Exam season · 25 August 2026 · 5 min read
Predicted topics for IGCSE Physics 2027: where the paper is heading
Updated 25 September 2026
Before the relevant exam series, my students sit a practice paper I write from the syllabus, assessment objectives and recurring question skills. The aim is not to guess the real paper; it is to make the demands of the real paper feel familiar.
This page is a careful guide for 2027 — not a leak and not a guarantee. Every syllabus topic remains examinable. Use it to prioritise difficult, high-value skills after full coverage, never to narrow your revision.
How prediction actually works
Exam boards build papers against the syllabus and assessment objectives, but previous papers do not make a topic mathematically 'due'. A topic that appeared recently can appear again, and a topic absent for several sessions is not guaranteed to return.
Past papers are still useful because they reveal recurring question forms and transferable skills: multi-step calculations, practical evaluation, graph interpretation and precise explanations. A responsible prediction paper gives those demanding skills extra practice while preserving full syllabus coverage.
High-value topics I would weight for 2027
These are broad, frequently demanding areas worth extra practice after you have covered the full syllabus:
- —Electromagnetic effects — transformers and induction connect several ideas and often expose vague explanations. Learn the transformer chain (a.c. → changing field → induced e.m.f.) precisely.
- —Thermal physics — specific heat capacity calculations paired with the particle-model explanation of the flat sections on a heating curve.
- —Momentum — a collision calculation with a follow-up impulse explanation (crumple zones or airbags) fits the recent style of paired calculation-plus-explanation questions.
- —Radioactivity — half-life from data with background correction, and choosing an isotope for an application with justification.
- —Motion graphs — practise reading gradients and areas, then linking the shape to the motion. For a falling object with air resistance, explain why acceleration decreases and how the graph shows terminal velocity. This is a useful skill to practise, not a prediction of an exam question.
What I tell my own students
A prediction changes how you spend your final week; it must never change your syllabus coverage. The plan that works: full coverage first, using the free revision notes on this site, then the final week weighted towards the topics above — with past-paper questions, done under time, marked against the real mark scheme.
And the six-mark questions: whatever the topic, they are won by structure, not inspiration. State, explain, link. Three sentences that follow the physics beat vague paragraphs every time.
A prediction should change your final week — never your coverage.
Sit the actual prediction paper
Students in my course sit a full practice paper before the relevant exam series, marked and returned with feedback. Use the feedback to plan your remaining revision. The student-results page includes individual outcomes and course feedback; contact me on WhatsApp to discuss preparation for your 2027 exam series.
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 a Physics topic more likely to appear because it was missing from recent papers?
Recent absence does not establish that a topic is 'due'. Published papers are a limited sample of assessment, and a topic can return in different contexts or skill combinations. Use the current syllabus for coverage and use prediction material only as additional practice.
A paper may test energy through a circuit one year and through motion in another. Counting chapter names can miss that shared principle and gives no guaranteed forecast of the next paper. Prioritise extra practice using your own errors, the syllabus and transferable skills such as graphs or multi-step calculations. Do not drop a topic because a social-media list assigns it a low chance.
How do I check whether a predicted Physics paper is relevant to my exam?
Check its board, qualification code, syllabus year and paper route, then inspect whether its questions cover appropriate content and skills. A label such as 'IGCSE 2027' is not enough. A practice paper should never be presented as a guaranteed preview of the real examination.
For example, Cambridge Paper 6 preparation addresses a different assessment route from Edexcel 4PH1, which assesses practical knowledge within its written papers. A resource can contain worthwhile physics but still be a poor mock for your entry. If you use it, identify the skills it practises and mark it honestly; compare exam readiness using suitable official assessment materials as well.
What should I do if my weakest topic is not on a prediction list?
Revise it if it belongs to your current syllabus. Your marked work gives evidence of a learning gap; an unofficial prediction does not remove that gap from the course. Choose a manageable repair task and then test it with an unfamiliar question.
If transformers are weak, first explain why an alternating current produces a changing magnetic field and an induced e.m.f. Then practise a turns-ratio calculation and distinguish an ideal model from real losses. That session develops both understanding and application whether or not a particular prediction includes transformers. Keep coverage broad enough that one unexpected question does not invalidate the whole plan.