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Cambridge IGCSE

Physics 0625

From motion and energy to waves, circuits, radioactivity and space: theory papers plus practical or alternative-to-practical assessment.

Syllabus version: 2026–2028 syllabusChecked against the Cambridge syllabusExam year 2027 is covered by the 2026–2028 syllabus.
Subject review complete (20 Oct 2026). All 40 Physics questions were re-solved and checked against the syllabus and Cambridge mark-scheme conventions, and their auto-marking was tested with correct and incorrect answers: 23 approved as written, 17 corrected.

Weighting by paper. Some papers are alternatives (for example Core or Extended, or practical or alternative to practical), so the figures add up to more than 100%.

  • Paper 2 Multiple Choice (Extended)30%
  • Paper 4 Theory (Extended)50%
  • Paper 5 Practical Test20%
  • Paper 6 Alternative to Practical20%
Original questions40
Topics covered6/6
Papers4
Mock papers3

What is assessed

4 components on the Extended tier. Question formats: multiple choice, short answer, structured, practical, alternative to practical.

Paper 2 Multiple Choice (Extended)Extended
45 min40 marksWeighting 30%

Forty compulsory four-option multiple-choice items on the Core and Supplement content, testing AO1 and AO2 (grades A* to G).

What the paper looks like

Forty one-mark, four-option items across Core and Supplement content. More multi-step reasoning than Paper 1: vectors, momentum with direction, pV = constant, refraction and critical angle, transformer and power-loss calculations, decay equations and Hubble-constant estimates. Read every option; several are designed around one specific misconception.

Multiple choiceCalculator allowed; the paper states g = 9.8 m / s² (weight of 1.0 kg = 9.8 N)
Checked against the Cambridge syllabus
Paper 4 Theory (Extended)Extended
1 h 15 min80 marksWeighting 50%

Compulsory short-answer and structured questions on the Core and Supplement content, testing AO1 and AO2 (grades A* to G).

What the paper looks like

About 9–10 compulsory structured questions of 8–10 marks each (80 in total) on Core and Supplement content. Expect precise definitions (acceleration, e.m.f., electric field, focal point), multi-step calculations with significant-figure and unit requirements, drawing on diagrams (field lines, ray diagrams, particle paths) and extended explanations of 3–4 marks that must be applied to the context given.

Short answerStructuredCalculator allowed; the paper states g = 9.8 m / s² (weight of 1.0 kg = 9.8 N)
Checked against the Cambridge syllabus
Paper 5 Practical TestCore & Extended
1 h 15 min40 marksWeighting 20%

Compulsory experiments carried out in the laboratory, testing the experimental skills in Section 4 of the syllabus (AO3); an alternative to Paper 6.

What the paper looks like

Practical Test of 4 compulsory questions (typically three experiments of about 11 marks and a planning question of about 7 marks) done with real apparatus. You take and record readings with units and suitable precision, tabulate, plot graphs, find gradients, draw conclusions within the ±10% limit of experimental accuracy and suggest improvements.

PracticalLaboratory apparatus provided (set out in the confidential instructions); calculator allowed
Checked against the Cambridge syllabusNo questions for this paper yet
Paper 6 Alternative to PracticalCore & Extended
1 h40 marksWeighting 20%

Compulsory written questions on experimental work (readings, tables, graphs, evaluation and planning) testing AO3, with no experiments done; an alternative to Paper 5.

What the paper looks like

Written paper of 4 compulsory questions: usually three investigations of about 11 marks (readings from diagrams of instruments, completing tables with quantity / unit headings, plotting a graph and drawing a best-fit line, a large gradient triangle, conclusions and precautions) and a 7-mark planning question asking for apparatus, method, control variables, a results table and how to reach a conclusion. Answers must be practical, not theoretical.

Alternative to practicalCalculator allowed; no apparatus needed
Checked against the Cambridge syllabus

Assessment overview

From the 2026–2028 syllabus. Checked against the Cambridge syllabus

Core
Paper 1Paper 3Paper 5Paper 6
Paper 1 + Paper 3 + either Paper 5 or Paper 6; grades C to G available.
Extended
Paper 2Paper 4Paper 5Paper 6
Paper 2 + Paper 4 + either Paper 5 or Paper 6; grades A* to G available.
Assessment objectiveIGCSE weighting
AO1 Knowledge with understanding50%
AO2 Handling information and problem-solving30%
AO3 Experimental skills and investigations20%
Changes in this syllabus version
  • Cambridge states there are no significant changes which affect teaching compared with the 2023–2025 syllabus: the same six content areas, papers, timings, marks and weightings.
  • The syllabus document was revised to make it easier to understand; textbooks endorsed for examination from 2023 remain suitable.
  • Version 2 (published December 2025) only updated a weblink.
Command words used in Physics papers (15)
Calculate
Work out a value from the facts, figures or information given; show the working.
Comment
Give an informed opinion based on the evidence.
Compare
Say what is the same and/or different about two or more things.
Deduce
Reach a conclusion from the information provided.
Define
Give the precise meaning of a term.
Describe
State the main points or features of something.
Determine
Find an answer using the information available, often from data or a graph.
Explain
Give reasons or purposes, making the relationships clear and supporting them with evidence.
Give
Produce an answer from a source or from memory.
Identify
Name, select or recognise.
Justify
Support a case or a decision with evidence or argument.
Predict
Say what may happen, based on the information available.
Sketch
Draw a simple freehand diagram or graph showing the key features with sensible proportions.
State
Express clearly and briefly.
Suggest
Apply your knowledge to a situation that has several valid answers, putting forward ideas.
Examiner guidance from recent reports (14)
Motion, forces and energy. Learn definitions word for word in meaning: acceleration is change in velocity per unit time (or rate of change of velocity), never “rate of change of velocity per unit time”. Write the equation in symbols first, then substitute.
Motion, forces and energy. On speed–time graphs, distance is the area under the line and acceleration is the gradient. To find acceleration at one instant on a curve, draw a tangent there: dividing speed by time at that point is not a valid method.
Motion, forces and energy. Momentum is a vector. When objects move in opposite directions, give one velocity a negative sign; if they start at rest the total momentum afterwards is still zero.
Motion, forces and energy. Give final answers to the same number of significant figures as the data (usually 2 or 3), round correctly, and always add the unit. A bare number or a 1 s.f. answer often loses the last mark.
Thermal physics. Use the syllabus symbols: θ or T for temperature, t for time, E for energy, Q for charge. Mixing them up in c = ΔE / (mΔθ) makes working ambiguous and can lose method marks.
Thermal physics. Convection is a bulk movement of the fluid: warmer fluid expands, becomes less dense and rises while cooler, denser fluid sinks. Do not say the particles themselves become less dense or expand.
Thermal physics. When comparing solids and liquids, describe a real difference in particle motion (vibrating about fixed positions versus moving past each other). “Particles move faster in a liquid” is not a clear enough difference.
Waves. Count wavelengths carefully from a diagram: the distance across n crests contains n − 1 wavelengths. Convert cm to m before using v = fλ when the answer is in m / s.
Waves. A focal point definition needs rays parallel to the principal axis meeting at a point after passing through the lens. For n = speed in air ÷ speed in glass, divide (do not multiply) to find the speed in glass.
Electricity and magnetism. Define e.m.f. and p.d. in terms of work done (energy transferred) per unit charge, not as a force. Learn the exact circuit symbols: a variable resistor and a thermistor are often confused.
Electricity and magnetism. In series circuits use the total resistance with I = V / R. For a diode, check which way it points before deciding whether there is a current.
Nuclear physics. In nuclide equations balance both nucleon numbers (top) and proton numbers (bottom). For corrected count rates, subtract background first, halve the source’s rate for each half-life, then add the background back if asked for the detector reading.
Space physics. Answer each stage of a star’s life cycle separately when the question splits it up: collapse under gravity to a protostar, then fusion providing an outward force that balances gravity in a stable star. Spell fusion clearly so it cannot be read as fission.
Space physics. Pick the right equation: for light travel time use speed = distance ÷ time with 3.0 × 10⁸ m / s, not the orbital speed equation or v = H₀d. Give the unit with the answer.

Topic map

Practice types

Free sample questions

A delivery van starts from rest and speeds up uniformly to 12 m / s in 8.0 s. It then travels at a constant…
A delivery van starts from rest and speeds up uniformly to 12 m / s in 8.0 s. It then travels at a constant 12 m / s for a further 10 s. What is the total distance travelled by the van?
  1. 168 m
  2. 216 m
  3. 120 m
  4. 108 m

Answer: A. 168 m

Distance = area under the speed–time graph. Triangle: ½ × 8.0 × 12 = 48 m. Rectangle: 12 × 10 = 120 m. Total = 168 m. 216 m treats the whole 18 s as constant speed (or forgets the ½ for the triangle), 120 m ignores the first stage and 108 m wrongly applies the ½ to the constant-speed stage as well.

Four solid blocks are placed in water of density 1.0 g / cm³. The mass and volume of each block are given.…
Four solid blocks are placed in water of density 1.0 g / cm³. The mass and volume of each block are given. Which block floats?
  1. mass 60 g, volume 50 cm³
  2. mass 90 g, volume 100 cm³
  3. mass 150 g, volume 120 cm³
  4. mass 210 g, volume 150 cm³

Answer: B. mass 90 g, volume 100 cm³

Density = mass ÷ volume: 1.2, 0.90, 1.25 and 1.4 g / cm³. Only the block of density 0.90 g / cm³ is less dense than water, so only it floats. A larger volume alone does not decide floating; it is the ratio that matters.

FAQs

Are these official 0625 past-paper questions?

No. They are original questions written to match the Physics syllabus topics. Official past papers are available to schools through Cambridge.

Why choose an exam year?

Cambridge updates syllabuses periodically. Your exam year selects the matching configuration so topics and components follow the right version.

Is a calculator allowed?

In this configuration a scientific calculator is permitted for the listed papers. Check your syllabus for the exact rule.