Every year, Cambridge examiner reports for 0625 say the same things. Top candidates write precise, causal answers. They record measurements to the right significant figures. They know exactly what each command word is asking for. They don’t leave marks on Paper 5 that weaker candidates lose.
The gap between A and A* is rarely about physics knowledge. It’s almost always about exam craft — the specific habits that mark schemes reward and that examiners have been writing about for years. Here is what those habits actually are.
Learn the mark scheme language, not just the physics
Cambridge mark schemes award marks for specific phrases. A vague answer that conveys the right idea often scores zero; a precise answer that uses the correct physical terms scores full marks. Examiners describe this gap in nearly every report they publish.
The most common version: explaining what happens without explaining why it happens. A question asking you to “explain why resistance increases with temperature” needs a mechanism, not a restatement.
The IGCSE Physics examiner tips trainer is built from five years of examiner reports — it names the exact phrases that score and the vague versions that don’t, organised by topic.
Know every definition cold — word for word
Definitions on Cambridge mark schemes require precise wording. “Speed is how fast you go” scores zero. “Speed is the distance travelled per unit time” scores the mark. There is no partial credit for conveying the right idea loosely.
There are approximately 120 definitions and formulae across the 0625 syllabus. The candidates who score full marks on definition questions have simply learned them. The 0625 definitions flashcard deck covers all 120 across six topic areas, with shuffle, hide-answer, and retest modes so you can drill the ones you keep missing until they’re automatic.
High-value targets that appear frequently: the kinetic model of matter (pressure and temperature explained in terms of particle motion), Hooke’s Law, the definition of specific heat capacity versus specific latent heat, and the electromagnetic spectrum ordering.
Understand what each command word is actually asking
Cambridge uses command words precisely, and each one requires a different response. Writing an explanation when the question says “state” wastes time and scores no extra marks. Writing a one-line description when the question says “explain” costs you the mechanism mark.
| Command word | What it requires | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
State |
One-line factual answer. No explanation needed. | Writing a paragraph when one line suffices. |
Describe |
Observable features — what happens, not why. | Adding a causal explanation that wasn’t asked for (and can introduce errors). |
Explain |
Mechanism + consequence. Usually 2 mark points: what changes and why. | Restating the observation without a physical cause. |
Calculate |
Show the substitution, work through the arithmetic, include units. | Writing only the final number without showing working. |
Sketch |
Correct shape and key features labelled. Precision not required. | Spending time on precise plotting instead of key features. |
Determine |
Obtain from a graph or calculation, showing method. | Reading off a value without showing the triangle/gradient calculation. |
Make Paper 5 a strength, not a gap
Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) is 30 marks — nearly 23% of the total IGCSE Physics mark. Most students treat it as an afterthought. A* candidates treat it as 30 marks they know exactly how to earn.
Paper 5 has a rigid structure. Question 1 is always a planning question; Question 2 is always an analysis question. The marks within each question follow a predictable pattern every series: one mark for a correct circuit diagram, one for the independent variable, one for the dependent variable, one for a control variable, and so on. Once you learn the pattern, you can score the marks systematically.
The specific habits Paper 5 rewards:
- Record measurements to the precision of the instrument (ruler to 1 mm; stopwatch to 0.01 s if the instrument shows it)
- Draw a line of best fit — a single smooth line through the trend, not a dot-to-dot connection
- Show your gradient triangle clearly on the graph, using points on the line (not data points)
- Name a specific limitation of the apparatus, not a vague one (“the ruler may not be straight” instead of “human error”)
- Suggest a specific improvement with a reason (“use a travelling microscope to measure diameter more precisely” instead of “be more careful”)
The IGCSE Physics Paper 5 examiner guide maps every mark category across five years of reports, ranked by how often each type is penalised. The Paper 5 question drill lets you practise answering in examiner language under timed conditions.
Draw graphs the way examiners expect
Graph questions appear in Papers 2, 4, and 5, and they come with specific mark criteria that examiners note are frequently missed. The marks for a graph are usually awarded independently: axes labelled with units, sensible scale, points plotted correctly, best-fit line drawn correctly. You can lose the best-fit mark even if your points are right.
What examiners mark correct and incorrect:
For Paper 5 analysis questions, also show your gradient calculation explicitly: draw the triangle on the graph, write the Δy and Δx values, and carry through the calculation with units.
Read examiner reports — at least the distilled version
Cambridge publishes a report after every examination series. Each one identifies the questions most candidates answered poorly, names the phrasing that scored, and names the phrasing that didn’t. Most students never read them. A* candidates either read them directly or work from resources built on them.
What the reports reveal consistently: top candidates know that “state one source of error” means naming a specific apparatus limitation, not writing “parallax error” or “human error” (which score zero because they’re too vague). They know that a transformer explanation requires both “changing magnetic flux” and “induces an EMF in the secondary coil.” They know that specific heat capacity questions require “per unit mass” and “per unit temperature rise” in the definition.
The examiner tips trainer distils these reports into a filterable reference by topic — the same observations, without reading through 40 pages of PDF per series.
How to build this into your revision
The six strategies above are specific skills, not vague intentions. Each one improves with deliberate practice against Cambridge marking criteria.
A practical revision sequence for the six weeks before an exam series:
Weeks 1–2: Work through the definitions deck topic by topic. Aim for clean recall on all 120 items before the exam — not “I know roughly what this means” but accurate, word-for-word recall. Flag any you keep missing and return to them daily.
Weeks 3–4: Drill Paper 5 systematically. Read the Paper 5 guide first to understand the mark structure. Then use the question drill to practise answering in examiner language: planning questions, recording questions, analysis questions, evaluation questions. One session per day is enough.
Weeks 5–6: Past papers under timed conditions, marked against the mark scheme. For every answer that didn’t score, identify the specific word or phrase you were missing — not “I didn’t explain it well enough” but the exact term the mark scheme required. Filter the examiner tips by the topics you keep dropping marks on.
The candidates who reach A* aren’t necessarily the ones who studied the most hours. They’re the ones who practised in the format Cambridge rewards — precise, physical, mark-scheme language.
Start with the examiner tips trainer
The mistakes examiners flag most often, organised by topic — with the exact wording that scores marks.