IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 4: How to Use Past Papers for an A*

To get an A* in IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 4 with past papers, practise the theory questions topic by topic, mark them strictly against Cambridge's mark schemes (units, underlined words and the list rule included), and fix your most common lost-mark cause before moving to timed papers. Paper 4 is 80 marks in 75 minutes and half your grade.

What Paper 4 is worth

Extended candidates sit Paper 2 (multiple choice), Paper 4 (theory) and one practical paper, either Paper 5 or Paper 6. The weightings below come from the Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 syllabus for 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Paper 4 is the single biggest share of the grade. Cambridge splits it 63% knowledge with understanding (AO1) and 37% handling information and problem-solving (AO2). So roughly 50 of the 80 marks reward recall and explanation done precisely, and about 30 reward using data, graphs and unfamiliar situations. Both halves respond well to past-paper practice.

The syllabus content is in six topics: motion, forces and energy; thermal physics; waves; electricity and magnetism; nuclear physics; and space physics. Cambridge says the 2026 to 2028 version has no significant changes that affect teaching, and textbooks endorsed for examination from 2023 are still suitable. Papers from 2023 onwards are the closest match to what you will sit.

How Paper 4 is marked

The general marking notes printed in the 0625/42 mark scheme for May/June 2025 explain most of the marks students lose. Read them once before you start practising.

• An A mark is the final-answer mark, and it is awarded only for a fully correct answer including the unit.
• An M mark is a method mark, and it must be scored before any later A mark can be scored.
• A C mark is a compensatory mark. It can be scored when the final A mark has not been awarded, which is why a correct equation written down is worth something even if the arithmetic goes wrong.
• Unless a separate mark is given for the unit, a missing or incorrect unit normally means the final calculation mark is not awarded.
• An underlined word in the scheme, or a synonym for it, must appear in your answer. If it is a technical term, the term itself must be there.
• For "state two reasons" questions, the list rule applies. Wrong answers still count towards the two, and a correct point contradicted elsewhere in the answer earns nothing.
• Error carried forward (ecf) is applied where appropriate. If you use a wrong earlier value correctly, the later marks can still be awarded.

A past-paper method for Paper 4

1. Start with your weakest of the six topics
   Use your last mock to rank them. Our most-tested 0625 topics report shows which subtopics come up most, which helps you order revision inside a topic.
2. Answer 8 to 12 theory questions on that topic
   Use real Paper 4 questions, newest first. Write units on every line of working, not only the final answer, and write the equation before substituting.
3. Mark against the scheme, word for word
   Apply the rules above: underlined words, units, the list rule, contradictions. If your answer is "nearly" the scheme, it gets zero. Our guide to self-marking IGCSE past papers walks through a strict routine.
4. Copy the scheme's wording for every lost explanation mark
   Keep a page per topic of exact scheme phrases, such as how Cambridge words an answer on thermal conduction or on why a nucleus is unstable. These phrases recur across years.
5. Practise the long explanations separately
   Questions worth 4 to 6 marks need one creditable point per mark. Our guide to 6-mark physics questions and command words guide cover how to structure them.
6. Finish with full Paper 4s in 75 minutes
   In the last four to six weeks, do full papers to time. When you finish early, spend the spare minutes checking units and significant figures, which is where late marks go missing.

Where to get 0625 Paper 4 questions

0625 papers and their mark schemes are free to read in the PapaMarks Physics 0625 past papers library: 704 papers from 2002 to 2026, 684 of them with mark schemes, including the March 2026 Paper 4 (variant 2). Physics & Maths Tutor publishes free 0625 question sets by syllabus topic, each as a question PDF with a separate mark scheme PDF, which is useful for printed worksheets.

AI marking is quick and it accepts correct answers phrased differently from the reference, but it can still be wrong on a borderline answer. Treat a surprising mark as a prompt to check the official scheme. We explain how it works, and where it falls short, in AI marking for IGCSE answers.

How the practice options compare

Don't skip the other 50%

Paper 2 is 30% and the practical paper is 20%, together as much as Paper 4. Multiple-choice practice by topic also sharpens recall for Paper 4. If your school enters you for Paper 6, read our 0625 Paper 6 guide. The full A* plan across all three papers is in how to get an A* in IGCSE Physics 0625, and the topic list is in the 0625 syllabus map.

FAQ

Sources

• Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 syllabus for 2026, 2027 and 2028, version 2 (December 2025): assessment overview, assessment objective weightings, content overview and changes.
• Cambridge IGCSE 0625/42 mark scheme, May/June 2025 (maximum mark 80): generic marking principles, list rule and mark types.
• Physics & Maths Tutor, CAIE IGCSE Physics topic pages, checked 10 November 2026.
• PapaMarks production database, read 10 November 2026: 0625 question and paper counts.