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  • Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (0620)

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (0620)

Syllabus overview

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry helps learners to understand the technological world in which they live and take an informed interest in science and scientific developments. The syllabus includes the basic principles and concepts that are fundamental to the subject, some current applications of chemistry, and a strong emphasis on practical skills.

Learners also develop an understanding of the scientific skills essential for progression to Cambridge International AS & A Level, further education or a career related to science.

Resource Plus

Find out more about Resource Plus, a collection of additional teaching and learning resources which have recently been launched to support the delivery of key topics and skills in Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry.

Syllabuses

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

  • 2023 - 2025 Syllabus (PDF, 693KB)
    • 2023-2025 Syllabus update (PDF, 174KB)

Syllabus updates

  • Summary of the changes
    • We revise our qualifications regularly to make sure that they continue to meet the needs of learners, schools and higher education institutions around the world and reflect current thinking. We have updated this syllabus and all assessment materials so they are clearer and more consistent across the three sciences. This is helpful for teachers who are teaching more than one science syllabus, and students who will enjoy a more coherent experience across each science. Please see the 2023-2025 syllabus document for full details on the changes.

      What are the main changes to the syllabus?

      To support teachers and learners, we have:
      • updated the learning objectives to demonstrate the depth you should teach each topic. The wording looks different in many places, but the teaching content remains largely the same
      • updated the topic structure to make sure topics and sub-topics are clearly linked
      • removed and added topics; making sure that the teaching time is still within the guided learning hours
      • reviewed the balance and progression between core and supplement.

      What are the main changes to the assessment?

      • We will provide the 'Notes for use in qualitative analysis' for Paper 6.

      When do these changes take place?

      The updated syllabus is for examination from June 2023 onwards. Examinations are available in March 2023 for India only. Please see the 2023-2025 syllabus for full details.

  • Teaching and learning resources
    • Support

      Visit the School Support Hub for a wide range of teaching and learning resources for the 2023-2025 syllabus.

      Training

      To book a place on any of our face-to-face or online training courses, visit our Events and training calendar.

      Endorsed resources

      View the latest resources from our Endorsement Partners for this updated syllabus.

      Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (Fourth edition) (Hodder)<

      Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (Fourth edition) (Hodder Education)

      Written by renowned expert authors, our updated resources enable the learner to effectively navigate through the content of the updated Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry syllabus.

      Read more on the Hodder Education website

      Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (Third Edition) (Collins)

      Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (Third edition) (Collins)

      This course provides complete coverage of the updated Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry syllabus and is packed full of questions, in-depth content, practical investigative skills features and more.

      Read more on the Collins website

      Marshall Cavendish Education Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (Marshall Cavendish)

      Marshall Cavendish Education Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry (Marshall Cavendish Education)

      This series consists of print and digital learning materials that promote active learning through an inquiry-based approach. It provides many opportunities to extend learning and explore concepts through its activities and relatable real-life applications.

      Read more on the Marshall Cavendish Education website

      Chemistry for Cambridge IGCSE (Fifth Edition) (Cambridge University Press)

      Chemistry for Cambridge IGCSE (Fifth edition)
      (Cambridge University Press)

      Through extensive research, including lesson observations, teacher interviews and work with our online research community, these new editions of our chemistry resources have been designed to meet the specific challenges of science teachers and learners.

      Read more on the Cambridge University Press website

Subscribe to syllabus updates

Important notices

  • Regulation
    • From 2020 examination this syllabus will no longer be regulated by the qualifications and examnations regulators in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Changes to the syllabus and specimen papers reflect the change in regulated status. This syllabus will continue to be available worldwide.

  • Grading scale
    • Please note that if you make an entry for the A*-G grading scale, it is not then possible to switch to the 9-1 grading scale once the entries deadline has passed. If you find that you have accidentally made an entry for the A*-G syllabus, you must withdraw and re-enter before the entries deadline.

  • Cambridge Upper Secondary Science competition
    • Find out more about our competition for Cambridge IGCSE students aged 14-16.

  • Grade descriptions
    • For some subjects, the syllabus states that Grade Descriptions will be made available after first assessment in 2020, 2021 or 2022.

      Publication of grade descriptions was paused in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary changes to the grading standard that have been in place for 2020, 2021 and 2022. We are currently working on producing these grade descriptions. This work will make sure that grade descriptions reflect examination outcomes appropriately and are based on the more stable grading standard that we expect to have in place for June 2023 onwards.

  • Front covers
    • From 2020, we have made some changes to the wording and layout of the front covers of our question papers to reflect the new Cambridge International branding and to make instructions clearer for candidates - learn more.

School Support Hub

We provide a wide range of support so that teachers can give their learners the best possible preparation for Cambridge programmes and qualifications. For teachers at registered Cambridge schools, support materials for specific syllabuses are available from the School Support Hub (username and password required).

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