Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620: papers, Core and Extended, dates and grades

IGCSE Chemistry papers

The multiple choice papers have 40 four-option questions, and the theory papers are short-answer and structured questions. Paper 5 is done in the lab and Paper 6 is a written paper on the same experimental skills; your school chooses which. Notes for use in qualitative analysis are provided in both practical papers. This is the 2026 to 2028 syllabus (version 2, August 2026), which Cambridge says has no substantial changes that would affect teaching.

Core or Extended?

Cambridge says to enter Core if you have studied the Core content or are expected to get D or below, and Extended if you have studied the Core and Supplement content and are expected to get C or above. Core caps you at grade C. Extended adds the Supplement content, which includes all the mole calculations: the mole itself, gas volumes, concentrations, empirical formulae and percentage yield.

IGCSE Chemistry exam dates 2027

The June 2027 series runs from 26 April to 11 June 2027, and Chemistry theory is one of the first papers. Cambridge publishes a timetable for each zone, so check yours with your exams officer. IGCSE Chemistry is also sat in November, and in March in India. November 2026 results come out on 14 January 2027.

IGCSE Chemistry grade thresholds

Your three papers are weighted into a total out of 200. In June 2026, Cambridge set these thresholds for the most common combinations:

Other versions of the papers had different thresholds (for 22, 42, 62 the A* was 169 and the C was 80), and they change every series, so use them as a guide when you mark past papers.

What IGCSE Chemistry covers

• 1 States of matter and 2 Atoms, elements and compounds: particles, atomic structure, isotopes, ionic, covalent and metallic bonding.
• 3 Stoichiometry: formulae, relative masses, the mole and the Avogadro constant.
• 4 Electrochemistry and 5 Chemical energetics: electrolysis, hydrogen fuel cells, exothermic and endothermic reactions.
• 6 Chemical reactions: rates, reversible reactions and equilibrium, redox.
• 7 Acids, bases and salts and 8 The Periodic Table: oxides, preparing salts, Groups I and VII, transition elements, noble gases.
• 9 Metals and 10 Chemistry of the environment: reactivity, alloys, corrosion, extraction, water, fertilisers, air quality and climate.
• 11 Organic chemistry: naming, fuels, alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, carboxylic acids and polymers.
• 12 Experimental techniques and chemical analysis: experimental design, titrations, chromatography, separation and identifying ions and gases.

Worked examples

Core: electrolysis of a molten compound

When molten lead(II) bromide is electrolysed, lead forms at the cathode (negative electrode) and bromine at the anode (positive electrode). Positive lead ions are attracted to the cathode and gain electrons; negative bromide ions lose electrons at the anode.

Extended: percentage yield

A reaction could make 44 g of product, but only 33 g is collected. The percentage yield is 33 ÷ 44 × 100 = 75%.

Extended: concentration

4.0 g of sodium hydroxide (Mr = 40) is dissolved to make 250 cm³ of solution. That is 4.0 ÷ 40 = 0.10 mol in 0.250 dm³:

Extended: empirical formula

A hydrocarbon contains 85.7% carbon and 14.3% hydrogen by mass. Dividing each by its relative atomic mass gives 7.14 for carbon and 14.3 for hydrogen, a ratio of 1 to 2, so its empirical formula is CH₂. If its Mr is 28, the molecular formula is C₂H₄.

Practise relative atomic mass from isotopes in our Atomic Structure course, then press Mark to check your answer in the course:

Use the daily paper as a short timed mock

Uni-Sine publishes a free daily paper for IGCSE Chemistry (Core) and IGCSE Chemistry (Extended). Each is a short timed mock: 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, with a suggested 30 to 40 minutes, marked when you finish. It is not a full Cambridge paper, and the questions are original, not past papers.

• What it covers well: atomic structure and bonding, the Periodic Table, moles and reacting masses, concentration and titrations, energy changes, rates and equilibrium, electrolysis, acids and salts, fuels, organic chemistry, the atmosphere and chemical analysis.
• What it does not cover: the hands-on skills of Paper 5 and the multiple choice format of Papers 1 and 2. Metals (reactivity, extraction and corrosion) get less attention than on the real papers.

For full papers under exam conditions, use Cambridge past papers from your teacher, and read our IGCSE mocks guide for when mocks happen and how to revise for them.

Common mistakes in IGCSE Chemistry

• Forgetting to convert cm³ to dm³. Divide by 1000 before using c = n/V.
• Mixing up the electrodes. Cations go to the cathode, anions to the anode.
• Unbalanced equations. Count every atom on both sides, and add state symbols when asked.
• Vague test results. Give the full observation, such as "white precipitate", not just "it reacts".

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