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IGCSE Physics Past Papers & Drilling (Paper 6): Readings, Errors and Graphs
TUTORZONE ORIGINAL DRILLING MOCK · CAMBRIDGE IGCSE PHYSICS (0625) PAPER 6 (ALTERNATIVE TO PRACTICAL)
Written to the Cambridge 0625 syllabus: Paper 6 Alternative to Practical, 1 h 15 min, 40 marks, 20%, all items compulsory and assessing experimental skills (AO3); along the Core or Extended route a candidate also sits a multiple-choice paper (40 marks, 30%) and a theory paper (80 marks, 50%), and takes EITHER Paper 5 Practical Test OR Paper 6. This is a Paper 6 drilling mock: 4 questions covering the 40 marks with answers and techniques.
What is in IGCSE Physics (0625) Paper 6?
Direct answer: Paper 6 Alternative to Practical, 40 marks, 1 h 15 min, 20%, all compulsory, testing AO3 experimental skills on paper (readings, tables, graphs, errors).
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical) | All compulsory, testing experimental skills (AO3) | 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 Physics Paper 6 drilling technique: always give units; read to the next division below the smallest one (for example 0.05 on a 0.1 cm^3 scale); repeat timing measurements three times and average; a graph needs a titled axes pair with units and a sensible scale, and the gradient needs its unit; in error questions separate random from systematic error and give a workable improvement (repeat, control variables, use a finer instrument).
How this paper was built
This is a TutorZone original drilling mock: the questions follow the Cambridge 0625 structure (Paper 6, 1 h 15 min, 40 marks, all compulsory) and the answers are our own, not Cambridge past papers or marking references.
Every numeric answer was computed independently before it was written (stone volume 24.0 cm^3, average 20.5 s, period 1.025 s, density 1.8 g/cm^3, speed 0.60 m/s, gradient 200 N/m), so the key cannot drift from the question data.
Pacing
| Section | Marks | Suggested time | What to do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical) | 20% | 15-18 min a question; readings and tables first | readings, units, errors |
| Paper 4 (Theory, Extended) | 50% | do the calculations first and leave the explanations for the end | formulae, units, explanations |
| Paper 2 (Multiple Choice, Extended) | 30% | about a minute a question; flag the uncertain ones | definitions and graph interpretation |
| Paper 5 (Practical Test) | 20% | write the plan first, then record data as you work | hands-on work, recording, safety |
Do I take Paper 5 or Paper 6?
Direct answer: one or the other. Both are 40 marks, 1 h 15 min and 20%; Paper 5 is hands-on and Paper 6 tests the same skills on paper.
Paper 6: 4 questions, 40 marks
All items are compulsory; give units and keep sensible significant figures.
Question 1 (10 marks)
Question 1 (reading instruments, 10 marks): (a) the water level in a measuring cylinder rises from 15.0 cm^3 to 39.0 cm^3; find the volume of the stone. (b) a stopwatch reads 1 minute 12 seconds; write this in seconds. (c) Give one cause of error when reading a measuring cylinder and one for a stopwatch, with a way to reduce each.
Question 2 (10 marks)
Question 2 (pendulum experiment, 10 marks): a student times 20 swings of a pendulum three times and records 20.4 s, 20.6 s and 20.5 s. (a) Find the average. (b) Find the period of one swing, to three significant figures. (c) Explain why timing 20 swings is more accurate than timing one.
Question 3 (10 marks)
Question 3 (density and speed, 10 marks): (a) a rectangular metal block measures 3.0 cm x 2.0 cm x 5.0 cm and has a mass of 54.0 g; find its volume and density. (b) a trolley travels 1.50 m in 2.5 s; find its average speed to two significant figures. (c) State what else must be measured to find the speed and give one way to improve the accuracy.
Question 4 (10 marks)
Question 4 (graph and errors, 10 marks): an experiment hangs weights on a spring and measures the extension. The extension is 0.015 m at 3.0 N and 0.060 m at 12.0 N. (a) Find the gradient (k = F / x) and give its unit. (b) State what the gradient represents. (c) Give two reasons why the gradient may be inaccurate and one improvement for each.
How precise should readings be?
Direct answer: read to the next division below the smallest one (for a cylinder marked in 0.1 cm^3, that means 0.05 cm^3) and always give the unit.
Paper 6 answers and working
Question 1
(a) 39.0 – 15.0 = 24.0 cm^3 (3). (b) 60 + 12 = 72 s (2). (c) cylinder: the eye is not level with the bottom of the meniscus (parallax), so stand the cylinder on a level bench and read at eye level; stopwatch: reaction time when starting or stopping, so repeat the timing and take an average (5).
Question 2
(a) (20.4 + 20.6 + 20.5) / 3 = 20.5 s (4). (b) 20.5 / 20 = 1.03 s (3 s.f.) (4). (c) Human reaction time adds roughly a fixed 0.2 s, so timing 20 swings makes that error about one twentieth of the measured value, which reduces the percentage error (2).
Question 3
(a) volume = 3.0 x 2.0 x 5.0 = 30 cm^3; density = 54.0 / 30 = 1.8 g/cm^3 (5). (b) 1.50 / 2.5 = 0.60 m/s (2 s.f.) (3). (c) the distance must also be measured; improve accuracy by using a longer distance and repeating, by using light gates instead of a stopwatch, and by making sure the trolley runs in a straight line (2).
Question 4
(a) (12.0 – 3.0) / (0.060 – 0.015) = 9.0 / 0.045 = 200 N/m (4). (b) The gradient is the spring constant, the force needed per unit extension within the limit of proportionality (3). (c) Going beyond the limit of proportionality – use weights below the limit; the rule not level with the eye or not vertical – clamp it vertically and read at eye level to half the smallest division; forgetting the spring’s own weight – take the reading with no load as the zero (3, any two).
How should error questions be answered?
Direct answer: name the source (parallax, reaction time, the spring’s own weight, uncontrolled variables), then give a workable improvement (repeat and average, control variables, use a finer instrument), separating random from systematic error.
Where these marks are usually lost
| Mistake | What it looks like | What it costs | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| No units | Writing 24 | Loses reading and calculation marks | Write 24.0 cm^3 |
| Wrong precision | Rounding 20.5 to 21 | Marks deducted | Read to the next division |
| Timing once only | One reading as the answer | Large random error | Repeat three times and average |
| Unlabelled graph | A line with no axis labels | Loses all the graph marks | Axes, units and a title |
How to use this paper
First drill: 1 h 15 min on all four questions with no formula sheet.
Mark it: check units, significant figures and that every improvement is workable.
Second drill: redo three to seven days later, and run the pendulum and density experiments for real in a lab.
What should I do after drilling this paper?
Direct answer: log every answer that missed units or used the wrong precision; redo in three to seven days; then run the pendulum and density experiments for real.
FAQ
Is this a Cambridge past paper?
No. The questions and answers are TutorZone originals, not Cambridge past papers or marking references.
How do Paper 6 and Paper 5 differ?
Both are 1 h 15 min, 40 marks and 20%, testing the same experimental skills; Paper 5 is hands-on while Paper 6 tests those skills on paper (readings, graphs, errors) – you take one or the other.
What is the overall 0625 structure?
Core candidates take Paper 1 (multiple choice, 40 marks, 30%) and Paper 3 (theory, 80 marks, 50%); Extended candidates take Paper 2 and Paper 4 at the same weightings; everyone adds Paper 5 or Paper 6 (40 marks, 20%).
What should I watch in answers?
Give units, read to the next division below the smallest, repeat timing measurements and average, and propose a workable improvement in every error question.
Official references
| Resource | What to check |
|---|---|
| Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 page | Confirm the paper marks, times and weightings |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-igcse-physics-0625-paper-4-mock-2027/ | IGCSE Physics Paper 4 drilling mock |
Related: practice area · IGCSE Physics Paper 4 drilling mock · IGCSE Chemistry Paper 4 drilling mock
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