IGCSE · 25 September 2026 · 6 min read
Cambridge IGCSE Physics Paper 2: how to solve multiple-choice questions
Multiple-choice physics questions compress a whole reasoning problem into a small space. Four plausible answers can make the task feel like a recognition test, but recognising a familiar number is unreliable. You need a short method that produces a prediction before the options pull your attention in different directions.
This guide is specifically for Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 Extended. For the 2026–2028 syllabus, Paper 2 has 40 four-option questions in 45 minutes and assesses Core and Supplement content. The questions below are original teaching examples, designed to show how a wrong option can reveal a particular misunderstanding.
Read the task before doing the arithmetic
Circle the requested quantity mentally: resultant force, acceleration, energy or power. Then identify whether the question asks for a value, a comparison or an explanation. A diagram may provide a direction or a distance that changes the calculation; its labels deserve the same attention as the prose. When asked which statement is incorrect, carry that word through to your final choice.
Write a tiny prediction in the question booklet where permitted: current increases, image is inverted, answer should be in joules. This separates physical reasoning from the answer options. If all four answers are numbers, an approximate calculation can expose a factor-of-ten mistake before you spend time entering exact values.
Worked example: resultant force before F = ma
An original practice question describes a 2.0 kg trolley with a 10 N horizontal pull to the right and 4.0 N friction to the left. The acceleration options are A: 2.0 m/s² left, B: 3.0 m/s² right, C: 5.0 m/s² right and D: 7.0 m/s² right. The force in F = ma is the resultant force, so first calculate 10 − 4 = 6 N to the right. Then a = 6 / 2.0 = 3.0 m/s² right: B.
Now explain the distractors. C uses the pulling force alone. D adds opposing forces as though they acted in the same direction. A uses friction alone. This is useful revision because each incorrect answer represents an action to avoid. Changing the trolley's initial direction of motion would not change the acceleration produced by these stated forces.
Worked example: separate energy from power
A lamp transfers 900 J in 3.0 minutes. Which power is correct: 5 W, 300 W, 2700 W or 162 000 W? Power is energy transferred per unit time. The time in seconds is 3.0 × 60 = 180 s, so P = E / t = 900 / 180 = 5 W. The 300 W option comes from treating minutes as seconds, and 2700 comes from multiplying rather than dividing.
A dimensional check supports the choice: joules divided by seconds gives watts. A second check is to reverse the calculation: a 5 W lamp transfers 5 J each second, so in 180 s it transfers 900 J. Reverse checks are especially helpful when a calculator display looks plausible but you are unsure which operation was required.
Handle diagrams and unfamiliar contexts systematically
For a circuit, trace complete paths and identify shared junctions before deciding whether components are in series or parallel. For a graph, read both axes and their units before interpreting the slope or area. For a ray diagram, check which side contains the object and which lines are actual rays rather than backward extensions.
An unfamiliar device can still test a familiar principle. Replace the device with a simpler model: a motor becomes an energy transfer, a hydraulic system becomes pressure and area, and a radioactive tracer becomes emission, penetration and half-life. Do not assume an unfamiliar noun means the syllabus contains a new equation you have never seen.
Use time checkpoints without rushing every question
Forty questions in 45 minutes gives just over a minute per question on average, including checking. This is a pacing guide, not a requirement to spend an equal minute on each item. Answer short, secure questions efficiently so that a calculation or graph problem can receive more attention. If you are stuck, mark the question for a return and keep the answer-sheet numbering aligned.
During practice, record where time was lost: recalling knowledge, selecting a model, arithmetic or rereading. Speed improves when the specific bottleneck improves. Repeatedly racing through whole papers without analysing those delays can reinforce hurried mistakes rather than fluent reasoning.
Independent practice and a better mistake log
Try this before reading on: a 12 V supply is connected across a 6.0 Ω resistor. What current flows: 0.50 A, 2.0 A, 18 A or 72 A? The answer is 2.0 A because I = V / R = 12 / 6.0. The 0.50 A option reverses the division; 18 A adds quantities with different units; 72 A multiplies them. Check that 2.0 A × 6.0 Ω returns the stated 12 V.
For each reviewed question, write the physical principle, the reason your chosen option failed and one changed example to solve later. Include questions you answered correctly by guessing. A useful follow-up here is the same supply with a larger resistance: you should predict a smaller current before calculating it. That transfer of reasoning is the real test of progress.
Questions, explained
Choose a question for a direct answer, then explore the explanation and supporting resources. Each answer has its own link to save or share.
Is Cambridge IGCSE Physics Paper 2 Core or Extended?
For Cambridge 0625 in the 2026–2028 syllabus, Paper 2 is the Extended multiple-choice paper. Its content includes Core and Supplement; Paper 1 is the Core multiple-choice paper. Check your statement of entry and syllabus code before choosing practice material, because an Edexcel paper with the number 2 does not have the same assessment structure.
How can I stop calculator mistakes in physics multiple choice?
Write the equation and converted values before entering them. Use brackets for a denominator containing several terms, estimate the order of magnitude and check the output unit. Finally, reverse the calculation when practical: a current multiplied by resistance should reproduce the voltage. A plausible option is not evidence that the calculator entry was correct.
Should I review multiple-choice questions I got right?
Review any correct answer you could not explain confidently. A lucky selection can hide the same gap as a wrong selection. Explain why your answer follows from the physics, identify why the other options fail and change one condition. If you can predict the effect of that change, you have stronger evidence of understanding than the original tick alone.