Edexcel IGCSE Physics Past Papers 2020–2025 (4PH1) – Question Papers, Answers & Examiner Tips
- Daniel White
- Feb 19
- 11 min read
Updated: Mar 19
If you're preparing for your Edexcel IGCSE Physics (4PH1) 2026 and 2027 exams, past papers are one of the best tools you have on your side. We've put together the latest Edexcel IGCSE Physics past papers from 2020 to 2025, complete with official mark schemes, so you can practise under realistic exam conditions and see exactly how marks are awarded.
Before you dive in, it's well worth taking a few minutes to read through our examiner advice section. We've put together the most common mistakes students make in these IGCSE Physics papers — and more importantly, how to avoid them. Click here or scroll down to see what your examiners want you to know. Not sure if these are the right papers for your course? Click here.
Edexcel IGCSE Physics 2025 Past Papers (4PH1) – Question Papers and Mark Schemes PDF
2025 Edexcel IGCSE Physics | Downloads | |
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics November 2025 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics November 2025 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2025 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2025 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) Past Paper | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2025 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2025 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
Edexcel IGCSE Physics 2024 Past Papers (4PH1) – Question Papers and Mark Schemes PDF
2024 Edexcel IGCSE Physics | Downloads | |
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics November 2024 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics November 2024 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2024 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2024 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2024 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) Past Paper | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2024 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
Edexcel IGCSE Physics 2023 Past Papers (4PH1) – Question Papers and Mark Schemes PDF
2023 Edexcel IGCSE Physics | Downloads | |
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics November 2023 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics November 2023 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2023 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) Past Paper | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2023 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics May 2023 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics May 2023 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2023 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) Past Paper | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2023 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2023 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2023 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Edexcel IGCSE Physics 2022 Past Papers (4PH1) – Question Papers and Mark Schemes PDF
2022 Edexcel IGCSE Physics | Downloads | |
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2022 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2022 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2022 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) Past Paper | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2022 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2022 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2022 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2022 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) Past Paper | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2022 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
Edexcel IGCSE Physics 2021 Past Papers (4PH1) – Question Papers and Mark Schemes PDF
2021 Edexcel IGCSE Physics | Downloads | |
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2021 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2021 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2021 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2021 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2021 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) Past Paper | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2021 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
Edexcel IGCSE Physics 2020 Past Papers (4PH1) – Question Papers and Mark Schemes PDF
2020 Edexcel IGCSE Physics | Downloads | |
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2020 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics June 2020 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics May 2020 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics May 2020 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2020 Paper 1P (4PH1/1P) | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2020 Paper 1P R (4PH1/1PR) Time Zone R | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2020 Paper 2P (4PH1/2P) Past Paper | ||
Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Physics January 2020 Paper 2P R (4PH1/2PR) Time Zone R | ||
What's Costing You Marks (According to Official IGCSE Edexcel Physics Examiners)
What follows isn't just another list of revision tips. This section is based is directly from our experienced teachers and the IGCSE Edexcel examiners themselves — advice by the people who set and mark your papers — outlining the most common mistakes they see, every single year. Examiners want students to do well, and the following section is essentially them telling you exactly where marks are being thrown away.
1. Unit Conversion Mistakes
This one catches out so many students! Whether it's forgetting to convert to SI units or making a "power of ten" slip with prefixes like milli (m) or mega (M), these errors can cost you marks that you really don't need to lose.
The fix is simpler than you might think: spend some time getting comfortable with the standard SI units and common prefixes — it's a one-time investment that pays off throughout the entire course. Before plugging numbers into any formula, just pause and ask yourself: "are my units right?" Mass should be in kilograms, time in seconds, and so on. That quick habit alone can save you a surprising number of marks.
2. Graph Troubles
Graph questions trip up a lot of students, and honestly, it's often the small things — forgetting to label axes, using a non-linear scale without realising, or connecting data points dot-to-dot instead of drawing a smooth line of best fit. Sometimes marks are lost simply from misreading the scale in the first place.
The best way to build confidence here is just to practise. When drawing a line or curve of best fit, aim for an equal spread of points on either side — don't just chase every dot.
Always use the grid you're given to keep things accurate, and before you plot or read anything, take a moment to work out what each increment on the scale actually represents. It sounds obvious, but it's easy to rush past it.
3. Not Reading the Question Carefully Enough
Here's something that's genuinely frustrating to see, because it's so avoidable: losing marks not because you don't know the physics, but because you answered a different question than the one being asked. Command words are there for a reason, and the difference between "state" and "explain" is bigger than it looks. Write a full explanation when the question just says "state something," and you've wasted time. Give a one-liner when it says "explain," and you've left marks on the table.
A little time spent learning what each command word actually demands is time very well spent. As a rough guide: "give" or "state" wants something concise — just the fact. "Explain" wants you to make a link between the fact and the underlying physics behind it. And always glance at the marks available; a four-mark question needs more than a four-word answer.
4. Skipping Your Working Out
This one is painful, because it's an easy trap to fall into — especially under time pressure. You get the right answer in your head, scribble it down, and move on. But if that final answer is wrong for any reason, with no working shown, you get nothing. Not a single mark, even if your method was completely sound.
Examiners genuinely want to give you marks — that's what "error carried forward" exists for. If you make a slip in an early step but your method is correct, you can still pick up most of the marks, but only if the examiner can actually see what you did. So write down your formula first, then your substitution, then your answer. Every time, without exception. It takes ten extra seconds and can be the difference between a grade boundary.
5. Significant Figures and Rounding
This is one of those things that feels minor but can quietly drain marks throughout a paper. Sometimes the question explicitly tells you to give your answer to 2 significant figures — and students simply don't do it. Other times, the issue is the opposite: rounding too early in a multi-step calculation, which throws off everything that follows.
The habit to build is this: read each question to the end before you start calculating, so you catch any rounding instructions upfront. Then, during your working, keep more significant figures than you need — your calculator is doing the heavy lifting anyway, so let it. Only round when you write down that final answer. It's a small discipline that makes a real difference.
6. Vague or Woolly Scientific Language
Physics has its own precise vocabulary for a reason, and examiners are looking for it. Saying "gravity" when you mean "weight," or writing "the resistance increases" without specifying which component — these feel like small things, but they can cost you marks even when your understanding is solid. It's frustrating, because the knowledge is there; it just isn't coming through clearly enough.
The solution is to treat technical language like part of the subject, not just dressing. Learn the correct terms for forces, energy stores, wave properties, and circuits, and make a habit of using them. When you write about something changing, always name it specifically. Precision in language shows precision in thinking — and that's exactly what examiners are rewarding.
7. "Show That" Questions — Don't Work Backwards
These questions have a subtle trap built in, and a lot of students fall into it without realising. The question gives you an approximate value — say, "show that the speed is approximately 3 m/s" — and some students use that number as the starting point for their working. That's logically circular, and examiners will spot it immediately.
The right approach is to treat that value purely as a target. Cover it up if it helps, do the calculation completely independently, and then compare. Crucially, your answer should show more significant figures than the approximate value given — that's how you demonstrate you actually arrived at it yourself, rather than just working backwards from the answer. Get that right, and these questions become some of the more straightforward marks on the paper.
8. Circuit Symbols and Force Diagrams
These are the kinds of marks that really sting to lose, because they're pure recall and technique — no complex reasoning required. Mixing up a variable resistor and a thermistor, or drawing a force with two arrows instead of one, are exactly the sorts of slips that examiners see constantly. Force diagrams in particular tend to go wrong in the same ways: too many arrows representing one force, or arrows starting from the wrong place.
The fix for circuit symbols is straightforward — learn them exactly as they appear in the specification, not approximately. Close enough isn't good enough here. For force diagrams, keep it simple: one force, one arrow, clearly labelled, starting from the point where the force acts (or the centre of the object for body forces like weight). Neat and precise will always beat complicated and cluttered.
9. Being Specific About Energy
A lot of students know the energy stores involved in a transfer — kinetic, thermal, elastic, and so on — but drop marks by being vague about whose energy it is. Writing "kinetic energy is transferred to thermal energy" is on the right track, but it's not quite enough. The examiner wants to know which object holds each store.
Get into the habit of building your energy descriptions like this: "the kinetic energy store of the car is transferred to the thermal energy store of the brakes." It feels more wordy, but that specificity is exactly what's being tested. Object first, energy store second — every time.
10. Generic Experimental Methods
Practical questions are where well-revised students can still lose marks, and it usually comes down to one thing: writing a method that would work in general, but doesn't quite fit the specific scenario in front of them. Generic steps copied from memory aren't enough if they don't address what's actually being asked.
What examiners want to see is specificity. Don't write "use a container" — write "use a measuring cylinder." Don't just describe the steps — mention the accuracy details that show you've actually thought it through: repeating readings and calculating a mean, keeping the equipment level, avoiding parallax errors when reading a scale. And if a diagram would help clarify your setup, draw one — it can communicate in seconds what takes a paragraph to explain, and it shows confidence in your method.
Am I Practicing with the Right Physics Paper – 1P, 2P, or 1PR/2PR?
Paper 1P is taken by both students studying Separate Physics (4PH1) and those taking Science (Double Award, 4SD0), and it covers the core Physics content common to both courses. Paper 2P is only for students enrolled in the full Separate Physics course and includes more advanced topics that are not part of the Double Award syllabus. You may also encounter papers labeled 1PR or 2PR; these are simply regional versions of the same papers, created for different time zones or exam centres, but they follow the same specification and cover the same curriculum.
Do I still need to memorise all the physics equations for my exams in 2025, 2026, or 2027?
No — and this is official. The UK Department for Education and Ofqual have decided that students sitting exams in 2025, 2026, and 2027 will not be required to memorize the full list of physics equations.
Instead, a printed equation sheet will be included as an insert inside every exam paper. It will be clean, clearly laid out, and available to you throughout the entire exam.
This applies to:
International GCSE Physics (Separate Science)
Double Award
Single Award
What this means for how you revise: You no longer need to drill equations by rote. The exam will instead test whether you can identify the right equation for a given situation, and then rearrange and apply it correctly. That's where your revision time should go — practising how to use equations, not just memorizing them.
Can I take my International GCSE exams in separate units instead of all at once at the end of Year 11?
Yes — from September 2024, Pearson Edexcel introduced a Modular option for International GCSEs (with first exams in June 2025). Rather than sitting all papers in one go at the end of Year 11 (the traditional Linear route), you can take individual units as you complete them. There's also the added benefit that if you're unhappy with your result in a specific unit, you can retake just that unit instead of resitting the whole qualification. It's worth noting, however, that this Modular route is generally only available to students at international schools — if you're based in the UK, you will most likely still need to follow the Linear route.
Can I still use past papers from 2020–2025 to prepare for my 2026 Edexcel IGCSE Physics exam?
Absolutely — past papers from those years are still excellent practice and the content and style of questions remain the same. The only meaningful difference to be aware of is the Equation Sheet. Older papers were sat without one, so you'll notice questions that ask you to "state the equation linking..." which students had to answer from memory — something you won't need to do in 2026. The simple fix is to download the official 2025 Equation Sheet from the Edexcel website and keep it beside you whenever you practice with older papers. That way you're simulating exactly the conditions you'll face in your actual exam, and your revision stays focused on what really matters: choosing the right equation and applying it correctly.
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