Cambridge O Level Food & Nutrition (6065): syllabus, papers and marking

Only the 100-mark theory paper is written, so that is the paper we set and mark. Nutrient, digestion and meal-planning answers are checked against the specific source, site or need the question names.

Syllabus for examination in 2026, 2027 and 2028 · June and November series · grades A*–E

Food & Nutrition 6065: where the marks go

Cambridge O Level Food & Nutrition 6065 has two components of equal weight. Paper 2 is a practical test, taken at the centre after a planning session, and is assessed by the school and moderated by Cambridge. Paper 1 is the written theory paper: 2 hours and 100 marks, with a 40-mark Section A and a 45-mark Section B of compulsory short and structured questions, then a 15-mark extended-response question chosen from two in Section C. In Paper 1, 60 per cent of the marks are for knowledge with understanding, 20 for handling information and solving problems, and 20 for experimental skills and investigations.

Only Paper 1 can be set and marked on paper, so that is what we cover. Our papers follow the fourteen syllabus topics, from nutritive value and digestion through meal planning for special needs to spoilage, preservation and kitchen safety. Marking rubrics for the structured and extended answers are still being built.

How we mark a real script

Paper structure and what we mark

PaperTimeMarksWeightQuestions
Paper 1 — Theory2 h10050%Section A (40 marks) and Section B (45 marks) compulsory short and structured questions; Section C one extended-response question from two (15 marks)
Paper 2 — Practical Test2 h 30 min (after a 1 h 30 min planning session)10050%Practical exam at the centre, internally assessed and externally moderated

Syllabus outline

  1. Terms used in nutrition and nutrition-related problems
  2. Nutritive value of foods: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, water, energy and dietary fibre
  3. Digestion and absorption
  4. Meal planning and dietary guidelines, including special needs
  5. Composition and value of the main foods in the diet
  6. Cooking of food
  7. Convenience foods
  8. Basic proportions and methods of making
  9. Raising agents
  10. Food spoilage and hygiene
  11. Food preservation
  12. Kitchen planning
  13. Kitchen equipment
  14. Kitchen safety and first aid

How each paper is marked here

Where Food & Nutrition 6065 candidates lose marks

  1. A nutrient’s function without its source, or its source without its function — Questions on proteins, vitamins and minerals usually need both: what the body uses the nutrient for and which foods supply it. Students tend to give one half, and a named deficiency disease is often attached to the wrong nutrient.
  2. Digestion answers that skip the site, enzyme or product — A full answer links where digestion happens (mouth, stomach, duodenum, ileum), the enzyme at work and what it breaks the food down into. “It is broken down” earns nothing.
  3. Meal-planning answers that ignore the person in the question — Pregnancy, diabetes, vegetarian and vegan diets, coeliac disease and convalescence each have specific needs. An answer that lists a generally healthy meal, and never ties choices to the stated need, loses the application marks.
  4. Cooking and preservation answers that name the method but not the reason — Explaining why a method retains nutrients, kills bacteria or prevents spoilage needs the underlying principle: heat, water, acidity, cold or removal of moisture.
  5. The 15-mark extended answer written without a plan — Section C rewards a structured response that covers the whole question. Answers that spend most of the writing on the first aspect and run short of time on the second cap themselves.

Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for 6065

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

Questions teachers ask

Can you mark the practical?
No. Paper 2 is a practical cooking test run and assessed by the school, with Cambridge moderating the marks. We set and mark the written theory paper.
Is Food & Nutrition available in every country?
Not in every administrative zone. A school should confirm availability for its zone with Cambridge before entering candidates.
Which syllabus years do the papers follow?
The 2026, 2027 and 2028 syllabus, whose Paper 1 has the three-section structure of 40, 45 and 15 marks described above.
Is this official Cambridge marking?
No. Cambridge International Education marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for 6065. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
Do you reproduce past-paper questions?
No. Every 6065 paper here is original and written to the syllabus for examination in 2026, 2027 and 2028, in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
Which papers are marked?
None yet are marked question by question. 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*–E.

Other Cambridge O Level courses

Start marking Food & Nutrition scripts · See a real marked script