Written by IGCSEPhysics Content Team · Physics subject adviser: K. S. Tan, 15+ years teaching IGCSE Physics · Checked against the Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) 2026 to 2028 syllabus
Arrive at the exam with everything you need. Missing equipment means lost marks.
Essential equipment
- Scientific calculator (with fresh batteries or check battery level the night before)
- Several pens (black ink)
- Pencils (HB or B grade, sharpened)
- Ruler (at least 15 cm, clear markings)
- Eraser
- Protractor (for angle measurements in optics questions and Paper 6)
Recommended extras
- A spare pen and spare pencil
- A pencil sharpener
- A clear pencil case (many exam centres require transparent cases)
- A bottle of water (check your school’s policy)
- Your exam candidate number and centre number
Not allowed
- Mobile phones (switched off and stored outside the exam room)
- Smart watches
- Notes, textbooks or formula sheets (the exam provides an equation sheet)
- Correction fluid (cross out mistakes with a single line instead)
- Calculators with CAS, programmable memory or communication features
The night before
- Lay out all equipment and check that your calculator works.
- Set an alarm with enough time to eat breakfast and arrive early.
- Charge your phone (for the alarm), but plan to leave it outside the exam room.
On the day
- Arrive at least 15 minutes early.
- Use the reading time (if provided) to scan the whole paper and plan your time.
Need Help Applying This?
A 0625 specialist can work through the student's current paper or question and help identify whether the main difficulty is content, mathematics, practical reasoning or exam technique.