Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625/12 is the May/June 2026 Paper 1 (Core Multiple Choice), variant 2. It has 40 questions worth one mark each, lasts 45 minutes and is sat by every Core candidate. The questions cover the whole syllabus, with motion, forces and energy and electricity and magnetism carrying 10 questions each. This guide gives the official answer for every question, the topic it tested and the working for each calculation. The paper and its mark scheme are free on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

For an overview of all six 0625 papers from this series, see IGCSE Physics 0625 May/June 2026 past papers: what came up and how it was marked.

0625/12 at a glance

Syllabus area	Questions	Number of questions
Motion, forces and energy	1–10	10
Thermal physics	11–17	7
Waves	18–26	9
Electricity and magnetism	27–36	10
Nuclear physics	37–39	3
Space physics	40	1
Total		40

Each correct answer scores one mark, so the total is 40. The paper gives the weight of 1.0 kg as 9.8 N.

Answer key and topic for every question

Question	What it tested	Answer
1	Apparatus for the volume of an irregular stone	B
2	Definition of velocity	D
3	Speed-time graph for 20 m travelled in 10 s	A
4	Definitions of weight and gravitational field strength	D
5	Ball that floats on brine but sinks in oil and water	D
6	Minimum force on a spanner from a moment	D
7	Point where an object’s weight appears to act	A
8	Energy transfers in a car at constant velocity	A
9	Definition of power	C
10	Pressure at depth in fresh and sea water	D
11	Why tyre pressure falls on a cold night	A
12	Converting between kelvin and degrees Celsius	B
13	Overhead cables and thermal expansion	B
14	Particle arrangement after condensation	A
15	Name of energetic molecules escaping a liquid surface	C
16	States of matter where convection happens	B
17	Heat losses reduced by a vacuum flask’s vacuum	B
18	Which example is not a wave	D
19	Wavelength of sound in water from frequency	B
20	Path of a ray reflected by a plane mirror	B
21	Angle of refraction from glass into air	D
22	Visible colours in order of decreasing frequency	D
23	Region between visible light and X-rays	D
24	Region used to detect fake bank notes	C
25	Properties of audible sound and ultrasound in air	A
26	Animal hearing ranges compared with human hearing	D
27	Example that is not induced magnetism	A
28	Why copper conducts electricity well	B
29	Comparing two ammeter readings	B
30	Energy transferred by a 24 W lamp in 20 s	C
31	Change to a wire that increases the current	A
32	Purpose of a fuse in a mains circuit	C
33	Trip switch rating for a 50 A shower	C
34	Rod that induces a current in a solenoid	B
35	Force on a wire when field and current both reverse	B
36	Energy store increased by transformer losses	C
37	How atoms form positive ions	C
38	Properties of an alpha particle	A
39	Comparing alpha particles and gamma rays	C
40	Approximate diameter of the Milky Way	C

What the paper tested, topic by topic

Motion, forces and energy (Questions 1–10)

Most of this section was definitions, but three questions needed working or careful reading.

• Density (Question 5): the ball must be denser than water (1.0 g/cm³) so it sinks in oil and water, but less dense than brine (1.2 g/cm³) so it floats on brine. Working out mass ÷ volume for each ball: A is 1.3, B is 0.875, C is about 0.79 and D is 34 ÷ 30 ≈ 1.13 g/cm³, the only one between 1.0 and 1.2.
• Moments (Question 6): force = moment ÷ distance = 25 N m ÷ 0.30 m = 83 N. The trap is the units: the spanner length is given in centimetres, and multiplying 25 by 0.30 gives the 7.5 N distractor.
• Speed-time graph (Question 3): the right graph is the one whose area underneath equals 20 m over the 10 s.
• Definitions: weight is the gravitational force on an object and gravitational field strength is the force per unit mass (Question 4). Option C swaps them. Power is energy transferred per unit time (Question 9), and velocity is speed in a given direction (Question 2).
• Energy at constant velocity (Question 8): chemical energy in the battery is transferred electrically and ends up in thermal stores. The kinetic store is not increasing, because the speed is constant.
• Pressure in liquids (Question 10): pressure rises with depth and with density, so the deepest point in the denser sea water has the greatest pressure.

Thermal physics (Questions 11–17)

• Gas pressure (Question 11): colder air particles move more slowly, so they hit the tyre walls less hard and less often. They do not stop moving.
• Temperature scales (Question 12): θ = T − 273, where T is in kelvin.
• Thermal expansion (Question 13): cables expand and sag in hot weather, so long cables can hang low enough to be hit by a lorry.
• Condensation (Question 14): after condensing, the substance is a liquid, so the particles are close together and slide past each other. “Vibrate about fixed points” describes a solid.
• Evaporation and convection (Questions 15 and 16): the energetic molecules escaping from the surface is evaporation, not boiling; convection happens only in fluids (gases and liquids).
• Vacuum flask (Question 17): the vacuum stops conduction and convection, because both need particles. Radiation is reduced by the silvered walls, not by the vacuum, which is the trap in options C and D.

Waves (Questions 18–26)

• Wave speed (Question 19): λ = v ÷ f = 1500 ÷ 26 000 = 0.058 m = 58 mm. Converting 26 kHz to 26 000 Hz is essential, and dividing the wrong way round gives the 17 options.
• Reflection and refraction (Questions 20 and 21): both depended on ray diagrams. The angle of refraction is measured between the refracted ray and the normal, not the surface.
• Spectrum order (Questions 22 and 23): frequency falls from violet to red, so violet, orange, red is in decreasing order. Ultraviolet lies between visible light and X-rays, and ultraviolet is also the region used to check bank notes (Question 24).
• Sound and ultrasound (Question 25): ultrasound is sound above 20 kHz, so 3.0 kHz for audible sound and 30 kHz for ultrasound is possible. Both travel at the same speed in air, and both are longitudinal, which rules out the other rows.
• Hearing ranges (Question 26): human hearing runs from 20 Hz to 20 000 Hz. Only the ferret, at 16 Hz to 44 000 Hz, hears both lower and higher than a human. The animal with a lowest frequency of 17 Hz tops out at 12 000 Hz, so it fails the second test.

Electricity and magnetism (Questions 27–36)

• Electrical energy (Question 30): E = Pt = 24 W × 20 s = 480 J. The 12 V rating is not needed.
• Resistance of a wire (Question 31): adding an identical wire in parallel lowers the total resistance, so the current rises. A longer or thinner wire, or one in series, raises the resistance.
• Ammeters (Question 29): an ammeter measures current, which rules out the two potential difference options straight away. Reading the two scales then gives a ratio of 3.0.
• Mains safety (Questions 32 and 33): a fuse protects the wiring from overheating; it does not stop you getting a shock from the live wire, so only student 1 is right. A trip switch should be rated a little above the normal current, so 60 A suits a 50 A shower.
• Magnetism (Questions 27, 34 and 35): a compass needle is already a permanent magnet, so it is not induced magnetism. Only a moving magnetised rod induces a current in the solenoid. Reversing both the field and the current leaves the force in the same direction, to the right.
• Transformer (Question 36): wasted energy goes to the thermal store of the surroundings.

Nuclear physics (Questions 37–39)

• Ions (Question 37): positive ions form when atoms lose electrons. Losing protons would change the element.
• Alpha particles (Questions 38 and 39): an alpha particle contains two protons and two neutrons, has a charge of +2, is strongly ionising and weakly penetrating. Emitting one changes the number of protons, so the nucleus becomes a different element. Gamma rays are the electromagnetic radiation, not alpha particles.

Space physics (Question 40)

The Milky Way is about 100 000 light-years across. The options mixed the number with the unit, so check both.

Where the marks are on 0625/12

• Motion, forces and energy and electricity and magnetism carried 10 marks each, half the paper between them. Waves added 9 and thermal physics 7.
• Nuclear and space physics were worth only 4 marks together, so a weak spot there costs less than one in electricity.
• Four questions needed a calculation: 5 (density), 6 (moments), 19 (wave speed) and 30 (energy from power). Two needed a unit conversion first (cm to m in Question 6, kHz to Hz in Question 19), and Question 30 gave a voltage you did not need.
• Five questions needed you to read data: a speed-time graph (3), tables of values (5, 25 and 26) and two meter scales (29).
• The rest were recall: definitions, names of processes and regions of the spectrum. These should be secure marks with good revision.

How to self-mark 0625/12

1. Check each answer against the key above or the official mark scheme. Count one mark per correct letter.
2. Tag every wrong answer by topic, using the at-a-glance table. Three wrong in one area tells you more than three scattered errors.
3. Tag it by reason too: knowledge (you did not know the fact, such as the speed of sound being the same for ultrasound), misread (you missed “not” in Questions 18 and 27, or “decreasing” in Question 22) or calculation (a unit slip in Question 6 or 19).
4. Redo the calculation questions with the working written out, including units at every step.
5. Revise in order: knowledge gaps first, then practise reading every stem twice for words like “not”, “minimum” and “most suitable”.

Sit 0625/12 as a timed mock

You have 45 minutes for 40 questions, a little over one minute each. Use two passes: answer everything you are sure of first, mark the ones you skip, then come back to them.

Block	Questions	Time
Motion, forces and energy	1–10	11 minutes
Thermal physics	11–17	7 minutes
Waves	18–26	9 minutes
Electricity and magnetism	27–36	10 minutes
Nuclear and space physics	37–40	3 minutes
Second pass and check the answer sheet	–	5 minutes

Do rough working for every calculation on the question paper, and check that each answer is in the right row on the answer sheet before time runs out.

Other May/June 2026 0625 papers

• 0625 Paper 22 (Extended Multiple Choice)
• 0625 Paper 32 (Core Theory)
• 0625 Paper 42 (Extended Theory)
• 0625 Paper 52 (Practical Test)
• 0625 Paper 62 (Alternative to Practical)

Practise and download

• Download 0625/12 and its mark scheme on the Learning Portal →
• All 0625 May/June 2026 papers: overview and marking patterns
• Try a free IGCSE Physics quiz

Need help with a 0625 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an IGCSE Physics tutor →

Frequently asked questions

What topics were on 0625 Paper 12 May/June 2026? +

All six areas of the syllabus. Motion, forces and energy had 10 questions, thermal physics 7, waves 9, electricity and magnetism 10, nuclear physics 3 and space physics 1 (the diameter of the Milky Way).

How many marks is 0625/12 and how long is it? +

It has 40 multiple choice questions, one mark each, for a total of 40 marks. You have 45 minutes and you may use a calculator.

Is 0625/12 the Core or Extended paper? +

Core. Paper 1 is the Core multiple choice paper, sat alongside Paper 3 (Core Theory) and either Paper 5 or Paper 6. Extended candidates sit Paper 2 instead.

What was the answer to the spanner question on 0625/12? +

D, 83 N. A 25 N m turning effect with a 30 cm spanner needs a force of 25 ÷ 0.30 = 83 N. Leaving the length in centimetres or multiplying instead of dividing gives one of the wrong options.

Which questions on 0625/12 2026 needed a calculation? +

Four: the density of a ball (Question 5), the force on a spanner (Question 6), the wavelength of sound in water (Question 19) and the energy used by a lamp (Question 30).

Where can I download 0625/12 May/June 2026 and its mark scheme? +

Both are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal, on the Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 past papers page.

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