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IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 4 Drill Guide: Formula, Unit, Explanation
A formula still needs a sentence of explanation
Paper 4 is the extended theory paper, mixing short answers with structured questions, and it asks you to carry formulas into contexts you have not met: a circuit, a stretch of motion, a thermal device. Marks go missing where an answer lacks a unit, a direction, or the sentence of explanation – candidates stop once the formula and the number are down, while the question asks why. Graph work needs scale, labelled axes and units; calculations should be written step by step, since earlier steps still score when the last line goes wrong. Early weeks drill a three-layer answer, formula then substitution then conclusion; later weeks add speed and selection.
How is IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 4 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 4 (Theory, Extended): Short-answer and structured, 80 marks (80 marks); Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended): 40 four-choice items, 40 marks (40 marks); Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): Practical-skills questions, 40 marks (40 marks)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 4 (Theory, Extended) | Short-answer and structured, 80 marks | 80 marks | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended) | 40 four-choice items, 40 marks | 40 marks | 45 min |
| Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical) | Practical-skills questions, 40 marks | 40 marks | 1 h |
Ten questions in 1 h 15 min is about 7 minutes each. In a structured question write the formula first (e.g. F = ma), then substitute, then give the unit – all three steps carry marks.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 4 (Theory, Extended) | write the formula first, then substitute | Units are missing or wrong. |
| Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended) | eliminate the clearly wrong options | Explanations state the observation but never the principle. |
| Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical) | accurate recording and graphing | Axes lack units and the scale distorts the shape. |
What is each IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 4 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 4 (Theory, Extended): write the formula first, then substitute; Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended): eliminate the clearly wrong options; Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): accurate recording and graphing
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: Weeks 1-3: single-formula questions only, forcing three lines of formula, substitution and unit, marked line by line against the scheme. Weeks 4-6: explanation answers in two sentences – what is observed, and which principle explains it. Weeks 7-9: graphs and data work, axes and units and scale before any point is plotted. Weeks 10-12: three timed full papers, with the last five minutes reserved for units and directions.
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 4 (Theory, Extended) | 1 h 15 min | about 7 min per question, 5 to check |
| Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended) | 45 min | about 1 min per item |
| Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical) | 1 h | read data, plot, analyse |
How should the time be split inside each IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 4 paper?
Paper 4 (Theory, Extended): about 7 min per question, 5 to check; Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended): about 1 min per item; Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): read data, plot, analyse
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missing formula | Jumping to the number | The formula carries 2 marks | Write v = u + at, F = ma first |
| Missing unit | 13 with no m/s | The unit is part of the answer | Write 13 m/s |
| Swapped substitution | Mixing m and V | Density is mass over volume | rho = m/V, not V/m |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: question type (calculation, explanation, graph, experimental design) and marks; whether the loss was a missing or wrong unit, a dropped direction, one explanation line short, or bad scale and axis labels; the fix, naming the first step before writing next time. Three losses of one type in a row means a week of that type only.
How many years should you drill?
Papers and specimens from the current 0625 syllabus (from 2023) fit Paper 4’s structure best; older papers still work for mechanics, electricity and thermal physics, while waves and astronomy wording has shifted and suits concept practice only.
How many years of past papers is enough?
Papers and specimens from the current 0625 syllabus (from 2023) fit Paper 4’s structure best; older papers still work for mechanics, electricity and thermal physics, while waves and astronomy wording has shifted and suits concept practice only.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 4 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 Physics 0625 Paper 4 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.
Do I lose the whole question if the final answer is wrong?
No. Step marks are awarded for the formula and the substitution, so only the final mark is lost; write each line out.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 syllabus (2026-2028) | Confirm the Paper 2/4/6 marks and times |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-math-ai-sl-mock-paper/ | IB Maths AI SL mock |
Related: practice area · IB Maths AI SL mock · IGCSE Physics Paper 6 drilling mock · IGCSE English 0500 mock
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
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