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IGCSE Chemistry Paper 6 Drill Guide: Concordant Titres, Ion Tests and Moles
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IGCSE CHEMISTRY 0620 (ALTERNATIVE TO PRACTICAL)
Paper 6 is the Alternative to Practical paper for IGCSE Chemistry 0620: 20% of the grade, all questions compulsory, testing how you record readings, significant figures, ion tests and mole arithmetic on paper rather than at the bench. Paper 4 theory carries 50% (80 marks), Paper 2 multiple choice 30% (40 marks), and Paper 5 is the hands-on alternative. Method only: drill order, a 12-week plan, pacing and the error log.
How is IGCSE Chemistry Paper 6 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): All compulsory, testing practical and analytical skills (20%); Paper 4 (Theory, Extended): 80 marks (50%); Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended): 40 marks (30%); Paper 5 (Practical Test): 40 marks, alternative to Paper 6 (20%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical) | All compulsory, testing practical and analytical skills | 20% | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 4 (Theory, Extended) | 80 marks | 50% | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended) | 40 marks | 30% | 45 min |
| Paper 5 (Practical Test) | 40 marks, alternative to Paper 6 | 20% | 1 h 15 min |
IGCSE Chemistry 0620 Paper 6 drilling technique: decide which titres are concordant before averaging; give burette readings to two decimal places (0.05 cm^3); in qualitative analysis write the three steps – what is added, what is seen, which ion is deduced; in mole calculations write the equation and the mole ratio before substituting numbers and remember to convert cm^3 to dm^3 (divide by 1000); describe observations precisely (colour, whether a precipitate dissolves) rather than by smell.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical) | readings, significant figures, units | Averaging every titre without dropping the inconsistent one; readings given to one decimal place |
| Paper 4 (Theory, Extended) | equations, moles, explanations | Equations without state symbols or balancing; mole work that never converts cm^3 to dm^3 |
| Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended) | formulae, periodicity, practical | Answering by feel instead of eliminating the options that contradict the periodic trend |
| Paper 5 (Practical Test) | hands-on work, recording, safety | Leaving the method until the clock starts; recording “bubbles” instead of colour and whether it dissolves |
What is each IGCSE Chemistry Paper 6 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): readings, significant figures, units; Paper 4 (Theory, Extended): equations, moles, explanations; Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended): formulae, periodicity, practical; Paper 5 (Practical Test): hands-on work, recording, safety
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Three blocks. Weeks 1-4 drill the three fixed Paper 6 table types – titration, qualitative analysis, gas tests – two papers a week, marking units and decimal places cell by cell. Weeks 5-8 move to Paper 4 and use the same topics for moles and equations, one timed paper a week. Weeks 9-10 take Paper 2, writing down which trend each wrong option contradicted. Weeks 11-12 are whole papers only, logging losses by question type instead of opening new topics.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical) | 1 h 15 min | 15-18 min a question; readings and calculations first |
| Paper 4 (Theory, Extended) | 1 h 15 min | do equations and mole calculations first |
| Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended) | 45 min | about a minute a question; calculations and practical items first |
| Paper 5 (Practical Test) | 1 h 15 min | read the reagent notes and instructions first, then record observations as you go |
How should the time be split inside each IGCSE Chemistry Paper 6 paper?
Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): 15-18 min a question; readings and calculations first; Paper 4 (Theory, Extended): do equations and mole calculations first; Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended): about a minute a question; calculations and practical items first; Paper 5 (Practical Test): read the reagent notes and instructions first, then record observations as you go
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Averaging all titres | Using every titre | The mean drifts | Average only the concordant titres |
| Too few decimal places | Writing 23.8 cm^3 | Marks deducted | Write 23.80 cm^3 |
| Vague observation | ‘A precipitate formed’ | No deduction marks | Colour and whether it dissolves |
| Forgetting the unit conversion | Using 250 cm^3 directly | Concentration ten times out | Divide by 1000 to get dm^3 |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: readings (decimal places, units, whether outliers were dropped), deduction (colour and dissolving recorded, ion named), working (equation, mole ratio, cm^3 to dm^3). Three repeats in one column in a week means drilling that column only next week – Chemistry marks are lost to imprecision, not to ignorance.
How many years should you drill?
Filter the years by syllabus version: drill the sessions that match the current syllabus first, then use older sessions for volume, because the mark scheme wording and apparatus diagrams change between versions. Paper 6 repeats its question types heavily, so five sessions show all of them; keep the last fortnight for timed whole papers.
How many years of past papers is enough?
Filter the years by syllabus version: drill the sessions that match the current syllabus first, then use older sessions for volume, because the mark scheme wording and apparatus diagrams change between versions. Paper 6 repeats its question types heavily, so five sessions show all of them; keep the last fortnight for timed whole papers.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IGCSE Chemistry Paper 6 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the IGCSE Chemistry Paper 6 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
What is the difference between Paper 5 and Paper 6?
Both carry 20% and a centre enters only one: Paper 5 is bench work, Paper 6 asks you to describe the same skills on paper – readings, apparatus, observations, calculations. Paper 6 needs no laboratory, but the observations must be more precise than what you would say at the bench.
Is Paper 6 worth the time at only 20%?
Yes, in proportion: Paper 4 at 50% is the main battleground. The same skills – significant figures, units, deducing an ion from an observation – also appear in the practical questions on Paper 4, so drilling Paper 6 pays twice.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620 page | Confirm the paper marks, times and weightings |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-igcse-chemistry-0620-paper-4-mock-2027/ | IGCSE Chemistry Paper 4 drilling mock |
Also in this series: IGCSE Chemistry Paper 6 mock paper | Practice papers index
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
Demand for tutors in this subject is steady, and those who can explain the marking scheme and where marks are won are especially sought after. Register free; you pay only when a match succeeds.
