Kramizo
Log inSign up free
Home › CIE IGCSE Co-ordinated Science (Double Award) › Practice Paper
CIE · IGCSE · Co-ordinated Science (Double Award)

Free CIE IGCSE Co-ordinated Science (Double Award)
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.

Take a Mini Mock →

What the real CIE IGCSE Co-ordinated Science (Double Award) 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 Co-ordinated Science (Double Award) syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.

Q1 · Difficulty 1/3

Which of the following best explains why a sharp knife cuts more easily than a blunt knife when the same force is applied?

  1. The sharp knife has a smaller contact area, reducing the force on the material.
  2. The sharp knife has a larger contact area, increasing the force on the material.
  3. The sharp knife has a larger contact area, reducing the pressure on the material.
  4. The sharp knife has a smaller contact area, increasing the pressure on the material.
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — The sharp knife has a smaller contact area, increasing the pressure on the material.
Pressure = Force ÷ Area. With the same applied force, a smaller contact area (sharp edge) produces a higher pressure, making it easier to cut.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3

The part of the cell that controls its activities is the:

  1. membrane
  2. vacuole
  3. cytoplasm
  4. nucleus
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — nucleus
The nucleus controls the cell.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3

A box is pushed 5.0 m along a horizontal floor by a horizontal force of 20 N. How much work is done on the box?

  1. 25 J
  2. 100 J
  3. 200 J
  4. 4.0 J
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — 100 J
Work done = force × distance = 20 N × 5.0 m = 100 J. Option A divides instead of multiplies. Option B adds the values. Option D doubles the correct answer, confusing the formula with W = 2Fd.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3

A diver descends to a depth of 10 m in sea water of density 1025 kg/m³. Taking g = 10 N/kg, what is the pressure due to the water alone at this depth?

  1. 1025 Pa
  2. 1 025 000 Pa
  3. 10 250 Pa
  4. 102 500 Pa
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — 102 500 Pa
Using p = ρgh: p = 1025 kg/m³ × 10 N/kg × 10 m = 102 500 Pa. Option A omits both g and h from the calculation. Option C omits the depth factor of 10, using only ρ × g. Option B multiplies by an additional factor of 10, suggesting an arithmetic error in powers of ten.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3

A rapid, automatic response to a stimulus is a:

  1. habit
  2. memory
  3. reflex action
  4. voluntary action
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — reflex action
Reflexes are fast and automatic.
Q6 · Difficulty 2/3

A student pushes a 2.0 kg trolley and measures that it accelerates at 5.0 m/s². The student then loads the trolley with a 3.0 kg mass and applies the same force. What is the new acceleration of the trolley?

  1. 8.3 m/s²
  2. 3.0 m/s²
  3. 2.0 m/s²
  4. 5.0 m/s²
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — 2.0 m/s²
0 m/s². Award 1 mark. F = ma = 2.0 × 5.0 = 10 N; with the load the mass is 5.0 kg, so a = 10 ÷ 5.0 = 2.0 m/s². 5.0 m/s² ignores the extra mass, and 3.0 and 8.3 m/s² come from subtracting or adding accelerations.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3

Which statement correctly defines pressure?

  1. Pressure is the total force acting on a surface.
  2. Pressure is the weight of an object divided by its volume.
  3. Pressure is the area over which a force acts.
  4. Pressure is the force acting per unit area on a surface.
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Pressure is the force acting per unit area on a surface.
Pressure is defined as the force acting normally (perpendicularly) per unit area on a surface, expressed as p = F ÷ A and measured in pascals (Pa). Option A confuses pressure with force. Option C describes area, not pressure. Option B divides weight by volume, which is a kind of density, not pressure.
Q8 · Difficulty 2/3

Two substances X and Y, each of mass 1.0 kg, absorb the same quantity of thermal energy. Substance X shows a temperature rise of 5 °C and substance Y shows a temperature rise of 20 °C. Which conclusion is correct?

  1. Substance X has a higher specific heat capacity than substance Y
  2. Substance Y has a higher specific heat capacity than substance X
  3. Both substances have the same specific heat capacity
  4. Substance X absorbed more energy than substance Y
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Substance X has a higher specific heat capacity than substance Y
From c = Q / (mΔT), a smaller temperature rise for the same Q and m means a larger c. Substance X has ΔT = 5 °C giving a higher c, while substance Y has ΔT = 20 °C giving a lower c. Option B reverses this reasoning. Option C is incorrect because their temperature rises differ. Option D contradicts the given information that both absorbed the same energy.
Build a 30-question timed mock →
Free account · Instant marking

CIE IGCSE Co-ordinated Science (Double Award) FAQ

What does the CIE IGCSE Co-ordinated Science (Double Award) exam look like?
The CIE IGCSE Co-ordinated Science (Double Award) 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 Co-ordinated Science (Double Award) 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 Co-ordinated Science (Double Award) 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.