IGCSE Physics 0625 Past Papers and Original Practice Hub

Use this resource for IGCSE Physics 0625 Past Papers and Original Practice Hub alongside the current syllabus and original practice. It is designed to support active recall, marking and correction rather than passive rereading.

This site does not reproduce Cambridge past-paper questions. It provides:

• guidance for decoding papers and variants
• an evidence-based marking and retry process
• links to authorised routes for Cambridge resources
• an original topic question bank for copyright-safe targeted practice

How do Cambridge IGCSE Physics paper codes work?

The syllabus code is 0625. The two digits after the slash identify the component and variant.

Examples:

• 0625/12 means Paper 1, variant 2
• 0625/42 means Paper 4, variant 2
• 0625/61 means Paper 6, variant 1

The first digit identifies the component:

The second digit identifies the variant. Use the exact statement of entry and examination timetable to confirm the candidate’s codes.

What complete paper combination should be practised?

Core route

A Core candidate takes:

• Paper 1
• Paper 3
• Paper 5 or Paper 6

Extended route

An Extended candidate takes:

• Paper 2
• Paper 4
• Paper 5 or Paper 6

For examinations in 2026, 2027 and 2028, Core candidates are eligible for grades C to G. Extended candidates are eligible for grades A* to G.

Do not combine a theory paper from one route with a multiple-choice paper from the other and treat the total as an official result.

Which variant should a student use?

Practise the actual variant where it is available, but do not assume the variant from the student’s country alone. The examination centre’s documents are the source of truth.

Questions from other variants within the same active syllabus cycle can still be useful because they assess the same qualification content. When using them:

• check that the syllabus cycle matches
• keep the component type correct
• mark against the matching mark scheme
• do not compare the result with a threshold row for a different entry option

Where can authorised papers and support material be found?

Use sources that are authorised to provide the material.

Cambridge’s official 0625 qualification page

The official page is the starting point for the current syllabus, specimen material and resources Cambridge makes publicly available:

Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625

Availability can change, so use the page itself rather than relying on an old list of downloads.

The school or examination centre

A registered Cambridge school or examination centre can advise candidates on the materials it is permitted to supply, including relevant papers, mark schemes, examiner material and entry information.

Ask for:

• the correct syllabus cycle
• the candidate’s exact route and component codes
• the matching mark scheme
• any examiner feedback the centre is permitted to share
• practical-component guidance

Endorsed and licensed resources

Cambridge-endorsed or otherwise licensed workbooks can provide additional exam-style practice without relying on unauthorised paper archives.

Why does this site not host Cambridge papers?

Cambridge examination papers and mark schemes are copyrighted. This site therefore does not copy the question text, repackage paper PDFs or build an index that redistributes unauthorised files.

The alternative is an original practice layer. The topic question bank currently contains original Core and Supplement questions with:

• topic tags
• skill tags
• difficulty tags
• worked answers
• original marking points

These marking points belong to this original example. They are not an official Cambridge mark scheme.

Use those questions to repair a specific weakness before returning to a complete Cambridge component.

How should a past paper be used?

Stage 1: confirm that the paper is suitable

Before beginning, record:

• syllabus cycle
• examination series
• component
• variant
• Core or Extended route
• Paper 5 or Paper 6 option
• time allowed

A paper from an older syllabus can still contain useful questions, but it may include removed content or omit new content. Do not use it as a current coverage checklist without checking each question.

Stage 2: choose supported, section-based or timed conditions

Use conditions that match the purpose.

Supported learning

Use notes or worked examples when the topic has only just been learned and the purpose is method development.

Section practice

Complete selected questions without notes when repairing one topic or skill.

Timed component practice

Use the real time limit, no notes and examination-style conditions when broad syllabus coverage is secure enough for the score to be meaningful.

Do not label supported learning as a mock result.

Stage 3: mark from visible evidence

Use the matching official mark scheme.

Award a mark only when the required evidence appears in the answer. Do not give credit because the student “meant” the right idea.

At the same time, avoid treating a mark scheme as the only possible wording. Where the scheme permits equivalent statements, judge the Physics accurately rather than matching one memorised phrase mechanically.

Stage 4: classify every lost mark

Use categories such as:

Count repeated categories across several components. The largest repeatable cause should shape the next practice task.

Stage 5: repair the cause

A knowledge gap needs relearning. An algebra error needs rearrangement practice. A vague practical improvement needs a limitation-change-benefit exercise.

Use original questions so the student must apply the corrected skill in a fresh context rather than memorising one mark scheme.

Stage 6: retry after a delay

Return to the failed skill without notes after a delay.

The correction is not secure until the student can:

• explain why the first answer was wrong
• reproduce the method independently
• answer a different question using the same skill
• avoid the error in a later mixed or timed component

How should past papers fit into the revision plan?

Use a progression.

Early stage

• topical and section practice
• supported learning for untaught outcomes
• original questions for specific skills
• practical and Mathematics diagnostics

Middle stage

• mixed-topic sections
• short timed sets
• one component at a time
• full correction and retry

Final stage

• complete components for the actual route
• correct time limits
• Paper 5 or Paper 6 preparation
• comparison across several series
• targeted repair between complete papers

The switch point depends on syllabus coverage and performance, not a universal “four weeks before the exam” rule.

How should grade thresholds be used?

A historical threshold applies to a specific examination series and entry option.

Do not:

• use a fixed percentage as a guaranteed grade
• apply a variant’s threshold to a different combination
• compare an unweighted raw total with an official weighted threshold
• describe one unseen paper as an honest final predictor

Do:

• use official threshold documents
• check the exact option
• compare several series
• build a margin
• track performance stability and error causes

See the grade-boundaries guide for the weighting process.

A past-paper record template

Add section marks where helpful. This reveals whether improvement is happening in the theory, multiple-choice or practical component rather than hiding everything inside one total.

When should help be considered?

Additional support may help when:

• the same error survives several corrections
• the student cannot identify why a response loses marks
• untaught content prevents meaningful paper practice
• Mathematics errors recur across several topics
• Paper 5 or Paper 6 remains much weaker than theory
• timed work produces persistent blank sections

Past papers are not valuable merely because they are completed. Their value comes from selecting the right paper, marking accurately, repairing the cause of each lost mark and proving that the correction survives a new question.