Is this the same as Co-ordinated Sciences?

No. 0653 is a single-grade course with an 80-mark theory paper; 0654 is the double award with a 120-mark paper.

Which tier can I set?

Core or Extended; the two tiers share the same content areas with Extended adding the supplement.

Yes, as a written paper; Paper 5 is sat at the centre.

Is this official Cambridge marking?

No. Cambridge International Education marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for 0653. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.

Which papers are marked?

None yet are marked question by question; Paper 1, Paper 2 are scored instantly. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.

How is the next paper chosen?

From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.

Cambridge IGCSE Combined Science (0653): syllabus, papers and marking

Name: Cambridge IGCSE Combined Science (0653) — exam-style papers and marking
Price: 5000 PKR

The single-grade science course: one 80-mark theory paper covering biology, chemistry and physics. Each answer is checked against the marking points and the missing term is named.

Syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (2028–2029 published, structure unchanged) · June and November series · grades A*–G (Core C–G)

Combined Science 0653: where the marks go

Combined Science 0653 covers biology, chemistry and physics in one qualification: a 40-question multiple-choice paper, one 80-mark theory paper (Paper 3 Core or Paper 4 Extended) and a practical test or the written Paper 6. Strong candidates use the command word and the mark tariff to decide how much detail an answer needs.

Our 0653 papers follow the Core and Extended structure. Theory and Paper 6 are marked point by point with each dropped mark tied to a missing term or step, and multiple choice is scored at once.

How we mark a real script

Paper structure and what we mark

Paper	Time	Marks	Weight	Questions
Paper 1 — Multiple Choice (Core)	45 min	40	30%	40 four-option multiple-choice questions
Paper 2 — Multiple Choice (Extended)	45 min	40	30%	40 four-option multiple-choice questions
Paper 3 — Theory (Core)	1 h 15 min	80	50%	Short-answer and structured questions across biology, chemistry and physics
Paper 4 — Theory (Extended)	1 h 15 min	80	50%	Short-answer and structured questions across biology, chemistry and physics
Paper 5 — Practical Test	1 h 15 min	40	20%	Practical exam (sat at the centre) — or Paper 6
Paper 6 — Alternative to Practical	1 h	40	20%	Written paper on experimental skills — or Paper 5

Syllabus outline

Biology B1–B16: characteristics of living organisms, cells, movement into and out of cells, biological molecules, enzymes, plant and human nutrition, transport, diseases and immunity, gas exchange, respiration, drugs, reproduction, ecosystems, human influences
Chemistry C1–C12: states of matter, atoms and compounds, stoichiometry, electrochemistry, energetics, reactions, acids and salts, Periodic Table, metals, environment, organic chemistry, analysis
Physics P1–P5: motion, forces and energy, thermal physics, waves, electricity, space physics
Experimental skills: planning, apparatus, observations, tables and graphs, evaluation

How each paper is marked here

Theory and Paper 6 marked against point-by-point schemes with the missing term shown.
Multiple choice (Papers 1 and 2) scored instantly and mapped to syllabus sections.
Opening soon: the combined-science scheme conventions are still being built.

Where Combined Science 0653 candidates lose marks

Function confused with another process — Absorption in the small intestine written as egestion, or the products of protein digestion not known.
Description given where an explanation is needed — Stronger scripts explain from a graph or table (for example why an enzyme is inactive at low pH); weaker ones restate the data.
Rearranging and showing the steps of a calculation — Marks are given in stages, so the substitution and the rearranged equation need to be on the page.
Practical answers that are generic — Safety, accuracy and contamination answers that are not specific to the apparatus in the experiment.
Qualitative analysis tests not recalled — Reagent and result are separate marks and the second is often missing.

Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for 0653

See a real handwritten script marked by eight examiners at admitportfolio.com/examiners.

Questions teachers ask

Is this the same as Co-ordinated Sciences?: No. 0653 is a single-grade course with an 80-mark theory paper; 0654 is the double award with a 120-mark paper.
Which tier can I set?: Core or Extended; the two tiers share the same content areas with Extended adding the supplement.
Can it mark Paper 6?: Yes, as a written paper; Paper 5 is sat at the centre.
Is this official Cambridge marking?: No. Cambridge International Education marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for 0653. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
Do you reproduce past-paper questions?: No. Every 0653 paper here is original and written to the syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (2028–2029 published, structure unchanged), in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
Which papers are marked?: None yet are marked question by question; Paper 1, Paper 2 are scored instantly. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.
How is the next paper chosen?: From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.
When are the exams?: June and November series. Grades A*–G (Core C–G).

Other Cambridge IGCSE courses

Start marking Combined Science scripts · See a real marked script