Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 Past Papers 2026
Download free Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports & grade thresholds. 61 exam sessions from 2002–2026.
2026 March
Latest Session
61
Sessions
2002–2026
662
Question Papers
646
Mark Schemes
98% coverage
57
Examiner Reports
93% of sessions
51
Grade Thresholds
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute shows how fast you have to work — the higher the number, the tighter the time pressure in that paper.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1/2 | Multiple Choice (Core/Extended) | 40 | 45m | 0.89 | High |
| Paper 3/4 | Theory (Core/Extended) | 80 | 1h 15m | 1.07 | Very high |
| Paper 5/6 | Practical / Alternative to Practical | 40 | 1h 15m (Paper 5) / 1h (Paper 6) | 0.53 | Steady |
Component structure extracted from 6 official Cambridge documents (2023–2025). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
Topical Past Papers
Questions organized by syllabus topic — perfect for targeted revision. 1 topics available.
How is Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 examined?
Cambridge IGCSE Biology is examined through 3 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1/2
40 marksMultiple Choice (Core/Extended)
Duration: 45m
Paper 3/4
80 marksTheory (Core/Extended)
Duration: 1h 15m
Paper 5/6
40 marksPractical / Alternative to Practical
Duration: 1h 15m (Paper 5) / 1h (Paper 6)
What Cambridge examiners say about Biology
Verbatim quotes from 6 official Cambridge examiner reports (2023–2025). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things Cambridge markers flag year after year.
Confusing excretion with egestion
A significant number of candidates incorrectly believed that undigested food is removed by excretion. Egestion is the process that removes undigested food. Excretion is the removal of waste products of metabolism.
Enzyme misconceptions
A significant number of candidates were unable to explain the specific role of the enzyme in converting the substrate to a product and what happens to the enzyme after it has been used.
Food test procedures incomplete or wrong
Benedict's test was often incomplete as it was common for the heating step to be left out.
Most Common Mistakes — Biology (0610)
Based on analysis of 6 official Cambridge examiner reports (2023, 2025). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Confusing excretion with egestion
Paper 1/2, Paper 3/4 · Flagged in every session (2023–2025)
Enzyme misconceptions — pH 7, heat 'kills', shape matching
Paper 1/2, Paper 3/4 · Every session, Papers 1/2 and 3/4
Food test procedures incomplete or wrong
Paper 3/4, Paper 5/6 · Every session, Papers 3/4 and 5/6
Confusing breathing with respiration
Paper 3/4 · Multiple sessions, Papers 3/4
Transport in plants — wrong substances in xylem/phloem
Paper 3/4 · Every session, Papers 3/4
Topics Students Struggle With Most
Osmosis and water movement
Confused across all sessions. Students describe water moving 'down a concentration gradient' instead of from higher to lower water concentration through a partially permeable membrane.
Paper 3/4
Enzyme action — denaturation, pH optima, specificity
'All enzymes work at pH 7' is a persistent misconception. Students say heat 'kills' enzymes instead of 'denatures'. Active site described as 'same shape' as substrate instead of 'complementary'.
Paper 1/2, Paper 3/4
Food tests — especially Benedict's and DCPIP
Benedict's test missing the heating step. DCPIP test for vitamin C poorly known. Emulsion test procedure confused.
Paper 3/4, Paper 5/6
Transport in plants — xylem vs phloem substances
Phloem described as carrying 'food' or 'glucose' instead of sucrose. Xylem function confused with phloem. Translocation mechanism poorly understood.
Paper 3/4
Breathing vs respiration
Breathing (physical, ventilation) confused with respiration (chemical, energy release). 'Energy is used in respiration' instead of 'released by respiration' is a common error.
Paper 3/4
Excretion vs egestion
Undigested food removal (egestion) confused with metabolic waste removal (excretion). Urea/urine confused. Bladder mistaken for excretory organ.
Paper 1/2, Paper 3/4
Genetic terminology — gene vs allele
Gene defined without 'codes for a protein'. 'Dominant gene' used instead of 'dominant allele'. In genetic crosses, students don't use the allele letters provided.
Paper 3/4
Graph and data skills
Not quoting both axes with units. Significant figures vs decimal places confusion. Wrong denominators in percentage change. Describing trends without specific data points.
Paper 3/4, Paper 5/6
Biology (0610) — Cambridge IGCSE Full Archive 2002–2026
This page contains all 1534 available papers for Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) — 61 exam sessions from 2002 to 2026. Each session includes question papers, mark schemes, and where available, examiner reports and grade threshold documents. All files are free to download as PDF — no account required.
Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) is examined through multiple paper components. Question papers are available in two or three variants per session (v1, v2, v3) — each variant is sat in a different time zone but covers the same syllabus content and is equivalent in difficulty. The paper number in the filename indicates which component: for example, 0610_qp_12 is Paper 1, Variant 2.
Mark schemes for 0610 show the exact marking points accepted by Cambridge examiners. Many questions have multiple acceptable phrasings — look for 'accept', 'allow', and 'credit' in the mark scheme to understand the full range of valid responses. Examiner reports (where available) reveal the most common errors made by the cohort and what top-band answers looked like, making them essential reading before the actual exam.
The most effective way to use this archive is to attempt past papers under timed exam conditions, then analyse your mark scheme results by component. Track which paper components and question types you score lowest on — this tells you exactly where to focus revision. Grade threshold documents show the minimum mark needed for each grade in that specific session, which helps calibrate how your practice scores translate to actual grades.
Biology 0610 at other levels
Questions, answered.
You can download all Cambridge Biology 0610 past papers right here on PapersDaddy. We have 61 exam sessions from 2002–2026 — including question papers, mark schemes, examiner reports, and grade thresholds for 0610. Click any session below to view and download PDFs.
Yes! Every Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) exam session includes the corresponding mark scheme alongside the question paper. Mark schemes show exactly how marks are allocated, helping you understand what examiners look for in top-scoring answers.
Start with recent 0610 papers (2025–2023) to understand current trends. Practice under timed conditions, then mark yourself using the mark scheme. Read examiner reports to learn common mistakes. For targeted revision, use Biology 0610 topical past papers to focus on specific topics.
We have Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) papers from May/June, October/November, and March sessions (where applicable), covering 2002–2026. That's 61 exam sessions in total.