The Most-Tested Topics in IGCSE Physics (CIE 0625)
Every 0625 past-paper question, tagged to its syllabus topic — ranked by how often each is tested (2020–2025).
Core tier (Papers 1 / 3)
80 papers analysed · top 15 of 57 topics
| # | Topic | % of tier's questions | Questions | Avg marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motion | 6% | 121 | 7.6 |
| 2 | General properties of waves | 5.4% | 110 | 7.5 |
| 3 | Mass and weight | 4.7% | 96 | 8 |
| 4 | Electromagnetic spectrum | 4.7% | 95 | 7.1 |
| 5 | Physical quantities and measurement techniques | 4.2% | 86 | 7.5 |
| 6 | Pressure | 4% | 81 | 7.7 |
| 7 | Series and parallel circuits | 3.8% | 78 | 7.6 |
| 8 | Effects of forces | 3.5% | 70 | 7.7 |
| 9 | Density | 3.4% | 69 | 7.8 |
| 10 | Energy | 3.4% | 68 | 7.6 |
| 11 | Simple phenomena of magnetism | 3.2% | 64 | 6.1 |
| 12 | Half-life | 3.2% | 64 | 6.2 |
| 13 | Melting, boiling and evaporation | 3.1% | 62 | 8.3 |
| 14 | Turning effect of forces | 3% | 60 | 7.2 |
| 15 | The transformer | 3% | 60 | 7.3 |
Extended tier (Papers 2 / 4)
80 papers analysed · top 15 of 58 topics
| # | Topic | % of tier's questions | Questions | Avg marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motion | 7.3% | 145 | 8.1 |
| 2 | General properties of waves | 6.1% | 122 | 7.6 |
| 3 | Effects of forces | 4.7% | 93 | 8.2 |
| 4 | Energy | 4.2% | 83 | 7.9 |
| 5 | Series and parallel circuits | 4.1% | 81 | 7.9 |
| 6 | Momentum | 3.8% | 75 | 7.2 |
| 7 | Refraction of light | 3.5% | 69 | 8.3 |
| 8 | Action and use of circuit components | 3.4% | 68 | 7.1 |
| 9 | Resistance | 3.3% | 65 | 8.4 |
| 10 | Melting, boiling and evaporation | 3.2% | 64 | 8.8 |
| 11 | Radioactive decay | 3.2% | 64 | 8.2 |
| 12 | Sound | 3.2% | 64 | 7.1 |
| 13 | Pressure | 3.1% | 61 | 8.5 |
| 14 | Electromagnetic spectrum | 3% | 60 | 7.9 |
| 15 | Mass and weight | 3% | 60 | 7.7 |
How this was measured
Based on OwlsPrep's database of official CIE 0625 past papers (2020–2025), 4328 questions each tagged to its syllabus topic. Topics are grouped by paper tier; “% of tier's questions” = the share of that tier's tagged questions testing the topic. Because one question can test several topics, shares do not sum to 100%. Figures are aggregate statistics from question metadata — no exam questions or mark schemes are reproduced.
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