100+ Free IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences Practice Questions

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Which equation correctly summarises photosynthesis?

oxygen + water -> glucose + carbon dioxide

carbon dioxide + glucose -> water + oxygen

glucose + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water

carbon dioxide + water -> glucose + oxygen

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences Exam

A*-G

Grading scale (Extended, double award)

Cambridge International

3 papers

Assessment route (MCQ + theory + practical or ATP)

Cambridge 0654 syllabus 2026-2028

220 marks

Total across the three papers

Cambridge 0654 syllabus

100

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Cambridge IGCSE 0654 Co-ordinated Sciences runs on the 2026-2028 syllabus as a double award giving two grades. Core candidates take Papers 1, 3 and 5 or 6 (C-G/C-G); Extended candidates take Papers 2, 4 and 5 or 6 (A*-G/A*-G). Coverage is intermediate between Combined Science (0653) and the three separate sciences.

Sample IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which organelle is the site of aerobic respiration in both plant and animal cells?

A.Chloroplast

B.Mitochondrion

C.Ribosome

D.Nucleus

Explanation: Mitochondria are the site of aerobic respiration, where glucose reacts with oxygen to release energy as ATP. They are present in almost all eukaryotic cells. Chloroplasts (only in plants and algae) perform photosynthesis.

2Which structure surrounds a plant cell on the outside of the cell membrane and is made of cellulose?

A.Cell wall

B.Vacuole

C.Chloroplast

D.Plasma membrane

Explanation: The plant cell wall is made of cellulose fibres and gives the cell a fixed shape and mechanical support. It lies outside the cell membrane. Bacterial cell walls are also present but contain peptidoglycan, not cellulose.

3A red blood cell is described as a specialised cell. Which feature best adapts it for carrying oxygen?

A.A large nucleus

B.A biconcave disc shape with no nucleus

C.Many mitochondria

D.A long tail for movement

Explanation: Mature mammalian red blood cells lose their nucleus and are shaped as biconcave discs. This provides a high surface area to volume ratio for rapid diffusion of oxygen and leaves more internal space for haemoglobin.

4Which row correctly describes osmosis?

A.Movement of solute, partially permeable membrane, requires ATP

B.Movement of water, partially permeable membrane, no ATP required

C.Movement of any particles down a gradient, no membrane needed

D.Movement of water against a gradient, requires ATP

Explanation: Osmosis is the net movement of water molecules from a region of higher water concentration to a region of lower water concentration through a partially permeable membrane. It is passive and does not require ATP.

5Mineral ions such as nitrate are absorbed by plant root hair cells against a concentration gradient. Which process is used?

A.Diffusion

B.Osmosis

C.Active transport

D.Filtration

Explanation: Nitrate ions are usually at higher concentration inside the root cell than in the soil water. Moving them in against the gradient requires ATP from respiration and carrier proteins in the membrane — this is active transport.

6Why do large organisms need specialised exchange surfaces such as alveoli and villi?

A.Their surface area to volume ratio is small

B.Their surface area to volume ratio is large

C.They have no need for diffusion

D.They cannot carry out respiration

Explanation: As an organism gets bigger, volume grows faster than surface area, so the surface area to volume ratio decreases. Diffusion across the body surface is no longer fast enough, so specialised exchange surfaces with large surface area are needed.

7Which food test gives a brick-red colour with a reducing sugar such as glucose?

A.Iodine test

B.Benedict's test

C.Biuret test

D.Ethanol emulsion test

Explanation: Benedict's reagent is heated with the food solution; reducing sugars produce a colour change from blue through green/yellow/orange to brick-red as concentration increases. Non-reducing sugars must be hydrolysed first.

8Enzymes are described as biological catalysts. What happens to most enzymes at temperatures well above 50 degrees C?

A.They speed up indefinitely

B.They denature and lose activity

C.They turn into substrate

D.They become permanent

Explanation: Above the optimum temperature, the bonds holding the enzyme's tertiary structure break and the active site changes shape. Substrate no longer fits, so the enzyme is denatured and the reaction stops. This change is irreversible.

9Which equation correctly summarises photosynthesis?

A.glucose + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water

B.carbon dioxide + water -> glucose + oxygen

C.carbon dioxide + glucose -> water + oxygen

D.oxygen + water -> glucose + carbon dioxide

Explanation: Photosynthesis uses light energy absorbed by chlorophyll to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. The balanced symbol equation is 6CO2 + 6H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2.

10A student plots the rate of photosynthesis against light intensity at a fixed temperature and CO2 level. The rate increases then plateaus. What is the most likely limiting factor on the plateau?

A.Light intensity

B.Carbon dioxide concentration or temperature

C.Chlorophyll concentration

D.Water availability

Explanation: When light intensity stops being the limiting factor, the plateau indicates another factor is now limiting. With temperature and CO2 fixed at low values, raising light no longer helps — CO2 concentration or temperature is now the bottleneck. This is a key Extended limiting-factors graph idea.

About the IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences Exam

Cambridge IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences (0654) is a double-award international upper-secondary qualification covering biology, chemistry and physics in a single coordinated course. Candidates receive two grades for the qualification. Coverage is broader and deeper than Combined Science (0653) but narrower than the three separate sciences. Students take a multiple-choice paper, a structured theory paper, and either a practical test or alternative-to-practical paper.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

Paper 1/2: 45 min; Paper 3/4: 2 hours; Paper 5: 2 hours or Paper 6: 1 hour

Passing Score

Two grades awarded; Core eligible for C-G/C-G, Extended eligible for A*-G/A*-G

Exam Fee

£60-£140 per subject (school-set entry fee, varies by centre) (Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE))

IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences Exam Content Outline

11%

Biology: Cells and movement of substances

Animal, plant and bacterial cell structure, organelles, specialised cells, tissues to organ systems, diffusion, osmosis, active transport, surface area to volume ratio

11%

Biology: Biological molecules, enzymes and nutrition

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, food tests, enzyme action, photosynthesis and limiting factors, balanced diet, digestion, absorption and assimilation

11%

Biology: Transport, respiration, coordination and inheritance

Xylem, phloem, double circulation, alveoli, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, excretion, nervous and endocrine systems, tropisms, mitosis vs meiosis, Punnett squares, codominance, ecosystems

11%

Chemistry: States, atoms, bonding and stoichiometry

Solid/liquid/gas particle model, atomic structure, electronic configuration, periodic table, ionic, covalent and metallic bonding, mole calculations and percentage yield

11%

Chemistry: Electrochemistry, energetics and rates

Electrolysis of molten and aqueous solutions (chlor-alkali), exothermic vs endothermic, bond energies, factors affecting reaction rates, reversible reactions and Le Chatelier basics, Haber and Contact processes

11%

Chemistry: Inorganic and organic chemistry

Acids, bases and salts, periodic group properties, reactivity series and metal extraction, air and water, fractional distillation, alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, carboxylic acids, addition and condensation polymerisation

12%

Physics: Motion, forces, momentum, energy and pressure

Distance-time and velocity-time graphs, suvat equations, Newton's laws, Hooke's law, momentum p = mv and collisions, work and power, KE = 1/2 mv^2 and GPE = mgh, efficiency, pressure in fluids

11%

Physics: Thermal physics and waves

Specific heat capacity, kinetic theory, conduction, convection, radiation, wave properties, reflection, refraction, total internal reflection, sound waves, electromagnetic spectrum

11%

Physics: Electricity, electromagnetism, atomic and space

Series and parallel circuits, mains electricity, electrical power, motor effect, electromagnetic induction, transformers, radioactive decay and half-life, solar system, life cycle of stars, redshift

How to Pass the IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Two grades awarded; Core eligible for C-G/C-G, Extended eligible for A*-G/A*-G
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: Paper 1/2: 45 min; Paper 3/4: 2 hours; Paper 5: 2 hours or Paper 6: 1 hour
Exam fee: £60-£140 per subject (school-set entry fee, varies by centre)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences Study Tips from Top Performers

1Treat the course as three connected sciences — make separate revision notebooks for biology, chemistry and physics but link cross-topic ideas (e.g. respiration and energy, electrolysis and bonding)

2For Extended candidates, master quantitative skills: mole calculations, percentage yield, momentum p = mv, kinetic energy 1/2 mv^2 and half-life — these distinguish A*/A grades

3Practise interpreting graphs that appear across all three sciences — photosynthesis limiting factor graphs, rate of reaction curves, velocity-time graphs and radioactive decay curves

4Memorise required apparatus and method steps for Paper 5/6 — common procedures include titration, electrolysis, food tests, measuring rate of reaction and determining resistance using V/I

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between IGCSE 0654 Co-ordinated Sciences and 0653 Combined Science?

Both are double-award qualifications worth two GCSEs, but 0654 Co-ordinated Sciences covers more content than 0653 Combined Science. Students who plan to study sciences at A-Level usually take 0654 (or the three separate sciences 0610/0620/0625) rather than 0653.

How is IGCSE 0654 assessed?

Candidates take three papers: a multiple-choice paper (Paper 1 Core or Paper 2 Extended, 45 minutes, 40 marks), a structured theory paper (Paper 3 Core or Paper 4 Extended, 2 hours, 120 marks) and either Paper 5 Practical Test (2 hours, 60 marks) or Paper 6 Alternative to Practical (1 hour, 60 marks).

What grades does IGCSE 0654 award?

Co-ordinated Sciences is a double award, so candidates receive two grades for the qualification (for example AA, AB or BB). Core candidates can achieve C-G/C-G and Extended candidates can achieve A*-G/A*-G on the standard scale.

Is the 2026 syllabus different from previous years?

The current syllabus covers the 2026-2028 examination series. The double-award structure and three-paper assessment remain unchanged, with practical or alternative-to-practical assessment still required. Past papers from 2023-2025 follow the same format and remain useful for practice.

100+ Free IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences Practice Questions

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