CCEA GCSE double award science (584) Past Papers 2026

Cells, Living Processes and Biodiversity — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: 1h

Body Systems, Genetics, Microorganisms and Health — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: 1h 15m

Structures, Trends, Chemical Reactions, Quantitative Chemistry and Analysis — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: 1h

Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: 1h 15m

Motion, Force, Moments, Energy, Density, Kinetic Theory, Radioactivity, Nuclear Fission and Fusion — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: 1h

Waves, Light, Electricity, Magnetism, Electromagnetism and Space Physics — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: 1h 15m

Practical Skills — Booklet A (3×15 = 45 marks) + Booklet B (3×35 = 105 marks) — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: Booklet A: 3h supervised (1h × 3 sciences); Booklet B: 1h 30m written (30m × 3 sciences)

Biology — Osmosis applied to specific tissues (potato cylinders, red blood cells, root hair cells)

Osmosis is flagged in the Biology Unit 2 report in all three years (2023–2025). Candidates describe the solute concentration rather than water movement, give the generic definition without applying it to the scenario, or fail to state the direction of water movement specific to the tissue in the question.

Unit B2 F, Unit B2 H

Biology — Enzyme questions: stopping at 'denature' without the full mechanism

Biology Unit 1 in 2023 notes that on enzyme questions 'some candidates just write everything they know about enzymes without selecting what is appropriate for the question'. The examiner expects a targeted answer: for inhibition or denaturation, the chain is denature → active site changes shape → substrate no longer fits.

Unit B1 F, Unit B1 H

Biology — Genetics: wrong allele letters, Punnett square errors, and not stating homozygous/heterozygous correctly

Genetics is identified as a difficult topic in Unit B2 across 2024 and 2025. In 2024, the Punnett square cross was described as poorly answered despite being examined many times; in 2025 some candidates started with the wrong parental genotype. In Foundation 2025, 'surprisingly few candidates could state homozygous dominant and homozygous recessive.'

Unit B2 F, Unit B2 H

Biology — Transpiration: identifying leaf structures and potometer use

In Unit B2 Foundation 2025, 'a disappointing number of candidates showed a lack of knowledge of transpiration and also the use of a potometer.' Few candidates could state stomata and air spaces as the route for water loss in the leaf. Confused answers about the potometer appeared across Foundation and Higher.

Unit B2 F, Unit B2 H

Chemistry — Organic chemistry: naming compounds, drawing structures, and writing general formulae

Organic chemistry is described as 'the topic with which candidates struggle' in Chemistry Unit 2 in all three years. Candidates could not name propanoic acid, but-1-ene, or 1,2-dibromoethane; drawing structural formulae of organic compounds was consistently poorly answered; general formulae for homologous series were rarely correct at Foundation.

Unit C2 F, Unit C2 H

Chemistry — Writing balanced symbol equations and ionic equations

Balanced equations and ionic equations are flagged in Chemistry Units 1 and 2 across all three years. Candidates modify subscripts within formulae to balance (not allowed), write equations instead of formulae when asked for a formula, and produce incorrect ionic equations by failing to identify spectator ions. The skill of 'writing the formula first, then balancing' is consistently underdeveloped.

Unit C1 F, Unit C1 H, Unit C2 F, Unit C2 H

Physics — Nuclear fusion: confusing with fission and omitting that nuclei join

Nuclear fusion is identified as a weak topic in Physics Unit 1 in both 2024 and 2025. In Foundation 2025 'very few candidates attained more than two marks'; 'a considerable number confused fusion with nuclear fission' and 'other candidates referenced atoms joining instead of nuclei'. In Higher 2025, QWC on fusion was described as challenging for most candidates.

Unit P1 F, Unit P1 H

Physics — Ray diagrams: construction errors with converging/diverging lenses and refraction

Ray diagram construction is flagged in Physics Unit 2 in all three years. In Foundation 2023 'most candidates appeared to be unaware of the rules for drawing ray diagrams'. In Higher 2025, 'candidates lost marks by not correctly labelling the direction of the rays'. In Foundation 2025, 'a significant minority of candidates were unable to construct any correct rays.'

Unit P2 F, Unit P2 H