A complete guide to Cambridge IGCSE Physics

Cambridge IGCSE Physics (specification 0625) is the international equivalent of GCSE Physics, run by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). It is sat by students at international schools worldwide and by a number of UK independent schools that run an iGCSE pathway. The course is structured around six main topic areas and is assessed across three papers.

This guide walks through everything you need to know to sit the exam with confidence: How the papers are structured, the difference between Core and Extended, how the practical assessment works, and the revision techniques that work best for IGCSE physics.

Cambridge IGCSE Physics is fully linear. Everything you learn is assessed in one exam series at the end of the course, in either May/June or October/November. There is no coursework and no controlled assessment.

The qualification is tiered into two routes. The Core route uses easier papers and gives access to grades C to G. The Extended route covers all of Core plus additional Extended-only content and unlocks grades A* to E. Your school decides which route to enter you for based on performance during the course.

Cambridge IGCSE Physics is grouped into six main topic areas. Together they cover the breadth of school-level physics, from kinematics through to nuclear and space physics.

Distance, speed, velocity, acceleration, motion graphs, Newton's laws, momentum, work, power, energy stores and transfers, efficiency, and pressure. This is the largest single section of the spec and underpins most calculation questions on the theory paper.

Kinetic particle theory, changes of state, thermal expansion, specific heat capacity, specific latent heat, and methods of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation).

General properties of waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, light (reflection, refraction, lenses), sound, and the wave equation v = f × λ.

Static electricity, current, voltage, resistance, circuit calculations, series and parallel circuits, magnetism, electromagnetism, the motor effect, and electromagnetic induction.

Atomic structure, isotopes, radioactivity (alpha, beta, gamma), half-life, nuclear fission and fusion, and the practical uses and risks of radiation.

The Solar System, orbits, the life cycle of stars, the structure of the Universe, and red shift as evidence for the Big Bang. This section is relatively short but high-yield for recall questions.

Cambridge IGCSE Physics has a 20% practical component. Schools can choose between two options for assessing it: Paper 5 (a physical practical test) or Paper 6 (a written alternative to practical paper).

A 1 hour 15 minute practical exam sat in a lab. You will be given apparatus and asked to carry out an investigation, record measurements, plot graphs, and answer questions on method and error. It is marked out of 40.

A 1 hour written paper that tests the same practical skills as Paper 5 without any physical lab work. You answer questions on apparatus, methods, variables, observations, and graph drawing using data provided in the paper.

Most international schools enter their candidates for Paper 6 because it removes the logistical complexity of running a lab exam at scale. Both options assess the same skills and are worth the same weighting in the final grade.

Cambridge IGCSE Physics is graded A* to G. The Core route gives access to grades C to G. The Extended route gives access to A* to E. There is overlap in the middle, so a strong Core candidate can earn a C and a weaker Extended candidate can earn an E or D.

Most academically strong students take Extended because it unlocks the higher grades and is widely accepted as equivalent for top universities. Your school will normally choose the route based on mock results.

Grade boundaries shift every series and are set separately for May/June and October/November. Cambridge publishes the official thresholds on results day each August and January.

IGCSE Physics is the most mathematical of the three IGCSE sciences. Students who get A* train themselves to be fluent with equations, to rearrange them under time pressure, and to spot the standard structure of physics questions. Volume of practice helps, but the right kind of practice helps more.

Cambridge does not give you an equation sheet for most equations in this spec. Make a single sheet of every required equation, write it out daily, and quiz yourself on rearrangements. If you have to think for more than three seconds to recall an equation in the exam, you are behind.

More marks are lost to unit slips than to physics mistakes. Convert grams to kilograms, minutes to seconds, centimetres to metres, and check every answer for sensible units before moving on. Train this until it is reflex.

Motion graphs and circuit problems are the two highest-yield categories for marks in this spec. Set aside one short session each week purely on these two topics. Most students who jump from a C to an A on Extended do it by mastering these two areas.

When you see a long worded question, sketch it. Forces on a block, ray diagrams in optics, circuit diagrams in electricity. A clear diagram earns method marks and helps you see the physics. Examiners reward students who think with a pencil.

Doing a past paper and putting it back on the shelf is wasted work. Mark it honestly, write down every topic where you dropped marks, and revise that specific content before doing another paper. The biggest jumps in IGCSE scores come from fixing recurring weaknesses, not from churning more papers.