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CIE · IGCSE · Chemistry

Free CIE IGCSE Chemistry
Practice Paper

8 mixed-difficulty practice questions in the style of real CIE IGCSE papers — answers, mark-scheme-style explanations, and the official exam structure all on one page.

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What the real CIE IGCSE Chemistry paper looks like

Paper 1 (Multiple Choice)
40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. 45 minutes. Tests breadth of knowledge.
Paper 2 (Core) / Paper 4 (Extended)
Structured written paper. 1 hour 30 minutes (Core) or 1 hour 45 minutes (Extended). Tests depth of understanding and application.
Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical)
Written paper assessing practical skills for candidates without lab access. 1 hour. Worth ~20% of the total.
Total exam time: ~3 hours, depending on tier (Core vs Extended).
Grading: Grades: A* (highest) to G (lowest), with U (ungraded). Most universities require C or above.

Mini practice paper: 8 questions

Mixed-difficulty questions from across the Chemistry syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.

Q1 · Difficulty 1/3

What factors affect the rate of a chemical reaction?

  1. Only temperature
  2. Temperature, concentration, surface area, catalyst, and pressure (for gases)
  3. Only catalysts
  4. Only concentration
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Temperature, concentration, surface area, catalyst, and pressure (for gases)
All these factors relate to collision theory: they affect how often particles collide and with how much energy.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3

What is an alloy?

  1. A pure metal
  2. A mixture of a metal with one or more other elements (often metals), designed to improve properties
  3. A non-metal
  4. A type of ore
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — A mixture of a metal with one or more other elements (often metals), designed to improve properties
Alloys are harder than pure metals because atoms of different sizes disrupt the regular arrangement, preventing layers from sliding. Examples: steel (Fe+C), brass (Cu+Zn), bronze (Cu+Sn).
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3

Why does increasing surface area increase reaction rate?

  1. The substance gets heavier
  2. More particles are exposed at the surface, increasing collision frequency
  3. The temperature rises
  4. A catalyst is formed
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — More particles are exposed at the surface, increasing collision frequency
Crushing a solid into powder exposes more surface area. More reactant particles are accessible for collisions with the other reactant.
Q4 · Difficulty 1/3

What is the atomic number?

  1. The number of neutrons
  2. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
  3. The mass of the atom
  4. The number of electron shells
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
Atomic number = number of protons. It defines the element. In a neutral atom, protons = electrons.
Q5 · Difficulty 1/3

What is electrolysis?

  1. Dissolving a substance in water
  2. Using electricity to decompose an ionic compound that is molten or in aqueous solution
  3. A combustion reaction
  4. Neutralisation
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Using electricity to decompose an ionic compound that is molten or in aqueous solution
Electrolysis: pass DC through a molten or dissolved ionic compound. Positive ions (cations) move to the cathode (−); negative ions (anions) move to the anode (+).
Q6 · Difficulty 1/3

What is the electron configuration of chlorine (atomic number 17)?

  1. 2, 8, 8
  2. 2, 8, 7
  3. 2, 7, 8
  4. 2, 8, 6, 1
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — 2, 8, 7
Chlorine has 17 electrons: 2 in the first shell, 8 in the second, 7 in the third. The 7 outer electrons explain why chlorine needs 1 more electron to fill its outer shell.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3

Why do gases have no fixed shape or volume?

  1. They are heavier than liquids
  2. Particles move rapidly in random directions with very weak forces between them
  3. They are lighter than air
  4. They only exist in containers
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Particles move rapidly in random directions with very weak forces between them
Gas particles have high kinetic energy, move rapidly and randomly, and have negligible forces between them. They spread out to fill any container.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3

What salt is formed when hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide?

  1. Sodium sulfate
  2. Sodium chloride
  3. Sodium nitrate
  4. Sodium carbonate
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Sodium chloride
HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H₂O. Hydrochloric acid always produces chloride salts. Sulfuric acid → sulfate salts. Nitric acid → nitrate salts.
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CIE IGCSE Chemistry FAQ

What does the CIE IGCSE Chemistry exam look like?
The CIE IGCSE Chemistry exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1 (Multiple Choice): 40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. 45 minutes. Tests breadth of knowledge. Paper 2 (Core) / Paper 4 (Extended): Structured written paper. 1 hour 30 minutes (Core) or 1 hour 45 minutes (Extended). Tests depth of understanding and application. Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): Written paper assessing practical skills for candidates without lab access. 1 hour. Worth ~20% of the total. Total exam time: ~3 hours, depending on tier (Core vs Extended).
Can I download a free CIE IGCSE Chemistry past paper?
Real CIE past papers are published directly by CIE on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is CIE IGCSE Chemistry graded?
Grades: A* (highest) to G (lowest), with U (ungraded). Most universities require C or above. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.