Exam Technique and Past Paper Strategy
Physics rewards a specific set of habits: precise definitions, visible working, units on everything, and a clear grasp of what each paper is testing. This page collects the advice that came up most often across a large set of one-to-one lessons.
1. Show your working
Marks are given for the METHOD, not just the answer.
“If your steps are correct, you will be given marks for the steps even if the final answer is wrong.” That was said almost verbatim in lessons, and it is how the mark scheme works.
For every calculation:
- Write the formula
- Show the substitution with numbers in
- Show the rearrangement if there is one
- Give the answer with units and sensible significant figures
A wrong answer with visible working can score most of the marks. A wrong answer alone scores nothing.
2. Learn definitions precisely
Physics has far more “state” and “define” questions than maths, and they are marked strictly.
“For ‘state’ questions, learn definitions word by word.” Vague paraphrases lose marks — current is the rate of flow of charge, not just “the flow of charge”.
A technique worth knowing:
You can define a term from its formula — but you must explain the symbols. Tutors made this point directly. From I = Q/t you can read off “current is charge per unit time”. From ρ = m/V, “density is mass per unit volume”. This is more reliable than rote memorisation, provided you say what each symbol means.
Definitions worth having word-perfect: current, potential difference, e.m.f., resistance, density, pressure, moment, work, power, specific heat capacity, latent heat, half-life, critical angle.
3. Units and accuracy
Always write the units. This came up more often than any other single piece of advice.
- Convert to SI units before substituting — kg, m, s, and seconds for time
- Check whether the question wants 9.8, 9.81 or 10 for g, and use the value it gives
- Give a sensible number of significant figures — usually 2 or 3, and follow the question if it specifies
- Don’t round intermediate values; round only at the end
“Read the instructions carefully to know the value of g to use.” Using your habitual value when the paper specified another is a needless loss.
4. Explanations — say the mechanism
Physics explanations are marked on the mechanism, not the outcome.
| Instead of… | Write |
|---|---|
| ”the pressure increases” | particles collide more often and harder with the walls |
| ”it conducts heat” | particles vibrate and collide; free electrons transfer energy |
| ”hot air rises” | it expands, becomes less dense, and rises |
| ”a current is induced” | the conductor cuts magnetic field lines |
| ”the seat belt protects you” | it increases the time, so reduces the force |
Use precise technical wording. “Increase the number of turns”, not “add more coils”. “Stronger magnet”, not “bigger magnet”. Tutors flagged that imprecise wording loses marks the physics would otherwise have earned.
Match the detail to the marks. A 3-mark explanation needs three distinct points. Look at the mark allocation before deciding how much to write.
5. The three papers
Cambridge IGCSE Physics is assessed across multiple-choice, theory and practical papers. Check your own timetable for which papers you sit.
Multiple choice
- Attempt every question — there is no penalty for a wrong answer
- Guess if you must, and mark it to revisit
- Work at roughly 20 questions in 15 minutes to leave review time
- Eliminate obviously wrong options first
Theory papers
- Read the question twice before answering
- Note the command word: state, describe, explain, calculate, suggest
- Answer the question asked — “describe” does not mean “calculate”
The practical paper
“Focus on experimental questions for easy marks.” Tutors rated the practical paper as one of the most accessible — the skills are learnable and repeat year on year.
Key skills: variables, tables with units, graph plotting and gradients, specific sources of error, and standard improvements (repeat and average, measure multiples, use a better instrument).
Never write “human error” — name the actual mechanism: reaction time, parallax, thermal energy lost to the surroundings, zero error.
Doing the practical paper well also helps the multiple choice, since both test measurement, apparatus and units.
6. Timing
- Roughly one mark per minute
- Attempt every question
- Answer the ones you are confident about first, then return to the rest
- Practise under timed conditions — this is the only way to build exam pace
“Attempt questions you find easy first” and “no stress in attempting all questions” were both recurring pieces of advice. Securing the marks you can get is worth more than perfecting one hard question.
7. Using past papers
The most consistent advice across every tutor.
How to work through one:
- Do it timed, in one sitting, without notes
- Mark it against the mark scheme
- Study the mark scheme — it shows you the exact wording that earns marks, which in Physics matters enormously
- Log the questions you got wrong
- Redo them a week later
“Understand the marking scheme.” In Physics this is more valuable than in most subjects, because so many marks hinge on specific phrases.
Practical points: use recent papers, cover different variants, and use class time to review completed papers rather than sitting them.
Check the syllabus to confirm you have covered every topic — past papers show what has been asked, but only the syllabus shows what could be.
8. Before you hand in
- Every question attempted
- Working shown for every calculation
- Units on every answer
- Sensible significant figures
- Correct value of g used
- Definitions written precisely
- Explanations give the mechanism, with enough points for the marks
- Diagrams labelled, with arrows on rays and field lines
- Graphs: axes labelled with units, sensible scale, best-fit line
- Answers sanity-checked — no negative lengths, no efficiency above 100%, no hypotenuse shorter than a side
Frequently asked questions
Do I get marks for working if the answer is wrong? Yes — method marks are awarded for correct steps.
How exact do definitions need to be? Word-perfect where possible — or derived from the formula with the symbols explained.
What accuracy should I use? Usually 2–3 significant figures, and follow the question.
Which value of g should I use? Whichever the question specifies — 9.8, 9.81 or 10.
Is there negative marking? No — attempt every question.
How much should I write? Match the number of marks — a 3-mark question needs three distinct points.
Which paper is easiest to gain marks on? The practical paper — the skills are learnable and repeat.
Why is “human error” not accepted? It is too vague — name the specific mechanism.
How should I use past papers? Timed, marked against the mark scheme, with wrong questions logged and redone.
This page covers exam technique for Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) and is written for Grade 9–11 / Year 10–11 students. It is based on the advice given most often across a large set of one-to-one IGCSE Physics lessons, together with how Cambridge mark schemes allocate marks. Paper numbering and structure vary by syllabus version and tier — always check the current syllabus and your own exam timetable.
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