Papers | 1, 3, and 5 or 6 | 2, 4, and 5 or 6 |
| Grade range | C to G | A* to G |
| Content | Core syllabus only | Core plus Supplement |
| Difficulty | More accessible | Includes harder calculations, graph work and applied questions |
If you are aiming for a B or above, you need the Extended tier and should be practising Papers 2 and 4. If your school has entered you for Core, your ceiling is a C, so confirm your tier with your teacher well before exams, since entries lock in months ahead.
What Topics Does the IGCSE Physics Syllabus Cover?
The 0625 syllabus is organised into six units. Recent exam sessions show these as the highest-weighted areas on the theory papers:
| Unit | Topic | Typically High-Weight Subtopics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motion, forces and energy | Motion, forces, energy/work/power, physical quantities and measurement |
| 2 | Thermal physics | Kinetic particle model, thermal properties, heat transfer |
| 3 | Waves | General wave properties, light, electromagnetic spectrum, sound |
| 4 | Electricity and magnetism | Electrical quantities, circuits, electromagnetic effects |
| 5 | Nuclear physics | The nuclear model of the atom, radioactivity |
| 6 | Space physics | Earth and the solar system, stars and the universe |
Energy, work and power and Motion are consistently among the heaviest-weighted topics on Paper 4 across recent sessions, often carrying 14 to 17 marks each out of 80. Electrical quantities and electromagnetic effects also carry significant weight. This does not mean you can skip other topics, but if your time is limited, these areas deserve priority review.
What Are IGCSE Physics Grade Thresholds?
Grade thresholds (also called grade boundaries) are the minimum raw marks needed for each grade in a given exam series. Cambridge publishes these after every session.
Key details:
- Grades change every session. A mark that earned an A* in June 2025 might only earn an A in June 2026, because thresholds are adjusted to keep the standard fair across cohorts
- Grade A* does not exist at the level of a single component. It only applies to the combined, weighted syllabus grade
- Core candidates can achieve grades C to G
- Extended candidates can achieve grades A* to G
- A* to C are generally considered strong passes and are recognised by universities and employers
Because thresholds move, never rely on last year’s boundary as a guaranteed target. Use the most recent published threshold table for the closest estimate, and treat any number from a self-marked past paper as a guide, not a guarantee.
Where do I check official grade thresholds?
Cambridge publishes threshold tables on its official website after each exam series (March, June and November), broken down by paper combination. Search for “0625 grade thresholds” plus the exam series and year to find the current PDF.
Where Can You Find Genuine IGCSE Physics Past Papers?
Stick to sources that host the papers Cambridge itself has released, rather than sites offering “predicted” or “leaked” papers.
Key details:
- Cambridge International’s official website: Publishes specimen papers publicly and gives registered schools full access to past papers through the School Support Hub
- Your school: Most schools have direct access to the full archive through Cambridge and can print sets for you
- Established past paper repositories: Several independent sites mirror the officially released papers, organised by year, session and paper number, with mark schemes attached
How to read past paper file names: Papers are usually labelled with the syllabus code, paper number and variant, for example 0625_s24_qp_42 means syllabus 0625, summer (June) 2024, question paper, Paper 4, variant 2. w in place of s means the November session, and m means March.
A word of caution: Avoid any site offering exam content before the official release date, or material claiming to be “leaked.” Using unauthorised material before an exam is a form of malpractice under Cambridge’s rules and can lead to serious consequences, including disqualification.
How Should You Use Past Papers to Revise?
Solving papers randomly does not build exam skill by itself. Structure matters.
A simple 8-week plan
| Phase | Focus |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1–4 | Topic-by-topic revision. Learn the full equation list from memory, since many marks are lost purely on formulae, units and rearranging |
| Weeks 5–6 | One full, timed theory paper (Paper 3 or 4) per week, self-marked against the official mark scheme |
| Weeks 7–8 | Add weekly multiple-choice sprints (Paper 1 or 2) and at least two full Paper 5 or 6 attempts under timed conditions |
How to mark your own paper properly
- Mark strictly against the official mark scheme, not your own judgement of what “should” be right
- Look for words like “accept,” “allow,” and “credit” in the mark scheme. Many questions have more than one acceptable phrasing
- Keep a running error log by topic, so you can see which areas cost you the most marks over multiple papers
How many past papers should you attempt?
There is no fixed number, but working through at least the last 4 to 6 exam sessions for your paper combination (so, several years of Paper 4 if you are Extended tier) gives a realistic sense of question style and difficulty range. Spread your practice across different variants (v1, v2, v3) rather than repeating one variant.
Common mistakes students make with past papers
- Skipping the mark scheme and just checking the final answer, missing the exact wording examiners reward
- Never timing themselves, so the exam-day time pressure comes as a shock
- Only practising the theory paper and ignoring Paper 5/6 preparation, which is worth 25% of the total marks
- Choosing the wrong tier’s papers to practise, wasting time on Core papers when entered for Extended, or vice versa
- Not reading examiner reports, which explain exactly where past candidates lost marks and why
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the syllabus code for IGCSE Physics?
The main Cambridge IGCSE Physics syllabus code is 0625. It is examined at Core and Extended tiers, with exams available in June and November worldwide, and March in India only.
How many papers are there in IGCSE Physics?
Cambridge IGCSE Physics has six components in total (Papers 1 to 6), but each candidate sits only three: one multiple-choice paper, one theory paper, and either the practical test or the alternative-to-practical paper.
What is the difference between Core and Extended in IGCSE Physics?
Core tier uses Papers 1 and 3 and caps at grade C. Extended tier uses Papers 2 and 4 and allows the full grade range from A* to G. Extended content includes everything in Core plus a harder Supplement.
Are calculators allowed in IGCSE Physics exams?
Yes. A standard scientific calculator is allowed in every 0625 paper, including the multiple-choice papers. Graphing or programmable calculators are not permitted.
How many marks is IGCSE Physics out of?
The full qualification is out of 160 raw marks across the three papers a candidate sits: the multiple-choice paper (40), the theory paper (80), and the practical or alternative-to-practical paper (40).
What percentage is needed for an A* in IGCSE Physics?
There is no fixed percentage. Grade thresholds change every exam series depending on overall paper difficulty and cohort performance, so the mark needed for an A* varies from session to session. Always check the official threshold table for the specific series you sat.
Where can I download IGCSE Physics past papers for free?
Genuine past papers with mark schemes are available through Cambridge International’s own resources for registered schools, and through established past paper repositories that host officially released Cambridge content. Avoid any source offering “leaked” or unreleased material.
How many past papers should I solve before my exam?
Aim to cover at least the last 4 to 6 exam sessions of your paper combination, spread across different variants, alongside topic-wise revision. Quality of marking and review matters more than sheer volume.
What topics carry the most marks in IGCSE Physics?
Based on recent sessions, Energy, work and power, and Motion are consistently among the highest-weighted topics on the theory paper, often carrying 14 to 17 marks each. Electrical quantities and electromagnetic effects also carry significant weight.
Is IGCSE Physics hard?
Difficulty depends on your tier and background. Core tier is more accessible but caps at grade C. Extended tier includes demanding calculations, graph interpretation and applied physics questions, so it needs more consistent practice with past papers to build speed and accuracy.
Final Thoughts: Make Past Papers Your Main Revision Tool
IGCSE Physics rewards students who know exactly what the exam will ask and how it will be marked. Past papers are the only resource that shows you both.
Confirm your tier, get hold of genuine papers and mark schemes, and build a routine that mixes timed practice with honest, mark-scheme-based self-marking. That combination, more than any single revision technique, is what moves a C into a B, and a B into an A.
👉 Ready to start? Pick your last exam session’s Paper 4 (or Paper 3), set a timer for 1 hour 15 minutes, and mark it strictly against the official mark scheme today.