CONTENT GUIDE — YEAR 11 (SECOND YEAR)
IGCSE Physics
Completing the syllabus, then mastering the exam
Review → remaining content → past papers → feedback → exam readiness
Purpose of this guide
Year 11 has two distinct phases. The first three months complete the syllabus: a fast review of everything covered in Year 10, followed by the remaining new content. From that point on, the course shifts almost entirely into
examination preparation — topic-by-topic practice, full timed past papers, mark-scheme-based feedback, exam technique, and additional individual support in the run-up to the exam.
Phase 1 (Months 1–3): Review and Remaining Content
Weeks 1–3 — Rapid review of Year 10
A condensed recap of Topics 1–3 (and the first part of Topic 4), designed to refresh rather than re-teach. Each session opens with a short self-assessed quiz so time is spent on whatever the group has genuinely forgotten, not
on re-covering material that is already secure.
• Motion, forces and energy: equations, graphs, moments and energy conservation
• Thermal physics: particle model, specific heat capacity, the three transfer methods
• Waves: general wave properties, light (reflection, refraction, lenses), the electromagnetic spectrum, sound
• Electricity (Part 1): charge, current, p.d., resistance
Weeks 4–12 — Remaining new content
Topic 4: Electricity and magnetism (Part 2)
4.3
Circuit diagrams and components, including diodes and LEDs
(Extended); series and parallel circuit rules, including Kirchhoff-style current and voltage relationships (Extended); potential dividers (Extended).
Constructing and troubleshooting series/parallel circuits; potential-divider practicals
4.4
Electrical safety: hazards of damaged insulation, overheating, damp conditions and overloading; live/neutral/earth wiring; fuses, trip switches and double insulation.
Circuit inspection and hazard- identification exercises
4.5
Electromagnetic induction and the a.c. generator (Extended); the magnetic effect of a current in wires and solenoids; force on a current-carrying conductor; the d.c. motor; the transformer,
including the turns-ratio and power equations.
Demonstrating induction, the motor effect and transformer action; applying V₁/V₂ = N₁/N₂ and power-loss calculations
Topic 5: Nuclear physics
5.1
The nuclear model of the atom; alpha-particle scattering evidence (Extended); nucleon/proton number, isotopes and nuclide notation; nuclear fission and fusion (Extended).
Interpreting scattering data; constructing nuclide notation
5.2
Detection of radioactivity and background radiation; the three types of nuclear emission and their properties; radioactive decay and decay equations (Extended); half-life and its applications; safety
precautions.
Analysing decay curves; half-life calculations; corrected count-rate problems (Extended)
Topic 6: Space physics
6.1
The Earth–Sun–Moon system and day/year/month cycles; the Solar Systems structure and formation; orbital speed (Extended); gravitational field strength and orbital motion.
Analysing planetary data tables
(Extended)
6.2
The Sun as a star and nuclear fusion; the life cycle of a star (Extended); galaxies, light-years and the scale of the Universe; redshift, the Big Bang theory, and the Hubble constant (Extended).
Redshift and Hubble-constant calculations (Extended)
By the end of Phase 1, the entire 0625 syllabus — Core and Extended — has been taught. A full syllabus checkpoint test is set to confirm this before moving into Phase 2.
Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) — 2026–2028 syllabus | Page 3
Phase 2 (Months 4 – Exam): Practice, Feedback and Exam Readiness
With no new content left to cover, the remainder of Year 11 is dedicated entirely to consolidation, practice and exam technique — the phase where the tutor's experience as an examiner has the most direct impact on results.
1. Self-assessment driven strategies
• Every past-paper question is first attempted independently and self-marked against the official mark scheme before tutor review
• Candidates keep a running personal log of recurring error types (e.g. missing units, incomplete explanations, misreading graphs) to target in later practice
• Short diagnostic quizzes at the start of each topic-practice block identify exactly which sub-topics need another pass
2. Personal feedback
• Individual written feedback on every past paper and topic test, not just a group discussion of common mistakes
• Feedback ties each lost mark back to the specific syllabus point or command word involved
• A personal tracker for each candidate showing progress across AO1 (knowledge), AO2 (handling information/problem-solving) and AO3 (experimental skills)
3. Past-paper-oriented practice
• Topic-by-topic practice first, drawing on real past-paper questions for each of the six syllabus topics
• Progression to mixed-topic question sets as confidence builds
• Full past papers under timed exam conditions for Paper 1/2 (Multiple Choice), Paper 3/4 (Theory) and Paper 6
(Alternative to Practical)
• At least one full mock examination sitting all three components, marked to the official scheme and reviewed individually
4. Exam tips and tricks from an examiner's perspective
• How to read command words precisely: the difference between State, Describe, Explain, Determine and Suggest, and what each demands for full marks
• How method marks are awarded in calculations, so partial credit is secured even if a final answer goes wrong
• Common wording and unit traps seen repeatedly in examiner reports, and how to avoid them
• Graph and table conventions expected by examiners (axis labels and units, best-fit lines, appropriate significant figures)
• Time-management strategies for each paper, including how to allocate time by mark value
5. Additional support as needed
• Extra small-group or 1:1 sessions in the final weeks, focused on each candidates specific remaining weak areas
• Targeted practical-skills clinics ahead of Paper 6, covering the experimental contexts listed in the syllabus (springs and balances, circuits, optics, timing motion, and more)
• A final revision checklist mapped to the syllabus, so candidates can self-audit their own readiness topic by topic
Indicative Year 11 timeline
Period Focus
Weeks 1–3 Rapid review of Year 10 content, diagnostic quizzes to target gaps
Weeks 4–12 Remaining new content: rest of Topic 4, Topic 5 (Nuclear), Topic 6 (Space); syllabus
Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) — 2026–2028 syllabus | Page 4 checkpoint test
Weeks 13–18 Topic-by-topic past-paper practice across all six topics, with self-assessment and personal
feedback
Weeks 19–24 Mixed-topic practice papers; timed full past papers (Papers 1/2, 3/4, 6); one full mock exam
Final weeks Individual revision plans, targeted additional support sessions, exam-technique refreshers, final self-audit checklist
Exact weekly pacing is adjusted to the group's chosen exam series (June or November) and reviewed regularly against each candidates progress.
