What IGCSE Chemistry covers
The course develops knowledge and understanding of chemistry, including matter, reactions, materials, the environment and organic chemistry. It also develops experimental, data-handling and problem-solving skills through practical work and investigations.
Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (syllabus 0620) is a two-tier qualification, aimed at students aged 14 to 16, that assesses chemical knowledge, the handling of data and information, and experimental skills.
1 States of matter 1 topics 0.5 h
What the exam asks for
- Compare the observable properties of solids, liquids and gases using particle spacing, arrangement and movement.
- Connect particle behaviour to melting, boiling, evaporation, freezing and condensation.
- Use particle models and descriptions to explain changes of state.
Common slips to watch for
- Confusing evaporation, which can occur at the surface, with boiling throughout a liquid.
- Describing particles as changing size or substance during a change of state.
- Mixing up particle movement with changes in particle arrangement or separation.
Topics
- States of Matter
2 Atoms, elements and compounds 3 topics 1.8 h
What the exam asks for
- Distinguish elements, compounds and mixtures by the substances and particles they contain.
- Represent atomic structure with a nucleus and electrons in shells; use proton number to identify the number of protons.
- Compare the relative charges and masses of protons, neutrons and electrons.
- Explain cation and anion formation through electron loss or gain, and represent electron transfer in Group I–Group VII ionic bonding.
Common slips to watch for
- Calling a mixture a compound, or treating a compound as if its elements retain their separate properties.
- Confusing proton number with the number of electrons or with the total number of particles in the nucleus.
- Reversing electron transfer or ion charges when describing cation and anion formation.
- Describing ionic bonding as electron sharing rather than electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.
Topics
- Experimental Techniques: Separation & Purification
- Atomic Structure
- Chemical Bonding and Structure
3 Stoichiometry 2 topics 1.2 h
What the exam asks for
- Recall formulae for named elements and compounds and interpret a molecular formula as atom types and numbers.
- Deduce a formula from relative atom numbers in a model, then use it in chemical representations.
- Use the mass–molar mass relationship in mole calculations.
- Work with concentration expressed in grams or moles per cubic decimetre and connect amount of substance to the Avogadro constant.
Common slips to watch for
- Writing subscripts that do not match the relative atom numbers in a model.
- Confusing a molecular formula with a count of separate molecules.
- Using mass and molar mass in the wrong order when calculating amount of substance.
- Mixing concentration units or failing to match the units used in a calculation.
Topics
- Stoichiometry: Formulae and Equations
- Stoichiometry: The Mole Concept
4 Electrochemistry 1 topics 0.8 h
What the exam asks for
- Define electrolysis as decomposition of a molten ionic compound or aqueous solution by electric current.
- Identify products at electrodes for the specified molten and aqueous electrolytes.
- Connect electrode products with observable evidence during electrolysis.
- Practise interpreting an electrolysis arrangement and recording observations clearly.
Common slips to watch for
- Treating the electrolyte as decomposed without identifying products at the separate electrodes.
- Confusing observations at the anode and cathode.
- Ignoring whether the electrolyte is molten or aqueous when identifying products.
- Reporting a product without matching it to the relevant electrode observation.
Topics
- Electrochemistry
5 Chemical energetics 1 topics 0.5 h
What the exam asks for
- Distinguish exothermic energy transfer to the surroundings from endothermic energy transfer from them.
- Relate the direction of heat transfer to whether the surroundings’ temperature rises or falls.
- Interpret reaction-related energy representations and connect them with the reaction’s thermal effect.
Common slips to watch for
- Reversing which way thermal energy moves in exothermic and endothermic reactions.
- Claiming the reaction mixture’s temperature change is the same as the direction of energy transfer to the surroundings.
- Misreading an energy representation as showing temperature rather than energy change.
Topics
- Chemical Energetics
6 Chemical reactions 3 topics 1.2 h
What the exam asks for
- Compare physical and chemical changes and explain the role of catalysts in reaction rate.
- Interpret rate evidence from mass-loss and gas-volume measurements, including how an investigation could be conducted.
- Predict equilibrium shifts when temperature, pressure or concentration changes, and distinguish these effects from adding a catalyst.
- Assign oxidation numbers using Roman numerals and identify oxidation and reduction together through oxygen transfer.
Common slips to watch for
- Treating a catalyst as shifting the equilibrium position instead of changing how quickly equilibrium is reached.
- Predicting pressure effects without checking whether the gaseous sides have different numbers of particles.
- Calling oxidation and reduction separate reactions rather than simultaneous changes in a redox reaction.
- Confusing a physical change with a chemical change because the material’s appearance has changed.
Topics
- Rates of Reaction
- Reversible Reactions and Equilibrium
- Redox Reactions
7 Acids, bases and salts 1 topics 0.8 h
What the exam asks for
- Match acid reactions with metals, bases and carbonates to their products and observable evidence.
- Use indicator colour changes to distinguish acidic and basic conditions, keeping each indicator’s behaviour separate.
- Classify bases as metal oxides or hydroxides and identify soluble bases as alkalis.
- Apply acid reaction and indicator knowledge to experimental observations and written practical contexts.
Common slips to watch for
- Confusing the products of acid reactions with metals, bases and carbonates.
- Swapping the colour changes of litmus, thymolphthalein and methyl orange.
- Calling every base an alkali instead of reserving alkali for a soluble base.
- Reporting an observation without linking it to the substance or reaction being tested.
Topics
- Acids, Bases and Salts
8 The Periodic Table 1 topics 0.8 h
What the exam asks for
- Describe periods and groups and relate the table’s arrangement to increasing proton number or atomic number.
- Explain the change from metallic to non-metallic character across a period.
- Use group position to predict the charge of ions formed by elements in that group.
Common slips to watch for
- Confusing a period with a group or describing the arrangement by mass rather than proton number.
- Reversing the trend in metallic character across a period.
- Giving an ion charge that does not match the element’s group.
Topics
- The Periodic Table
9 Metals 1 topics 1 h
What the exam asks for
- Compare metals and non-metals using conductivity, malleability, ductility and melting or boiling points.
- Explain metal reactions with dilute acids, cold water, steam and oxygen, including relevant observations.
- Connect aluminium’s low density, conductivity and corrosion resistance to its uses.
Common slips to watch for
- Confusing reactions with cold water and steam, or describing the wrong products and observations.
- Treating all metals as equally reactive or assuming a property such as conductivity applies only to metals.
- Naming an aluminium use without linking it to the relevant property.
Topics
- Metals and Reactivity
10 Chemistry of the environment 1 topics 0.8 h
What the exam asks for
- Describe how anhydrous cobalt(II) chloride and anhydrous copper(II) sulfate can test for water.
- Use melting and boiling points to judge whether water is pure.
- Explain why distilled water is preferred to tap water in practical chemistry.
- Practise recording test observations and interpreting what they show about a sample.
Common slips to watch for
- Reversing the colour changes of the two anhydrous test chemicals.
- Treating a water test as proof of purity rather than distinguishing water from impurities.
- Claiming tap water is suitable when dissolved substances could affect a practical result.
Topics
- Chemistry of the Environment
11 Organic chemistry 2 topics 1.2 h
What the exam asks for
- Draw and interpret displayed and structural formulae; use general formulae and functional groups to classify alkanes, alkenes and alcohols.
- Explain homologous series, saturation and structural isomerism using differences in bonding and arrangement.
- Describe ethanoic acid reactions with metals, bases and carbonates, and give the corresponding salt names and formulae.
- Explain ethanol oxidation to ethanoic acid and ester formation from a carboxylic acid and an alcohol using an acid catalyst.
Common slips to watch for
- Drawing a displayed formula with incorrect atom counts or bonding, or confusing a structural formula with a displayed one.
- Calling compounds structural isomers when their atoms are connected in the same way, or overlooking a carbon–carbon double bond.
- Giving an incorrect salt name or formula for an ethanoic acid reaction.
- Reversing ester reactants or leaving out the acid catalyst in an ester description.
Topics
- Organic Chemistry: Alkanes, Alkenes and Alcohols
- Organic Chemistry: Carboxylic Acids and Polymers
12 Experimental techniques and chemical analysis 1 topics 0.8 h
What the exam asks for
- Choose suitable apparatus for measuring time, temperature, mass and volume, including when precise volume delivery is needed.
- Interpret experimental arrangements and identify appropriate procedures and variables for chemical investigations.
- Record measurements with suitable units and precision, and process volume or other measured data correctly.
- Compare experimental methods by considering accuracy, practicality and sources of measurement error.
Common slips to watch for
- Choosing a measuring cylinder when a burette or volumetric pipette is needed for more controlled volume measurement.
- Using apparatus intended for liquid volume to measure gas, or naming equipment that cannot measure the requested quantity.
- Omitting units or recording readings at an unsuitable precision.
- Suggesting a method change without explaining how it improves measurement or controls a variable.
Topics
- Chemical Analysis
Hours are hours of teaching at the Standard level.
A class in IGCSE Chemistry, opened
Every class works like this. The tutor asks, you answer in your own words, and it reads what you wrote while you are still in the room, then tells you what is missing and asks you to try again.
BoltAI tutor
Example
IGCSE Chemistry · Stoichiometry · The mole
Calculate the moles in 5.3 g of Na2CO3. (Ar: Na = 23, C = 12, O = 16)
Mr = 106 is right. Moles are mass divided by Mr. Check the units: g ÷ g/mol leaves mol, so you divide.
A sample written to show how a class sounds. The scores show how the exam would credit each answer. Not a real learner.
How the IGCSE Chemistry exam is built
The assessment has three components. A 45-minute multiple-choice paper (Paper 1 for Core, Paper 2 for Extended) is 40 marks and 30% of the grade. A 1 hour 15 minute theory paper (Paper 3 for Core, Paper 4 for Extended) is 80 marks and 50%. Every candidate also takes one practical paper worth 20%: the hands-on Practical Test (Paper 5) or the written Alternative to Practical (Paper 6). Calculators may be used in all parts.
Practice papers. The Full syllabus level includes 2 full practice papers, written for Tutix in the style of the real exam: 54 questions and 160 marks each. You can sit them as long homework, and a class can go over them afterwards.
How long does IGCSE Chemistry take?
Every level teaches the same units and topics. A deeper level only adds classes, so you can go deeper later and keep everything you have done. Hours are hours of teaching, counted in classes of 45 or 60 minutes.
29.2hours of teaching
- 39 classes of 45 minutes
- About 20 weeks at 2 a week
The Programs page draws IGCSE Chemistry beside the other eleven programs on one hours scale, with what a pass costs at each level.
Questions people ask
How many hours of teaching does IGCSE Chemistry take on Tutix?
The Standard level takes 11.2 hours: 15 classes of 45 minutes, or 12 of 60. The Full syllabus level takes 25 hours (34 classes of 45 minutes). The Short level is 4 hours. Every level teaches the same units and topics; deeper levels add classes.
What does the IGCSE Chemistry exam look like?
As the board publishes it, the exam has these parts: Paper 1: Multiple Choice (Core) (40 questions, 45 minutes); Paper 3: Theory (Core) (75 minutes); Paper 2: Multiple Choice (Extended) (40 questions, 45 minutes); Paper 4: Theory (Extended) (75 minutes); Paper 5: Practical Test (75 minutes); Paper 6: Alternative to Practical (60 minutes). Check your board's current specification for the exact format of the year you sit it.
Are there practice papers for IGCSE Chemistry?
Yes. The Full syllabus level includes 2 full practice papers written for Tutix in the style of the real exam (54 questions and 160 marks each). You can sit them as long homework, and a class can go over them afterwards.
Is this an official Cambridge IGCSE course?
No. Tutix is not affiliated with Cambridge and its IGCSE Chemistry classes are not endorsed by Cambridge. The lessons and questions are Tutix's own, prepared from the published IGCSE Chemistry syllabus, and the real exam is set and marked by Cambridge.
Can I try IGCSE Chemistry for free?
Yes. The Free plan includes 45 live class minutes a month, about one class of the default length, and no card is needed. Pro is $15 a month for 360 live minutes (6 hours), and Pro+ is $30 a month for 900 live minutes.
Is the IGCSE Chemistry tutor a person?
No. The tutor is an AI. It talks with you in real time, teaches on a whiteboard, reads your answers and remembers what each earlier class covered. A parent can set up a child's classes and choose to get a recap after each one.
Should I enter Core or Extended IGCSE Chemistry?
Core candidates take the multiple-choice and theory papers on the Core content and can reach grades C to G. Extended candidates cover the Core content plus the Supplement and can reach A* to G. Your school decides the entry, so ask your teacher which tier you are being prepared for.
When are the IGCSE Chemistry exams?
Cambridge sets IGCSE exams in a June series and a November series, and offers a March series to centres in India. Schools enter their candidates; private candidates enter through an exam centre that accepts private candidates. Cambridge does not provide tuition to private candidates.
Is IGCSE Chemistry the same standard as GCSE?
Cambridge says it aligns IGCSE standards with the GCSE taken in England, and the syllabus cites a benchmarking study that found IGCSE comparable to the UK GCSE standard. Cambridge describes IGCSE as an international qualification for 14 to 16 year olds, though other ages can take it.
Sources
- Syllabus 0620, 2026-2028, Cambridge University Press & Assessment (version 2)
- Cambridge IGCSE: grading choice, Cambridge University Press & Assessment (accessed October 21, 2026)
- Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge University Press & Assessment (accessed October 21, 2026)
- Register as a private candidate, Cambridge University Press & Assessment (accessed October 21, 2026)
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