The Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (0620) May/June 2026 papers and mark schemes are out, and they’re free. All six papers, 0620/12 to 0620/62, can be downloaded and printed on the Tutopiya Learning Portal. Below is a breakdown of what each paper tested and how the mark scheme gave marks, taken from the papers themselves.

Key points from the 2026 0620 papers

• Chromium kept coming back. Paper 4 had the chromate(VI)/dichromate(VI) equilibrium and the test for Cr³⁺ ions, and the unknown solid on Papers 5 and 6 contained chromium(III) ions.
• Salt preparation appeared on every written paper: zinc sulfate and lead(II) sulfate on Paper 4, magnesium sulfate on Paper 3, and method or precipitation questions on both multiple choice papers.
• Alcohols carried real weight. Fermentation on Paper 3, propan-1-ol, propan-2-ol, oxidation and esters on Paper 4, and esterification on Paper 2.
• Nitrogen trifluoride was the bond-energy context twice: a 4-mark calculation on Paper 4 and a multiple choice question on Paper 2.
• Papers 5 and 6 shared their main contexts, so if you sat one, the other is the best practice you can get.
• Method answers are marked step by step. Filtering, washing and drying in the right order each earned a mark.

All May/June 2026 0620 papers

Paper	Code	Duration	Marks	Who sits it
Paper 1 Multiple Choice (Core)	0620/12	45 minutes	40	Core
Paper 2 Multiple Choice (Extended)	0620/22	45 minutes	40	Extended
Paper 3 Theory (Core)	0620/32	1 hour 15 minutes	80	Core
Paper 4 Theory (Extended)	0620/42	1 hour 15 minutes	80	Extended
Paper 5 Practical Test	0620/52	1 hour 15 minutes	40	Core and Extended (either 5 or 6)
Paper 6 Alternative to Practical	0620/62	1 hour	40	Core and Extended (either 5 or 6)

Timings and marks are taken from the front cover of each 2026 paper. Each paper comes with its official Cambridge mark scheme. For the full list of syllabus content, see the Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620 syllabus.

Which variant is this? Cambridge sets different versions of each paper (variants) for different time zones. The papers here are variant 2: 0620/12, /22, /32, /42, /52 and /62. All variants cover the same syllabus at the same difficulty, so variant 2 is just as good for practice as the one your school sat.

Download the 0620 May/June 2026 papers →

What came up in 0620 Paper 4 (Extended Theory), May/June 2026?

Paper 4 had six questions worth 80 marks. Question 5, on compounds of nitrogen, was worth 21 marks, more than a quarter of the paper.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	Group I and Group VII: identifying elements from proton number, electron number and Mr, testing for unsaturation, a lilac flame test, displacing bromide ions	6
2	Bonding and structure: a 7-mark table on covalent, metallic and giant covalent bonding (bromine, magnesium, silicon(IV) oxide), intermolecular forces, the arrangement of ions in sodium chloride, another giant covalent substance	11
3	Salts: zinc sulfate from zinc carbonate (equation, end-point observation, saturated solutions and two solubility calculations), lead(II) sulfate by precipitation (reagents, method, ionic equation with state symbols)	15
4	Transition elements: physical properties compared with Group I, formulas of copper(I) oxide and nickel(II) nitrate, the chromate(VI)/dichromate(VI) equilibrium (redox, rates, pressure, adding alkali), brass and stainless steel	13
5	Nitrogen compounds: Haber process raw materials, equation and pressure, Cr³⁺ and Zn²⁺ with aqueous ammonia, NF₃ (exothermic and reversible signs, reaction profile, H–F bond energy calculation), dot-and-cross diagram of NF₃	21
6	Alcohols: functional group, electrons in methanol, propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol, why C₃H₇OH is ambiguous, combustion equation, oxidation by an oxidising agent and by bacteria, drawing an ester	14

What made it hard: the bond energy calculation in Question 5(c)(iii) worked backwards. You were given ΔH and had to find the H–F bond energy, in three set steps. Question 4(c) also asked you to explain an equilibrium shift with no gases involved, so the usual pressure answer did not apply.

What came up in 0620 Paper 3 (Core Theory)?

Paper 3 had seven questions worth 80 marks. Question 6, on nickel, was worth 20 marks on its own.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	Picking substances from six structures: an alcohol, nitrogen, a carboxylic acid, a hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide, chlorine, and the two elements	9
2	Group I: predicting melting point and atomic radius from a table, the state of lithium at a given temperature, density trend, potassium with water, the test for hydrogen, dot-and-cross for ammonia	10
3	Magnesium carbonate and sulfuric acid: state symbols, naming the salt, the gas syringe, reading a volume–time graph, sketching a line for smaller pieces, temperature and concentration, H⁺ ions and pH	11
4	Organic compounds: circling the alcohol group, molecular formula, why a compound is saturated, fermentation and its conditions, a use of ethanol, ethanoic acid with magnesium	9
5	States of matter: properties of liquids, particle motion and separation in solids and liquids, changes of state, diffusion	9
6	Nickel: period number, particles in an ion, ionic bonding and properties, balancing an equation, a basic oxide, electrolysis of molten nickel(II) bromide, Mr of Ni(OH)₂, alloys and stainless steel	20
7	Water: nitrate and metal pollution, the flame test for potassium, a reacting-mass calculation, stages of water treatment, distilled water, the cobalt(II) chloride test	12

Watch for: Question 7(c) was a proportion calculation. If 13.2 g of potassium gives 56.2 g of potassium iodide, half the potassium gives half the product. Spot the ratio before reaching for moles.

What came up in 0620 Paper 2 (Extended Multiple Choice)?

Paper 2 has 40 questions across the whole syllabus. The mark scheme is an answer key, so here is what the questions covered by syllabus area:

• Particles, atoms and bonding: ice, water and steam, cooling a sealed gas, mixtures of compounds, why water is a compound, isotopes with the same chemical properties, why sodium chloride has a high melting point, a giant covalent element used as a lubricant and in cutting tools, formulas of iron(II) bromide and zinc nitrate.
• Stoichiometry: the definition of relative molecular mass, and a limiting-reactant question on the volume of hydrogen at r.t.p.
• Electrochemistry: electroplating a spoon with silver, electrolysis of dilute sulfuric acid, copper(II) sulfate with copper electrodes.
• Energy, rates and equilibrium: a bond-energy calculation for forming NF₃, the role of concentrated sulfuric acid in making an ester, collision theory, Haber process statements, a redox reaction with dichromate(VI), ethanoic acid compared with hydrochloric acid.
• Acids, bases and salts: magnesium carbonate with acid, a titration with methyl orange, which pair of solutions gives a precipitate.
• The Periodic Table and metals: Periodic Table statements, alkali metal trends, why alloys are less malleable, aluminium’s oxide layer, the blast furnace, aluminium extraction.
• Chemistry of the environment: the photosynthesis equation, catalytic converters, cutting global warming and acid rain.
• Organic chemistry: structural isomers, matching names to structures, a substitution reaction, adding bromine to an alkene, the structures of PET and nylon.
• Experimental techniques: setting up chromatography, getting drinking water from sea water, the flame test for calcium.

What came up in 0620 Paper 1 (Core Multiple Choice)?

Paper 1 also has 40 questions. It tested definitions and recall more than calculations:

• Particles, atoms and bonding: diffusion of bromine, the charge and mass of an electron, the particles in a lithium atom, ionic bonding between Group I and Group VII, shared electrons in ammonia, graphite as a lubricant, the formula of phosphoric acid.
• Stoichiometry: reacting masses in methane combustion, units of concentration.
• Electrochemistry: electroplating nickel with silver, electrolysing a binary compound, hydrogen fuel cells in cars.
• Energy, rates and equilibrium: what makes a reaction exothermic, a surface area graph, the reversible reaction symbol, lime reacting with ammonium salts.
• Acids, bases and salts: universal indicator and pH, preparing magnesium sulfate, a salt used as a fertiliser.
• The Periodic Table and metals: the charge on a strontium ion, Group I trends, fluorine, cobalt as a transition element, aluminium food containers, zinc, a rusting investigation, extracting aluminium.
• Chemistry of the environment: substances in natural water, air pollutants with their sources and effects, Neptune’s atmosphere compared with Earth’s.
• Organic chemistry: hydrocarbons, uses of gas oil and naphtha, fossil fuels, the bromine water test, making ethanol, potassium ethanoate, how a polymer chain forms.
• Separation and analysis: separating sand from salt, the test for chlorine, a flame test linked to an aqueous ammonia result.

What came up in 0620 Papers 5 and 6 (Practical)?

Paper 5 (practical test) and Paper 6 (alternative to practical) shared three contexts. Paper 6 also had an extra opening question, so its numbering runs one ahead.

Paper 5	Paper 6	Both papers	Paper 5 only (you do it)	Paper 6 only (you analyse it)	Marks (P5 / P6)
—	1	—	—	Fractional distillation of three alkanes: naming apparatus, why not to use a Bunsen burner, where water enters the condenser, which alkane collects first and which stays in the flask	— / 8
1	2	Gas made in 75 seconds when dilute ethanoic acid reacts with sodium hydrogencarbonate, with less water each time: graph, mean rate with units, reading off a value, measuring cylinder versus pipette, gas escaping, sketching a line for more acid	Do five experiments and record your own volumes	Read five measuring cylinder diagrams	20 / 19
2	3	Tests on solid C (potassium, chromium(III) and sulfate ions) and solution D (ammonium bromide)	Carry out the tests and identify the ions in both	Use given observations to identify the ions in C, then predict results for D	14 / 7
3	4	Plan how to get tin metal from a lump of cassiterite ore	—	—	6 / 6

What this means for you: the planning question was about extracting a metal, not a rates or titration plan. Any sensible route scored, as long as you described it in clear steps (see the mark scheme section below).

How the 0620 May/June 2026 mark scheme gives marks

Reading the 2026 mark schemes side by side shows a consistent marking style. Knowing it is often worth more marks than extra revision.

1. The planning question is a list of marking points, not a level grid. The tin question on Papers 5 and 6 accepted four routes: heating with a reducing agent, displacement from solution, electrolysis of a solution, or electrolysis of the molten oxide. Each route had seven points, with six marks available. Crushing the ore and naming the method used to crush it were two separate marks. Concentrated acids were rejected. A weak acid such as ethanoic acid earned “add an acid” but not “name a suitable acid”.

2. Practical methods are marked in order. For Paper 4 Question 3(e)(iii), the three marks were filter, wash the residue with water, then dry it. The scheme gave worked examples: filter and dry without washing scored 2. Crystallising the solution before filtering scored 0, because you would be collecting the wrong substance.

3. Calculations are marked step by step, with error carried forward (ecf). Paper 4 Question 5(c)(iii) gave one mark each for the energy to break bonds, the energy released forming bonds, the energy of three H–F bonds, and one H–F bond. A wrong early value still earned the later marks if you used it correctly. The final answer needed at least two significant figures.

4. Precise wording matters in equilibrium answers. In Paper 4 Question 4(c)(ii), “the rates are equal” scored. “The concentrations are equal” was rejected. The scheme wanted concentrations that are no longer changing. That is one of the most common slips in this topic.

5. Names must be exact. Paper 4 Question 6(b)(iii) needed correct spelling of propan-1-ol, and plain “propanol” was rejected. Where a name is asked for, the name takes precedence over any formula you also write. The general rule is that a spelling must not be confusable with another syllabus term, such as ethane and ethene.

6. “State two…” means only your first two answers count. Under Cambridge’s list rule, a wrong answer still uses up a place, and two answers that contradict each other count as one wrong answer. This applied to questions such as the two physical properties of transition elements in Paper 4 Question 4(a).

7. Practical tables and graphs have strict rules. In Paper 5 Question 1, every volume of acid had to be recorded as 10.0 (one decimal place) and the water volumes as whole numbers. For the graph, all five points correct scored 2 and four correct scored 1. A best-fit line had to ignore anomalous points, and dot-to-dot lines were rejected. The unit for the rate, cm³/s, was its own mark.

8. “A”, “I” and “R” tell you what counts. The scheme marks each answer as allow, ignore or reject. “ora” means the reverse argument scores too, and “AW” means alternative wording is fine. In one case the scheme even accepted two answers: Paper 4 Question 3(d)(iii) allowed 12 g or 18 g, because the wording could be read two ways.

Which papers should you sit?

• Extended candidates: Paper 2, Paper 4, and either Paper 5 or Paper 6.
• Core candidates: Paper 1, Paper 3, and either Paper 5 or Paper 6.

Not sure whether your school entered you for Paper 5 or Paper 6? Do Paper 6 anyway. It tests the same planning, recording and analysis skills, and in 2026 it shared three of its four questions with Paper 5.

How to use the 2026 papers as a mock

1. Keep them for last. Use older 0620 papers for topic practice and save May/June 2026 for a full mock two to four weeks before your exam.
2. Sit your papers in one go, timed. Do the multiple choice paper first, then the theory paper, with only a short break, as on exam day.
3. Mark strictly with the mark scheme. Check names, formulas and state symbols as carefully as an examiner would. Give a mark only when your answer contains the point in the scheme.
4. Log every lost mark. Note whether it was missing knowledge, a misread command word (state, describe, explain, deduce) or a careless slip, and revise in that order.
5. Rewrite your method answers as numbered steps. Do this for the salt preparation and tin questions, then compare each step with the marking points.

More IGCSE Chemistry resources

• IGCSE Chemistry past papers (Cambridge 0620 and Edexcel 4CH1)
• IGCSE past papers 2026: all subjects

🔍 Looking for a specific past paper? Use our free Past Paper Finder to search by subject, year and exam board.

Need help with a 0620 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an IGCSE Chemistry tutor →

Frequently asked questions

Are the 0620 May/June 2026 past papers free? +

Yes. All six question papers (0620/12 to 0620/62) and their official mark schemes are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

What topics came up in 0620 Paper 4 May/June 2026? +

Paper 4 (0620/42) had six questions: Group I and Group VII elements, bonding and structure, preparing zinc sulfate and lead(II) sulfate, transition elements and the chromate/dichromate equilibrium, nitrogen compounds (the largest question, 21 marks, including a bond-energy calculation), and alcohols.

Were Paper 5 and Paper 6 the same in May/June 2026? +

They shared three contexts: the gas made when dilute ethanoic acid reacts with sodium hydrogencarbonate, tests on a solid containing potassium, chromium(III) and sulfate ions plus ammonium bromide, and a 6-mark plan for getting tin from its ore. Paper 6 also had an extra 8-mark question on separating alkanes by fractional distillation.

Why can't I find 0620/41 or 0620/43 for 2026? +

Only variant 2 of the May/June 2026 papers is on the portal at the moment. Cambridge sets different variants for different time zones; variants 1 and 3 test the same syllabus in the same format, so variant 2 prepares you just as well.

How is the 6-mark tin extraction question in 0620 marked? +

It is points-based. The mark scheme accepts four different methods, each with seven marking points, and you get one mark per point up to six. Crushing the ore, naming a suitable reducing agent or acid, and saying where the tin forms all count as separate marks.

When will the October/November 2026 0620 papers be available? +

Cambridge usually releases the October/November papers in the new year. We add them to the Learning Portal once they are published.

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