IGCSE Physics Revision Notes (0625): The Complete Topic-by-Topic Guide

If your child is sitting Cambridge IGCSE Physics, these IGCSE Physics revision notes are built to make the whole course feel smaller. Physics has a lot of parts. But it fits into just six big topics. Once you can see those six boxes, the fear drops away.

Quick answer: Cambridge IGCSE Physics (syllabus 0625) is split into six topics: Motion, forces and energy; Thermal physics; Waves; Electricity and magnetism; Nuclear physics; and Space physics. Every student sits three papers — a multiple-choice paper, a theory paper, and one practical paper. There are two routes: Core (grades C to G) and Extended (grades A* to G). Good revision means knowing the key facts and equations for each of the six topics, then practising exam questions until the marks come easily.

This guide walks through all six topics in plain English. It also explains the papers, the two routes, and how to revise so the work actually sticks. We wrote it for parents who want to help and for students who want a clear map. Educifly's IGCSE science specialists coach this exact syllabus every week, so these notes match what examiners really ask.

Let's get into it.

What is IGCSE Physics 0625?

IGCSE Physics 0625 is Cambridge International's two-year physics course for students aged about 14 to 16. It ends in exams that are graded A* to G.

The full name is Cambridge IGCSE Physics. IGCSE stands for International General Certificate of Secondary Education. If you want the bigger picture of the qualification itself, our guide on what IGCSE is explains it from the ground up.

Here are the facts worth knowing:

• The current syllabus is used for exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Cambridge says there are no big changes to how it is taught in this window.

• 0625 is the A*–G version. There is also a 9–1 version called 0972. The content is the same. Only the grade labels change.

• Physics is often taken as one of three sciences, next to Chemistry and Biology.

• Cambridge suggests around 130 guided learning hours for the course.

• Exams run in the June and November series, plus a March series in India.

So when you see notes marked "0625" or "0972," they cover the same physics. Don't let the two codes confuse you.

The IGCSE Physics paper structure (0625)

Every IGCSE Physics student sits three papers: one multiple-choice paper, one written theory paper, and one practical paper.

That's the simple version. The details depend on which route your child takes, Core or Extended. We explain those routes in the next section. First, here is the full paper map.

A few things to note. The multiple-choice papers have 40 questions, each with four choices. The theory papers are short-answer and structured questions. Paper 5 is a real lab test. Paper 6 is a written paper about practical work for students who can't sit a lab test. Your child's school picks Paper 5 or Paper 6, not the student.

One more helpful fact: calculators are allowed in every paper. So no student has to do heavy sums by hand.

Core vs Extended: which route is your child on?

The Core route covers the basics and caps at grade C. The Extended route covers everything and can reach grade A*.

This is the single most important choice in the course, so let's make it clear.

Extended students learn the Core content plus extra "Supplement" material. That's why they can reach the top grades. If your child hopes to study science or maths after IGCSE, Extended is usually the right call. A strong physics grade also feeds into the IB Diploma, which you can read about in our IGCSE to IB transition guide.

Schools usually decide the route based on class performance. But it isn't fixed forever. A student can move up with the right support. That's often where a specialist IGCSE Physics tutor makes the biggest difference — closing the gap between Core and Extended before the choice is locked in.

Now for the heart of these notes: the six topics.

Topic 1: Motion, forces and energy

This topic is about how things move, what makes them move, and the energy behind it. It is the biggest topic and the base for everything else.

Think of it as the "everyday physics" box. Cars speeding up. A ball falling. A crane lifting a load. All of it lives here.

Key ideas to revise:

• Measurement: units, how to measure length, volume, and time, and how to read scales.

• Motion: speed, velocity, and acceleration. Distance-time and speed-time graphs.

• Mass and weight: mass is how much stuff is in an object. Weight is the pull of gravity on it.

• Density: how tightly packed the matter is.

• Forces: how forces change motion and shape, the turning effect (moments), and centre of gravity.

• Momentum: the "quantity of motion" an object has.

• Energy, work and power: energy stores, energy transfers, work done, energy resources, and power.

• Pressure: force spread over an area.

Formulas your child must recall (there is no formula sheet in the exam):

Revision tip: draw and label graphs by hand. Examiners love asking students to read the gradient (slope) of a speed-time graph. The gradient is the acceleration. The area under it is the distance travelled. Practise both until they feel automatic.

Topic 2: Thermal physics

Thermal physics is about heat, temperature, and how tiny particles behave. It links the world you can see to the particles you can't.

This topic surprises students. It sounds small but it carries real marks, especially on the theory paper.

Key ideas to revise:

• Kinetic particle model: solids, liquids, and gases, and how their particles move. Gas pressure and the absolute (kelvin) temperature scale.

• Thermal expansion: why solids, liquids, and gases get bigger when heated.

• Specific heat capacity: how much energy it takes to warm something up.

• Melting, boiling, and evaporation: changes of state and the energy behind them.

• Heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation — plus real-life uses like insulation.

A quick memory hook for the three ways heat moves:

• Conduction = touch. Heat passes through solids as particles bump neighbours.

• Convection = flow. Warm fluid rises, cool fluid sinks, and a current forms.

• Radiation = rays. Heat travels as infrared waves, even through empty space.

Students who can explain those three clearly, with one everyday example each, pick up easy marks. A metal spoon in tea (conduction). A radiator warming a room (convection). The Sun warming your face (radiation).

Topic 3: Waves

Waves carry energy from one place to another without moving matter along with them. This topic covers water waves, light, sound, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

It's a favourite of examiners because it mixes drawing, describing, and calculating.

Key ideas to revise:

• General wave properties: wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and wave speed. Transverse vs longitudinal waves.

• Light: reflection, refraction (bending), thin lenses, and dispersion (splitting white light into colours).

• The electromagnetic spectrum: radio, microwave, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays — in order, with a use for each.

• Sound: how it's made, how it travels, and why it needs a medium.

The one equation to lock in:

Revision tip: learn the electromagnetic spectrum in order and never lose those marks. A common memory sentence is "Raging Martians Invaded Venus Using X-ray Guns" — Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet, X-ray, Gamma. Then pair each one with a real use, like microwaves for cooking and X-rays for medical scans.

Diagrams matter here too. Ray diagrams for reflection and refraction come up almost every year. Practise drawing them with a ruler.

Topic 4: Electricity and magnetism

This topic is about electric charge, circuits, magnets, and how electricity and magnetism work together. It carries a large share of the marks, so it deserves real time.

Many students find this the trickiest box. Don't panic. Break it into small parts and it becomes very doable.

Key ideas to revise:

• Magnetism: magnetic fields, magnetic materials, and how to make and test magnets.

• Electric charge and current: what charge is, what current is, and how they flow.

• Voltage and resistance: electromotive force, potential difference, and resistance.

• Circuits: series and parallel circuits, circuit symbols, and components like resistors and diodes.

• Electrical safety: fuses, earthing, and how to stay safe with mains electricity.

• Electromagnetic effects: electromagnetic induction, the a.c. generator, the magnetic effect of a current, the d.c. motor, and the transformer.

The core equations here:

Revision tip: get comfortable reading circuit diagrams. Learn every symbol. In a series circuit the current is the same everywhere. In a parallel circuit the current splits. Understanding those two rules deeply unlocks most circuit questions.

Electromagnetism sits at the top end of this topic. Motors, generators, and transformers are classic Extended questions. If your child finds these hard, they are exactly the sort of thing one-to-one help fixes fast.

Topic 5: Nuclear physics

Nuclear physics is about the inside of the atom and the radiation some atoms give off. It's a shorter topic, which makes it a smart place to score.

Because it is small, it is easy to revise fully. Don't skip it.

Key ideas to revise:

• The nuclear model of the atom: protons, neutrons, and electrons, and where they sit.

• The nucleus: proton number, nucleon number, and isotopes.

• Radioactivity: how it is detected and the three types of nuclear radiation.

• The three radiations: alpha, beta, and gamma — their nature, charge, and how far each travels.

• Radioactive decay and half-life: how the amount of a radioactive material drops over time.

• Safety: how to handle and store radioactive sources safely.

A clean way to remember the three radiations:

Half-life is the one calculation students must nail. Half-life is the time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms to decay. If a source has a half-life of 2 days, then after 2 days half is left, after 4 days a quarter is left, and so on. Practise these step-by-step and the marks come easily.

Topic 6: Space physics

Space physics is about the Earth, the Solar System, stars, and the wider Universe. It's the newest topic to grow in importance, and students often enjoy it most.

It is also fact-heavy rather than maths-heavy, which suits students who prefer describing over calculating.

Key ideas to revise:

• The Earth: day and night, the seasons, and the Earth's movement.

• The Solar System: the Sun, the planets, moons, and how orbits work.

• The Sun as a star: what the Sun is made of and how it makes energy.

• Stars: the life cycle of stars, from birth to their final stages.

• The Universe: galaxies, the Milky Way, and ideas about how the Universe began and grew.

Revision tip: this topic rewards clear, ordered facts. Learn the planets in order from the Sun. Learn the stages in a star's life cycle. Then practise writing short, exact descriptions, because that is exactly what the theory paper asks for.

How the marks are shared (assessment objectives)

Your child is tested on three skills, not just memory. Cambridge calls these assessment objectives, and each carries a set share of the marks.

Here's why this matters for revision. Half the marks come from knowing the facts (AO1). So learning your notes really does pay off. But 30% comes from using those facts in new situations (AO2). That's why past-paper practice is not optional. And 20% comes from practical skills (AO3), tested in Paper 5 or Paper 6. Reading through notes alone can't cover all three. A good plan mixes learning, question practice, and lab or graph work.

How to use these IGCSE Physics revision notes (a simple plan that works)

The best way to use IGCSE Physics revision notes is to learn one topic at a time, then test yourself with past-paper questions on that topic before moving on.

Reading and re-reading notes feels productive. It mostly isn't. The learning happens when your child tries to answer a question from memory. Here is a plan we give our own students.

1. Split the course into the six topics. Never try to "revise physics" in one go. Pick one box.

2. Learn the key facts and equations for that topic. Use short notes like the ones above. Say them out loud. Write the equations from memory.

3. Do past-paper questions on just that topic. Cambridge groups questions by topic in many revision resources. Mark your own work using the mark scheme.

4. Fix the gaps. Every wrong answer is a gift — it shows exactly what to relearn. Go back, fix it, and try a fresh question.

5. Then move to the next topic. Repeat until all six are solid.

6. Finish with full past papers under timed conditions. This builds exam speed and stamina.

Two more tips. First, keep a single sheet of every equation for the course and review it daily — the exam gives no formula sheet. Second, practise drawing diagrams by hand, because ray diagrams and circuit diagrams appear every single year.

If your child studies more than one science, the same method works across all three. Our IGCSE Biology revision notes follow the exact same topic-by-topic approach, and pairing physics revision with a strong grasp of maths helps too — many physics marks are really maths marks in disguise.

Where a tutor helps most

A one-to-one tutor helps most with the topics students avoid — usually electricity, electromagnetism, and the harder Extended calculations.

Physics rewards understanding, not memory tricks. When a student is stuck on why current splits in a parallel circuit, a page of notes can't ask a follow-up question. A tutor can. They spot the exact misunderstanding and fix it in minutes, not weeks.

At Educifly, every student is hand-matched with a subject specialist who teaches the same student every week. No rotation, no guessing. Our tutors have coached students through Cambridge and Edexcel physics for years, and they know where each topic hides its marks. If your child is aiming to move from Core to Extended, or from a B to an A*, that focused help is often the fastest route.

You can see how a session feels before committing. Book a free trial class and watch your child work through a real physics problem with a specialist. If grades and boundaries are on your mind, our guide to IGCSE grade boundaries explains exactly how many marks each grade needs.

Frequently asked questions

How many topics are in IGCSE Physics 0625?

There are six main topics in Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625. They are: Motion, forces and energy; Thermal physics; Waves; Electricity and magnetism; Nuclear physics; and Space physics. Every exam question fits into one of these six boxes, which is why splitting your revision by topic works so well.

What is the difference between Core and Extended IGCSE Physics?

Core covers the basic content and caps at grade C. Extended covers the Core content plus extra "Supplement" material and can reach grade A*. Core students sit Papers 1 and 3, while Extended students sit Papers 2 and 4. Both routes sit the same practical paper, either Paper 5 or Paper 6. Students aiming for top grades or further science study should take Extended.

How many papers are there in IGCSE Physics?

Every student sits three papers: a multiple-choice paper, a written theory paper, and one practical paper. Core students take Paper 1 (multiple choice), Paper 3 (theory), and either Paper 5 or Paper 6. Extended students take Paper 2, Paper 4, and either Paper 5 or Paper 6. The school chooses whether students sit the practical test (Paper 5) or the alternative-to-practical written paper (Paper 6).

Are calculators allowed in IGCSE Physics exams?

Yes. Calculators may be used in all parts of the IGCSE Physics examination, including the multiple-choice, theory, and practical papers. However, there is no formula sheet, so students must recall the equations themselves. Keeping one master equation sheet and reviewing it daily is the safest way to prepare.

Does IGCSE Physics give you a formula sheet?

No. Cambridge IGCSE Physics does not provide a formula or equation sheet in the exam. Students are expected to recall and use every equation on the syllabus, such as speed = distance ÷ time, force = mass × acceleration, and wave speed = frequency × wavelength. This is why writing equations from memory is a key part of revision.

What are the three types of radiation in IGCSE Physics?

The three types are alpha, beta, and gamma. Alpha radiation is two protons and two neutrons, and it is stopped by a sheet of paper. Beta radiation is a fast-moving electron, stopped by a few millimetres of aluminium. Gamma radiation is a high-energy wave, stopped only by thick lead or concrete. Knowing what each one is and what stops it is a common exam question.

Is IGCSE Physics hard?

IGCSE Physics is challenging but very manageable with the right plan. The maths involved is usually straightforward, and calculators are allowed. The hardest parts for most students are electricity, electromagnetism, and the Extended calculations. Because the course splits neatly into six topics, students who revise one topic at a time and practise past-paper questions often find it far less scary than it first looks.

What grade do you need to pass IGCSE Physics?

There is no single official "pass" grade, but a grade C is widely treated as a solid pass, and many schools and universities look for grade C or above. On the Core route the highest possible grade is C, while the Extended route can reach A*. To learn exactly how many marks each grade needs, see our full guide to IGCSE grade boundaries.

What is 0625 vs 0972 in IGCSE Physics?

Both are Cambridge IGCSE Physics and cover identical content. The only difference is the grading scale. Syllabus 0625 is graded A* to G, while 0972 is graded 9 to 1. Schools choose which version to enter students for, often based on their region. Revision notes and past papers for one code work perfectly well for the other.

How long should you revise for IGCSE Physics?

There is no fixed number, but starting three to four months before the exams gives most students enough time to cover all six topics properly and still do full past papers. Short, regular sessions beat long, rare ones. A good target is to fully revise one topic each week, then spend the final weeks on timed past papers to build speed and confidence.

Can a tutor help with IGCSE Physics revision?

Yes, and it is often the fastest way to improve. A one-to-one tutor spots the exact misunderstanding behind a wrong answer and fixes it quickly, which notes alone cannot do. Tutors are most useful for the topics students avoid, such as circuits and electromagnetism, and for moving from Core to Extended. Educifly matches each student with a physics specialist who teaches them every week and knows where the syllabus hides its marks.