Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 Past Papers 2024–2025 – Mark Schemes, Answers & Examiner Resources
- William Cartwright
- Feb 23
- 15 min read
Updated: Mar 19
Before downloading the papers, make sure you know whether you are entered for the Core or Extended tier, as this determines which exams you should practise. Core students can achieve up to a Grade C and sit Papers 1, 3 and 5, while Extended students can access grades up to A* and sit Papers 2, 4 and either Paper 5 or 6. Most students are entered for the Extended tier. If you are unsure, check with your teacher first.
Before you start practising these papers, we recommend reading the section below on what Cambridge IGCSE Biology examiners wish students knew before the exam. This short section written by our Kingsbridge teachers highlights the most common mistakes that cause students to lose marks, even when they understand the content.
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) November 2025 Past Papers – All Question Papers & Mark Schemes
2025 Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) | Downloads | |
|---|---|---|
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/11) October November 2025 Paper 1 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/12) October November 2025 Paper 1 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/13) October November 2025 Paper 1 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/21) October November 2025 Paper 2 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/22) October November 2025 Paper 2 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/23) October November 2025 Paper 2 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/31) October November 2025 Paper 3 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/32) October November 2025 Paper 3 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/33) October November 2025 Paper 3 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/41) October November 2025 Paper 4 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/42) October November 2025 Paper 4 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/43) October November 2025 Paper 4 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/51) October November 2025 Paper 5 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/52) October November 2025 Paper 5 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/53) October November 2025 Paper 5 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/61) October November 2025 Paper 6 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/62) October November 2025 Paper 6 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/63) October November 2025 Paper 6 Variant 3 | ||
What marks were needed to get an A*, A, B or C in Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended in the November 2025 exam?
For the Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended tier in November 2025, the final grade is based on the total mark out of 200 across all three papers. In general, to achieve an A* you needed roughly 162–164 marks out of 200 (about 81–82%), while an A required around 138–140 marks (about 69–70%). To get a B, students needed approximately 113–117 marks (about 56–59%), and for a C, the requirement was about 89–95 marks (around 45–48%).
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) May/June 2025 Past Papers – All Question Papers & Mark Schemes
2025 Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) | Downloads | |
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/11) May June 2025 Paper 1 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/12) May June 2025 Paper 1 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/13) May June 2025 Paper 1 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/21) May June 2025 Paper 2 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/22) May June 2025 Paper 2 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/23) May June 2025 Paper 2 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/31) May June 2025 Paper 3 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/32) May June 2025 Paper 3 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/33) May June 2025 Paper 3 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/41) May June 2025 Paper 4 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/42) May June 2025 Paper 4 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/43) May June 2025 Paper 4 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/51) May June 2025 Paper 5 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/52) May June 2025 Paper 5 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/53) May June 2025 Paper 5 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/61) May June 2025 Paper 6 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/62) May June 2025 Paper 6 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/63) May June 2025 Paper 6 Variant 3 | ||
What marks were needed to get an A*, A, B or C in Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended in the June 2025 exam?
For the Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended tier in June 2025, the final grade was based on the total mark out of 200 across all three papers. Overall, to achieve an A* students needed roughly 156–174 marks out of 200 (about 78–87%), while an A required around 131–149 marks (about 66–75%). A B generally needed about 103–124 marks (around 52–62%), and a C was approximately 75–99 marks (around 38–50%).
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) March 2025 Past Papers – All Question Papers & Mark Schemes
2025 Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) | Downloads | |
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/12) March 2025 Paper 1 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/22) March 2025 Paper 2 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/32) March 2025 Paper 3 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/42) March 2025 Paper 4 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/52) March 2025 Paper 5 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/62) March 2025 Paper 6 Variant 2 | ||
What marks were needed to get an A*, A, B or C in Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended in the March 2025 exam?
For the Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended tier in March 2025, the final grade was based on the total mark out of 200 across the three papers, and the exact boundaries depended on the variant taken. In general, to achieve an A* students needed around 162 marks out of 200 (about 81%), while an A required approximately 142 marks (about 71%). A B was awarded at about 122 marks (around 61%), and a C required roughly 102 marks (around 51%). These thresholds reflect the overall difficulty of the March 2025 papers.
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) November 2024 Past Papers – All Question Papers & Mark Schemes
2024 Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) | Downloads | |
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/11) October November 2024 Paper 1 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/12) October November 2024 Paper 1 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/13) October November 2024 Paper 1 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/21) October November 2024 Paper 2 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/22) October November 2024 Paper 2 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/23) October November 2024 Paper 2 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/31) October November 2024 Paper 3 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/32) October November 2024 Paper 3 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/33) October November 2024 Paper 3 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/41) October November 2024 Paper 4 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/42) October November 2024 Paper 4 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/43) October November 2024 Paper 4 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/51) October November 2024 Paper 5 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/52) October November 2024 Paper 5 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/53) October November 2024 Paper 5 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/61) October November 2024 Paper 6 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/62) October November 2024 Paper 6 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/63) October November 2024 Paper 6 Variant 3 | ||
What marks were needed to get an A*, A, B or C in Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended in the November 2024 exam?
For the Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended tier in November 2024, the final grade was based on the total mark out of 200 across all three papers, and the exact thresholds varied slightly depending on the variant taken. Overall, to achieve an A* students needed roughly 152–172 marks out of 200 (about 76–86%), while an A required around 131–148 marks (about 66–74%). A B generally required approximately 110–124 marks (around 55–62%), and a C needed about 89–101 marks (around 45–50%).
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) May/June 2024 Past Papers – All Question Papers & Mark Schemes
2024 Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) | Downloads | |
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/11) May June 2024 Paper 1 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/12) May June 2024 Paper 1 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/13) May June 2024 Paper 1 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/21) May June 2024 Paper 2 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/22) May June 2024 Paper 2 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/23) May June 2024 Paper 2 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/31) May June 2024 Paper 3 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/32) May June 2024 Paper 3 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/33) May June 2024 Paper 3 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/41) May June 2024 Paper 4 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/42) May June 2024 Paper 4 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/43) May June 2024 Paper 4 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/51) May June 2024 Paper 5 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/52) May June 2024 Paper 5 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/53) May June 2024 Paper 5 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/61) May June 2024 Paper 6 Variant 1 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/62) May June 2024 Paper 6 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/63) May June 2024 Paper 6 Variant 3 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) March 2024 Past Papers – All Question Papers & Mark Schemes
2024 Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) | Downloads | |
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/12) March 2024 Paper 1 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/22) March 2024 Paper 2 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/32) March 2024 Paper 3 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/42) March 2024 Paper 4 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/52) March 2024 Paper 5 Variant 2 | ||
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610/62) March 2024 Paper 6 Variant 2 | ||
What marks were needed to get an A*, A, B or C in Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended in the March 2024 exam?
For the Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) Extended tier in March 2024, the final grade was based on the total mark out of 200 across the three papers. Overall, to achieve an A* students needed around 161–163 marks out of 200 (about 80–82%), while an A required approximately 142–144 marks (around 71–72%). A B was generally awarded at about 123–125 marks (around 61–63%), and a C required roughly 105–106 marks (about 52–53%). These thresholds reflect the overall difficulty of the March 2024 papers
What Cambridge IGCSE Biology Examiners Wish You Knew
Our experienced Kingsbridge teachers have spent hours to bring you the most important advice you need to hear before sitting these papers. The mistakes below are common, avoidable — so read carefully and take notes.
1. Confusing Command Words (It Happens More Than You Think)
One of the most common — and frustrating — mistakes examiners see is students mixing up "describe" and "explain." You can write a perfectly accurate answer and still score zero if you've done the wrong thing. A classic example: asked to explain a graph, many students just narrate the trend and move on. That's a description, and the marks aren't there.
Think of it this way — describe is the "what" (ideally with figures from the data), and explain is the "why" (the biological reason behind it). Get into the habit of asking yourself which one you've actually been asked for before you start writing.
2. Rushing Past the Stimulus Material
IGCSE Examiners see this constantly: a student ignores the introductory paragraph, makes an assumption, and then confidently answers the wrong question entirely. A real example — a plant in a dark room is bending, and a student writes all about phototropism. Except the question already told them light wasn't a factor. The plant was responding to gravity. The answer was gravitropism, and the clue was sitting right there.
Before you write a single word, read everything — the intro text, the diagram labels, the keys, all of it. It feels slow, but it almost always saves you marks. The question setter put that information there for a reason.
3. Graph Mistakes That Cost Easy Marks
Graphs are one of those areas where small, avoidable slip-ups add up fast. Examiners regularly see misread scales, missing units, and lines that have been extrapolated way beyond the actual data — none of which should be happening. There's also persistent confusion about which variable goes on which axis (the independent variable goes on the x-axis, the dependent on the y).
When you're constructing a graph, use a sharp pencil, make sure your scale is linear and large enough to fill at least half the grid, and resist the urge to extend your line to the origin or beyond your data points unless the question explicitly tells you to. That last one catches a lot of people out — it feels natural to connect the dots all the way, but if the data doesn't support it, don't do it.
4. The Calculation Was Right. The Answer Wasn't.
This one stings, because students often do the hard part correctly and then drop marks at the very last step. Examiners see it constantly — the method is sound, but the final answer isn't rounded to the right number of significant figures or decimal places, and marks slip away unnecessarily.
Two habits will protect you here. First, always show your working in full, even if it feels excessive — if your final answer is wrong but your method is right, you can still pick up partial credit. Second, take a second to sense-check your answer before moving on. If you've calculated the mass of water in an eye and your answer is larger than the total mass of the eye, something has gone wrong. That kind of logical check takes five seconds and can save you from a silly mistake you'd otherwise never catch.
5. Vague Language Is Costing You Marks
Examiners aren't trying to trick you with mark schemes — but they are looking for precision, and woolly language won't cut it. Saying "yeast" when you mean "volume of yeast," or describing an enzyme as "killed" when the correct term is "denatured," are the kinds of errors that suggest you don't quite have a firm grip on the concept, even if you actually do. Muddling similar-sounding terms like ureter and urethra, or pepsin and trypsin, is also surprisingly common and can completely change the meaning of an answer.
The fix is straightforward: learn the vocabulary on your syllabus and use it precisely. When you're talking about variables, "amount" is almost always too vague — ask yourself whether you mean volume, concentration, mass, or something else, and say that instead. Scientific writing rewards specificity.
6. Plants Respire. All the Time. Yes, Really.
This is one of those misconceptions that examiners see year after year, and it's worth addressing head-on: plants respire continuously, 24 hours a day, in every living cell — just like animals do. The idea that they only respire at night, or don't respire at all, is one of the most persistent myths in biology.
There's also frequent confusion about photosynthesis and its raw materials. Sunlight is not a raw material — it's an energy source. The actual raw materials are water and carbon dioxide. It's a small distinction, but it's exactly the kind of thing that separates a good answer from a great one, and examiners will notice if you get it wrong.
7. Biological Drawings: Less Is More
This one surprises a lot of students — biological drawing has very specific rules, and breaking them costs marks even when the underlying biology is spot on. Examiners regularly see shading, scratchy feathered lines, drawings done with a ruler where freehand was needed, or five cells drawn when the question asked for one. All of that is penalised.
The standard to aim for is clean, continuous outlines in sharp pencil — no shading, no stippling, no artistic flourishes. Look carefully at what you're actually drawing and make sure proportions are accurate and key details (like the position of veins in a leaf) are where they should be. Biological drawing is about scientific accuracy, not artistic impression.
8. "Plan an Experiment" Means Write a Method, Not a List
When your Cambridge Biology examiners ask students to plan an investigation, they're looking for a method detailed enough that someone else could actually pick it up and repeat it. What they usually get instead is a bullet list of variables — independent, dependent, controlled — and not much else. That won't get you far.
A strong experimental plan identifies at least three values for the independent variable (so you can establish a proper trend), explains clearly how controlled variables will be kept constant, and includes relevant safety considerations and a control experiment. If you couldn't hand your written method to a stranger and have them run the experiment correctly, it needs more detail.
9. Food Tests: Get the Details Right
Mixing up reagents is extremely common here — Benedict's solution is for reducing sugars, not protein, and that kind of confusion can unravel an otherwise solid answer. But even students who know their reagents often drop marks by forgetting procedural steps. The Benedict's test is a classic example: without heating in a water bath, you won't get a positive result, and omitting that step suggests you don't really understand what's happening.
For every food test on your syllabus, make sure you know the specific reagent, any required procedure (heating, timing, method), and both the initial and final colours. There aren't that many of them — it's worth just learning them cold.
10. Food Webs: Follow the Arrows, Not the Layout
Trophic level questions trip up a lot of students, often in the same predictable ways. The most common is forgetting that producers are always trophic level 1 — no exceptions. From there, counting goes up one level with each arrow. The mistake examiners see is students looking at where an organism sits on the page spatially and making assumptions from that, rather than actually tracing the arrows. The arrows show you the direction of energy transfer — trust them, not the diagram's layout.
Energy loss explanations also tend to be imprecise in ways that cost marks. Energy isn't "used up" as it moves through a food chain — it's lost, primarily through respiration and excretion. That distinction matters, so make sure your wording reflects it. A small tweak in how you phrase something can be the difference between a mark and no mark, and this is exactly the kind of place where that happens.
Are the 2026–2028 Cambridge syllabuses significantly different from the 2023–2025 versions?
No. Cambridge has confirmed there are no significant changes to the teaching content or assessment structure between the two versions. This means textbooks and resources designed for the 2023 syllabus remain fully valid for exams through 2028.
These are the past papers for Biology syllabus 0610 — is this the right Biology for me?
It depends on your pathway. 0610 is Separate Biology — the full, standalone IGCSE Biology qualification. It's the right paper for you if your school has entered you for Biology as its own individual subject. If you're unsure, check your syllabus code with your teacher or look at your school's subject list.
What if I'm doing Co-ordinated Sciences (0654) or Combined Science (0653) — can I still use 0610 papers?
Partially, yes — but with caution:
Co-ordinated Sciences (0654) students can use 0610 papers for most core topics like cells, osmosis, photosynthesis, enzymes, and genetics. A large portion of the questions overlap. However, skip any questions on advanced Extended topics like detailed nephron structure or complex inheritance patterns, as these go beyond your syllabus.
Combined Science (0653) students should use 0610 papers only for very basic, foundational questions. Most of the paper will be beyond your required depth, so it's better to stick to your own past papers.
What's the difference between the papers within 0610 itself — Core vs. Extended?
Within 0610, there are two tiers:
Core covers the fundamental biology that all students must know
Extended includes everything in Core, plus additional deeper content
Most students sit the Extended tier as it allows access to the full grade range (A* to E). Core only goes up to a C grade. If you're aiming for A-Level Biology, you should be sitting and practicing Extended papers.
What were the major changes introduced in the 2023 syllabus update?
The 2023 update focused on streamlining content and modernizing language. Key changes included:
Content removed: Topics such as kidney dialysis/transplants, details of the menstrual cycle hormones, and the specific effects of drugs like heroin on the nervous system were cut to reduce the breadth of the course.
Content added: The use of AI and IVF in captive breeding programs was introduced. "Tubule" was also replaced with "nephron," and definitions for "community" and "ecosystem" were added for clarity.
Tier changes: Several topics previously in the "Supplement" (Extended) tier — including selective breeding and the growth curve — were moved to the "Core" tier, making them accessible to all students.
Assessment consistency: Learning objective wording was aligned across Biology, Chemistry, and Physics to create a more coherent experience for students taking the triple award.
Can I use older past papers before 2023 to prepare for my 2026 Biology exams?
We recommend that you only use the papers from 2023 onwards. If you really want to use those before 2023, you need to be selective. Since biology itself doesn't change — only the syllabus does — about 80–90% of questions in older papers are still relevant.
However, papers from 2022 or earlier will contain "ghost" topics that have since been removed, and will be missing newer topics that are now examinable.
How Many People End Up Achieving A or A* in IGCSE Cambridge Biology?
Based on the most recent June 2025 global data, here is the approximate breakdown for candidates sitting the Extended (A*–G) curriculum:
Grade | Percentage of Students (Cumulative) |
|---|---|
A* | ~17.0% |
A or above | ~44.4% |
B or above | ~66.1% |
C or above | ~82.7% |
Grade | Percentage of Students (Cumulative) |
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