The Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management (0680) May/June 2026 papers and mark schemes are out, and they’re free. Paper 1 (0680/12) and Paper 2 (0680/22) 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 0680 papers

• Water ran through both papers. Dams, malaria and cholera on Paper 1, then salinisation, desalination, reservoir levels and eutrophication on Paper 2.
• Maths marks were everywhere. A percentage decrease, a population density with its unit, a mass of basalt, total rainfall, a percentage rounded to a whole number and a volume over 24 hours.
• Both papers had investigation questions. Random selection of rice fields, controlled variables, controls, repeats and the limits of a colour scale all earned marks.
• Graph work carried 4 marks a time. A bar chart on Paper 1 and a line graph with a curve of best fit on Paper 2 were marked on axes, scale, plotting and the final line or bars.
• Paper 2 was one country. Every question used Romania, from its population data to its mountain bears.

All May/June 2026 0680 papers

Paper	Code	Duration	Marks	What it tests
Paper 1 Theory	0680/12	1 hour 45 minutes	80	Section A: three short questions (20 marks). Section B: four longer questions (60 marks)
Paper 2 Management in Context	0680/22	1 hour 45 minutes	80	Three long questions set in the context of one country (Romania in 2026)

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 Environmental Management 0680 syllabus.

Which variant is this? Cambridge sets different versions of each paper (variants) for different time zones. The papers here are variant 2: 0680/12 and 0680/22. 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 0680 May/June 2026 papers →

What came up in 0680 Paper 1 (Theory), May/June 2026?

Paper 1 had seven questions worth 80 marks. Section A (Questions 1 to 3) was worth 20 marks and Section B (Questions 4 to 7) was worth 60.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	Energy: a pie chart of US domestic electricity use, fracking (borehole depth, high pressure, the role of sand, what comes to the surface, the shale rock)	8
2	Soil: how a row of trees reduces soil erosion, two other strategies, what desertification means	7
3	Water supply: how a dam creates fresh water, other benefits of multipurpose dams	5
4	Malaria and cholera: comparing two sources of death estimates, drones spraying rice fields, random selection of fields, a larvae graph and conclusion, strategies to control cholera (5 marks)	15
5	Carbon capture using basalt: rock cycle and water cycle processes, a mass calculation, benefits and limitations, choosing the correct CO₂ graph	9
6	Landfill: environmental impact assessments, landfill design and management, roads made with waste tyres, bioremediation, a percentage decrease, landfill tax	16
7	Climate change in the Arctic: climate station data, a temperature range, a rainfall bar chart, summer sea ice, a sea-ice thickening strategy, and a 6-mark “to what extent” question on ice sheet melting	20

What made it hard: Question 7(f) was the only levels-marked question, worth 6 marks. You had to decide whether ice sheet melting is the biggest impact of climate change, weighing sea level rise and flooding against other impacts such as extreme weather and loss of biodiversity.

What came up in 0680 Paper 2 (Management in Context)?

The context: the paper opens with a fact file on Romania, covering its area, population, climate, terrain, economy and natural resources. Every question builds on that country.

Paper 2 had three questions worth 80 marks. Question 2 alone was worth 35.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	Population and environment: describing a population graph, problems with a non-linear scale, the share living in Bucharest, urban population trend, population density with unit, water shortages, employment vs working-age population, education and population size, an environmental issues survey (ranking strategies, flood disaster plans for 4 marks, flooding and crop yield, over-packaging, comparing repeat surveys)	26
2	Salinisation and water: distribution on a map, controlled variables in a chlorophyll experiment, control and repeats, conclusion, the photosynthesis word equation, a colour scale’s limitation, water sources for irrigation, road salt, desalination (process, volume, biodiversity, floating plants), falling reservoir levels, waste water impacts, eutrophication (anomaly, graph and curve for 4 marks, completing sentences for 4 marks)	35
3	Tourism and conservation in the Carpathian Mountains: impacts of tourism and deforestation, why brown bears aren’t found across Europe, biosphere reserve zones, a four-step food chain, abiotic factors, matching ecosystem terms	19

Watch for: Question 1(f)(ii) asked how a disaster plan manages flooding after it has happened. The scheme ignored anything done before a flood, such as warning systems or flood defences.

How the 0680 May/June 2026 mark scheme gives marks

Most 0680 marks are points-based. One extended question uses levels. Here’s how both work in practice.

1. Most questions use numbered marking points. The scheme lists points as M1, M2, M3 and so on, and you earn one mark per point up to the total. In Paper 1 Question 4(e), on controlling cholera, there were eight points for five marks, including sanitation, handwashing, sewage treatment, boiling or chlorinating water and vaccination. “Education” on its own was ignored, so name the specific strategy.

2. The 6-mark question uses three levels. Paper 1 Question 7(f) was marked in Level 1 (1–2), Level 2 (3–4) and Level 3 (5–6). Level 2 has evaluation that may not be balanced. Level 3 is coherent, supports its conclusion with relevant details and examples, and is likely to be balanced. A list of impacts with no judgement sits in Level 1. To reach the top band, argue both sides and then say how far you agree.

3. Explanations must be linked. In Paper 2 Question 1(f)(ii), you needed a disaster plan and a linked reason, such as emergency water points to reduce the risk of cholera. A list of four plans with no reasons scored only 1 mark. In Paper 1 Question 6(b)(ii), naming three landfill features without saying how they reduce impacts was also capped at 1.

4. Units and rounding carry their own marks. In Paper 2 Question 1(c)(i), the population density of about 79.7 earned 1 mark and “people/km²” earned the second. “Million per km²” was rejected. Question 1(b)(i) asked for the nearest whole number, so 9% was the final answer. When you quote data in a description, give the unit (the scheme required the % sign in 1(b)(ii)).

5. Error carried forward (ecf) protects later marks. In Paper 1 Question 7(b)(ii), the temperature range used ecf, so a misread value still earned the method mark if you subtracted correctly. The Paper 1 pie chart percentage in 1(a)(ii) had no ecf, because the value came straight from the table.

6. The list rule and contradictions. For controlled variables in Paper 2 Question 2(b) and abiotic factors in 3(d)(ii), the list rule applied. Only the number of answers asked for is marked. In 3(d)(ii), naming a biotic factor such as plants alongside correct answers was a contradiction (CON) and cancelled a mark.

7. Graphs are marked feature by feature. The Paper 2 eutrophication graph in 2(i)(ii) gave 1 mark each for a labelled y-axis with unit, a sensible linear scale covering half the grid, accurate plots and a smooth curve of best fit that left out the anomalous point. A straight line or a dot-to-dot line lost the last mark.

8. What AW, ora and AVP mean. AW means alternative wording with the same meaning is fine. “ora” (or reverse argument) let you write, for example, that lower salt concentration gives higher chlorophyll in Paper 2 Question 2(c)(iii). AVP means any valid point the scheme didn’t list can still score.

Which papers should you sit?

There are no Core and Extended tiers in 0680. Every candidate sits Paper 1 and Paper 2, and both papers say to answer all questions.

How to use the 2026 papers as a mock

1. Keep them for last. Use older 0680 papers for topic practice and save May/June 2026 for a full mock two to four weeks before your exam.
2. Sit each paper timed. You have 1 hour 45 minutes for 80 marks on each paper. On Paper 2, spend a few minutes reading the country fact file first.
3. Mark strictly with the mark scheme. Check every “ignore” note. Many lost marks come from answers that were too general, such as “pollution” with no type.
4. Redraw the two graphs. Plot the rainfall bar chart from Paper 1 and the nitrate graph from Paper 2 until you get all four marks on each.
5. Rewrite Question 7(f). Give two reasons for, two against and a clear final judgement, then check it against the Level 3 description.

More IGCSE Environmental Management resources

• IGCSE past papers 2026: all subjects

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Frequently asked questions

Are the 0680 May/June 2026 past papers free? +

Yes. Both question papers (0680/12 and 0680/22) and their official mark schemes are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

What came up in 0680 Paper 2 May/June 2026? +

Paper 2 was set entirely on Romania. Question 1 covered population, urbanisation, employment and an environmental survey including flooding. Question 2 covered salinisation, a photosynthesis investigation, desalination and eutrophication. Question 3 covered tourism, deforestation, brown bears, biosphere reserves and food chains in the Carpathian Mountains.

What topics came up in 0680 Paper 1 May/June 2026? +

Paper 1 had seven questions: electricity use and fracking, soil erosion and desertification, dams, malaria and cholera control, carbon capture using basalt, landfill sites, and climate change in the Arctic, ending with a 6-mark question on ice sheet melting.

How is 0680 marked? +

Most questions are points-based, with one mark per marking point up to the total shown. The 6-mark extended question on Paper 1 uses three levels (1 to 2, 3 to 4 and 5 to 6), and the top level needs a coherent, balanced evaluation supported by relevant details and examples.

Why can't I find 0680/21 or 0680/23 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.

When will the October/November 2026 0680 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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