The Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) May/June 2026 papers and mark schemes are out, and they’re free. All six papers, 0625/12 to 0625/62, 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 0625 papers

• Speed-time graphs opened both theory papers and appeared on both multiple choice papers. Distance from the area under the graph was tested on Papers 3 and 4.
• Space physics was on every written paper: Jupiter’s orbit, light-years and the Hubble constant on Paper 4, the Moon on Paper 3, and the Moon, Proxima Centauri and the Milky Way in the multiple choice papers.
• Thermal physics came up from many angles: specific heat capacity, evaporation, absolute zero and black surfaces absorbing radiation, including on the practical papers.
• Unit conversions decided many marks: minutes to seconds, cm² to m², km/h to years and light-years to metres.
• Papers 5 and 6 used the same four experiments, so if you sat one, the other is the best practice you can get.

All May/June 2026 0625 papers

Paper	Code	Duration	Marks	Who sits it
Paper 1 Multiple Choice (Core)	0625/12	45 minutes	40	Core
Paper 2 Multiple Choice (Extended)	0625/22	45 minutes	40	Extended
Paper 3 Theory (Core)	0625/32	1 hour 15 minutes	80	Core
Paper 4 Theory (Extended)	0625/42	1 hour 15 minutes	80	Extended
Paper 5 Practical Test	0625/52	1 hour 15 minutes	40	Core and Extended (either 5 or 6)
Paper 6 Alternative to Practical	0625/62	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 Physics 0625 syllabus.

Which variant is this? Cambridge sets different versions of each paper (variants) for different time zones. The papers here are variant 2: 0625/12, /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 0625 May/June 2026 papers →

What came up in 0625 Paper 4 (Extended Theory), May/June 2026?

Paper 4 had eleven questions worth 80 marks. No question was worth more than 10, so the paper moved quickly across the whole syllabus.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	Motion: describing sections of a speed-time graph, distance from the area under it, what makes a vector, picking vectors from a list	8
2	A satellite’s orbit and the direction of the force on it, a rocket’s initial acceleration allowing for its weight, gas pressure in a helium balloon, converting kelvin to °C	8
3	An electric shower: mass of water from flow rate and density, energy from specific heat capacity, power, why the water might come out hotter	7
4	Impulse: definition, the force on a student landing from a jump, why bending the knees reduces the force, pressure on the ground with a unit	8
5	Evaporation: why wet skin cools (in terms of particles), factors that help clothes dry	5
6	Lenses: defining the principal focus, a ray diagram to locate an image, the lowest-frequency region of the electromagnetic spectrum	6
7	Sound: how a loudspeaker works, the wavelength of a 440 Hz sound, ultrasound	6
8	Electricity: defining an electric field, the field between charged plates, a thermistor and relay circuit, charge from current and time	10
9	Radioactivity: isotopes, sketching the decay of carbon-14 over 15 000 years, background radiation and its sources	6
10	Nuclear fission and power stations, nuclear compared with solar cells, an energy resource not powered by the Sun	8
11	Space: matching Earth, Sun and Moon events to times, Jupiter’s orbital period, the light-year, a galaxy’s speed from the Hubble constant	8

What made it hard: Question 11 needed two awkward conversions, km/h to years and light-years to metres. Question 2(a)(ii) only gave full marks if you subtracted the rocket’s weight from the thrust before working out the acceleration.

What came up in 0625 Paper 3 (Core Theory)?

Paper 3 had ten questions worth 80 marks, with a calculation in most of them.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	A runner’s speed-time graph: reading a speed, describing the motion, distance from the area, average speed for 400 m in 2 minutes	10
2	Work done lifting a block of ice (with unit), mass from weight, pressure under a block lying on the ground	11
3	Density of a pebble: choosing an instrument for mass, measuring volume by displacement, calculating density	8
4	Melting, particles in a solid, absolute zero and its value in °C	6
5	A solar water heater: radiation from the Sun, why the pipe is black, conduction through copper, convection and density	7
6	The electromagnetic spectrum: missing regions, the property that increases, the speed of X-rays, a use of X-rays, naming three regions	7
7	Reflection: the normal, angle of incidence, the law of reflection, plane mirror images; a converging lens ray diagram with the image and principal focus	9
8	A mains heater: resistance, power, why large currents are dangerous, how a fuse works, choosing a fuse rating	10
9	Alpha, beta and gamma, protons and neutrons in lithium-7, the fraction of a sample left after three half-lives	7
10	The Moon’s orbit time, the force that keeps it in orbit, Earth-Moon distance from a radio signal’s travel time	5

Watch for: Question 1(b) gave the time in minutes and asked for m/s. The mark scheme gave 2 marks out of 4 for dividing 400 by 2.0 without converting to seconds first.

What came up in 0625 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:

• Motion, forces and energy: measuring the volume of a cylinder, constant acceleration on a speed-time graph, the unit of weight, equilibrium, a counterbalance using moments, the speed of a model car after a force acts, energy wasted by a cyclist going downhill, an energy resource not from the Sun, pressure at depth in the sea.
• Thermal physics: a liquid compared with its gas, compressing a gas in a syringe, the p–V graph at constant temperature, mass of water from energy and temperature rise, where evaporation happens, boiling compared with evaporation, changes that increase emitted radiation.
• Waves: wavelength from a displacement-time graph, the wavelength of red light in glass, plane mirror images and angles, short sight and its correcting lens, analogue and digital signals, loudness, rarefactions.
• Electricity and magnetism: the field around a bar magnet, why a crane uses an electromagnet, the I–V graph of a filament lamp, an energy equation, resistors in parallel, an overheating extension lead, the field around a wire, electrons deflected in a magnetic field, transformer current.
• Nuclear physics: identifying a negative ion, alpha, beta and gamma between charged plates, alpha decay of radon, half-life with a background count, why a lead apron protects.
• Space physics: the Moon’s orbital period, and the distance to Proxima Centauri in kilometres.

What came up in 0625 Paper 1 (Core Multiple Choice)?

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

• Motion, forces and energy: the volume of an irregular stone, the definition of velocity, a speed-time graph for 20 m in 10 s, weight and gravitational field strength, which ball floats on brine, the force needed on a spanner, centre of gravity, energy changes in an electric car, the definition of power, pressure under fresh and sea water.
• Thermal physics: tyre pressure and temperature, converting kelvin to °C, power cables sagging in hot weather, particles after condensation, evaporation, where convection happens, a vacuum flask.
• Waves: what is not a wave, the wavelength of a 26 kHz sound in water, mirror angles, an angle of refraction, colours in order of frequency, the region between visible light and X-rays, detecting fake bank notes, audible sound and ultrasound, animal hearing ranges.
• Electricity and magnetism: induced magnetism, why copper conducts, reading ammeters, energy from a 12 V, 24 W lamp, increasing the current through a wire, why a fuse is used, trip switch ratings, inducing a current in a solenoid, the force on a wire between rails, energy wasted in a transformer.
• Nuclear and space physics: how positive ions form, properties of alpha particles, alpha compared with gamma, the diameter of the Milky Way.

What came up in 0625 Papers 5 and 6 (Practical)?

Paper 5 (practical test) and Paper 6 (alternative to practical) used the same four investigations, with the same marks: 11, 11, 11 and 7.

Question	Both papers	Paper 5 only (you do it)	Paper 6 only (you analyse it)	Marks
1	Density of a wooden block by two methods: length × width × height, then the water it displaces when floating; checking if the two values agree within 10%	Measure the block, weigh it, match the water levels in two beakers	Read the dimensions, mass and two measuring cylinder readings from diagrams	11
2	A white card and a black card heated by a lamp for 4.0 minutes: temperature rise, rate to 2 significant figures with a unit, conclusion, why the test was not fair	Set the distances and take your own temperature readings	Measure a distance on the diagram and read two thermometers	11
3	A resistor X in series with resistors from 10 Ω to 33 Ω: calculate 1/V, plot 1/V against R, find the gradient and intercept, calculate the resistance of X	Take your own voltmeter readings	Draw the voltmeter in the circuit and read it from a diagram	11
4	Plan an experiment on what affects the time for a metal ball to fall between two lines in oil	—	—	7

What this means for you: the planning question had a set checklist of seven points. You can practise it on either paper, because it was identical on both.

How the 0625 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. Calculations use A, C, B and M marks. An A mark is for the correct final answer. C marks are compensatory: you get them for the equation and the substitution if your final answer is wrong. B marks stand alone, and an M mark must be scored before the A mark that follows it. In Paper 3 Question 2(b), the pressure under the block of ice earned 1 mark for pressure = force/area, 1 for the area, 1 for the substitution and the full 4 for the right answer.

2. Always write the equation first. A correct answer with no working gets full marks. But a wrong answer with no working gets nothing, while a wrong answer below a correct equation still picks up C marks.

3. Special cases cover the classic mistake. For the rocket in Paper 4 Question 2(a)(ii), forgetting to subtract the weight gave 13 m/s², which the scheme named as a special case worth 2 marks out of 3. The correct answer was 2.9 m/s².

4. Units and significant figures are marked. Some questions had a separate mark for the unit, such as the work done in Paper 3 Question 2(a)(i). Elsewhere, a missing or wrong unit usually costs the final mark. Answers rounded to too few significant figures lose the A mark.

5. Ecf runs through the multi-step questions. On Paper 6 Question 1, each density calculation could use your own earlier readings. The 10% comparison scored if the statement matched your values, and a correct calculation with the wrong statement still earned its mark.

6. The planning question has a set checklist. The 7-mark falling-ball plan gave one mark each for: a stated variable (such as ball mass, diameter, release height or oil temperature), a stopwatch and any extra apparatus, the method, a control variable, a results table with units in the headings, how to reach a conclusion (such as plotting a graph), and one extra point such as five sets of readings.

7. “State two…” means only your first two answers count. Under the list rule, a wrong answer still uses up a place. In Paper 4 Question 1(b)(ii), choosing extra wrong quantities alongside the vectors cancelled the credit for the correct ones.

8. Watch the shorthand. “owtte” means “or words to that effect”, “ora” means the reverse argument also scores, “cao” means correct answer only, and “CON” means a contradiction that loses the mark. For example, absolute zero in Paper 3 Question 4(b)(i) was “cao”, so only that exact term scored.

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 used the same four investigations as Paper 5.

How to use the 2026 papers as a mock

1. Keep them for last. Use older 0625 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 every unit and every significant figure. 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 wrong unit conversion, a misread command word (state, describe, explain, calculate) or a careless slip, and revise in that order.
5. Redo the falling-ball plan against the seven-point checklist, then write one more plan for a different variable.

More IGCSE Physics resources

• IGCSE Physics past papers (Cambridge and Edexcel, all years)
• 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 0625 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an IGCSE Physics tutor →

Frequently asked questions

Are the 0625 May/June 2026 past papers free? +

Yes. All six question papers (0625/12 to 0625/62) and their official mark schemes are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

What topics came up in 0625 Paper 4 May/June 2026? +

Paper 4 (0625/42) had eleven questions: speed-time graphs and vectors, a satellite and a rocket, an electric shower, impulse and pressure, evaporation, lenses, a loudspeaker, electric fields and a thermistor circuit (the largest question, 10 marks), carbon-14 dating, nuclear power and space physics.

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

Yes, they used the same four contexts: the density of a wooden block by two methods, heating black and white cards with a lamp, a graph of 1/V against R to find an unknown resistance, and a plan for timing a metal ball falling through oil. Paper 5 has you take the readings; Paper 6 gives them to you in diagrams and tables.

Why can't I find 0625/41 or 0625/43 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 are 0625 calculation questions marked? +

A fully correct final answer gets all the marks, even without working. If the answer is wrong, compensatory C marks can still be given for the right equation and the right substitution, so writing the equation first is always worth it.

When will the October/November 2026 0625 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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