Paper 2 vs Paper 4: What Changes for IGCSE Physics

Paper 2 (Core) and Paper 4 (Extended) cover different parts of the syllabus and are aimed at different grade ranges.

Grade targets

• Paper 2 (Core): Grades C to G. Combined with Paper 1 (Multiple Choice Core) and Paper 6.
• Paper 4 (Extended): Grades A* to G. Combined with Paper 3 (Multiple Choice Extended) and Paper 6.

Students aiming for grade B or above must take the Extended papers.

Content differences

Paper 4 covers everything in Paper 2 plus additional Extended content, shown in the syllabus with a star or supplement marker. Key Extended-only topics include:

• Equations of motion (v = u + at, s = ut + 0.5at^2)
• Momentum conservation and calculations
• Specific heat capacity and specific latent heat calculations
• Gas laws and kelvin temperature scale
• Internal energy
• Virtual images and lens ray diagrams (beyond simple descriptions)
• Transformer equation and power loss
• Radioactive decay equations (nuclear notation)
• Red-shift and evidence for the Big Bang

Question style differences

Paper 2 uses shorter questions, more structured guidance, and more straightforward calculations. Many questions ask you to “state” or “describe.”

Paper 4 uses longer, multi-part questions with less scaffolding. You are expected to select the correct formula, rearrange it, and show your working. Questions are more likely to ask you to “explain,” “calculate,” or “evaluate.”

Time and marks

Both papers are 1 hour 15 minutes and worth 80 marks.

How to prepare

For Paper 2: Focus on definitions, descriptions and straightforward calculations. Practise short structured questions.

For Paper 4: Practise rearranging equations, multi-step calculations and explain questions. Make sure you know the Extended content thoroughly.