This page contains all 38 available files for Cambridge IGCSE Science Combined (0653) — 2019 Oct-Nov. That includes 17 question papers and 17 mark schemes, plus 1 examiner report, 1 grade threshold document. Every file is the official document published by Cambridge and is free to download as a PDF — no account or payment required.

The October/November series is primarily taken by students in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It follows the same syllabus as May/June but is typically offered in fewer subjects and with a smaller candidate pool, especially for O Level. IGCSE Oct/Nov papers follow the same variant numbering system as May/June.

Cambridge filenames follow a consistent pattern: `0653_[type]_[paper][variant]_w19`. The paper number indicates which component of the syllabus is being examined (e.g., Paper 2 = structured questions), while the variant number (1, 2, or 3) indicates the time zone administration. To find matching question paper and mark scheme pairs, match the last two digits — for example, `0653_qp_42` pairs with `0653_ms_42`.

Cambridge CAIE mark schemes often accept multiple equivalent responses. Look for phrasing like 'allow', 'accept', 'credit', and 'do not credit' — these mark the boundaries between full marks, partial credit, and zero. Understanding the mark scheme logic trains you to write answers that hit every marking point, not just the general idea. Grade threshold documents for this session show the minimum marks required for each grade — useful for understanding how your raw score converts to a grade on this specific paper.

FAQs

Questions, answered.

This session includes 17 question papers and 17 mark schemes, plus 4 additional resources (examiner reports, grade thresholds, etc.). All files are the official papers published by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE).

Match by paper number and variant — the last two digits of the filename. For example, 0653_qp_42 (Question Paper, Paper 4, Variant 2) matches with 0653_ms_42 (Mark Scheme, Paper 4, Variant 2). Session codes: s = May/June, w = Oct/Nov, m = Feb/March.

Cambridge administers different variants of the same paper in different time zones to prevent paper leaks. Variant 1, 2, and 3 are equivalent in difficulty and syllabus coverage — you can practise with any variant regardless of your region.

Yes, these are the official past examination papers published by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). They are the same papers that were sat by students in the 2019 Oct-Nov examination session worldwide.

All Science Combined sessions