0610

Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) — 2025 Past Papers

The Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) 2025 examination consisted of 3 exam sessions totalling 97 downloadable files (80.6 MB). Every session bundle includes question papers (QP), mark schemes (MS) and examiner reports (ER) for each of the 6 paper components, plus grade thresholds (GT) where Cambridge has released them. Use the session cards below to download individual papers, or jump to a different year at the bottom of the page.

Exam sessions
3
Papers / files
97
Download size
80.6 MB
Paper components
6

2025 Exam Sessions

Feb/Mar Series

March

2025

M
Files 15
Size 13.4 MB
Series code 0610_m25
View papers
May/Jun Series

May-June

2025

S
Files 41
Size 34.1 MB
Series code 0610_s25
View papers
Oct/Nov Series

October-November

2025

W
Files 41
Size 33.1 MB
Series code 0610_w25
View papers

0610 Paper Components Set in 2025

In 2025, Cambridge set 18 distinct paper variants across the 3 sessions of IGCSE Biology. All variants of a given paper test the same syllabus content and are graded to the same standard — only the specific questions differ.

Why multiple variants? Cambridge sets two or three versions of every paper to manage exam security across global time zones. A paper sat at 9am local time in Singapore would finish before the same paper started in the UK — without separate variants, leaked questions could spread eastward before Western candidates sat down. Each variant is timed and assigned to a specific administrative zone so candidates in different time zones never see the same questions.

How to read the variant code: the two-digit number after the slash is paper-number + variant-number. So 0610/12 is Paper 1, Variant 2; 0610/41 is Paper 4, Variant 1. Your school's administrative zone determines which variant you sit — Variant 1 typically goes to schools in Africa, Europe and the Middle East; Variant 2 to South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) and parts of South-East Asia; Variant 3 to East Asia and the Pacific.

2025 variant pattern: the Feb/March series — where offered — only sets Variant 2 papers because it serves a single administrative zone; May/June and October/November sessions typically set all available variants. March 2025 set variants 12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62; May-June 2025 set variants 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53, 61, 62, 63; October-November 2025 set variants 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53, 61, 62, 63.

Paper 1
Multiple Choice (Core)
40 marks
45 min
2025 variants: 11, 12, 13
Paper 2
Multiple Choice (Extended)
40 marks
45 min
2025 variants: 21, 22, 23
Paper 3
Theory (Core)
80 marks
1 hr 15 min
2025 variants: 31, 32, 33
Paper 4
Theory (Extended)
80 marks
1 hr 15 min
2025 variants: 41, 42, 43
Paper 5
Practical Test
40 marks
1 hr 15 min
2025 variants: 51, 52, 53
Paper 6
Alternative to Practical
40 marks
1 hr
2025 variants: 61, 62, 63

Browse other 0610 years

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is each 0610 paper and how many marks is it worth?

Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) is made up of 6 paper components totalling 320 marks.

  • 1
    Multiple Choice (Core)
    45 min 40 marks
  • 2
    Multiple Choice (Extended)
    45 min 40 marks
  • 3
    Theory (Core)
    1 hr 15 min 80 marks
  • 4
    Theory (Extended)
    1 hr 15 min 80 marks
  • 5
    Practical Test
    1 hr 15 min 40 marks
  • 6
    Alternative to Practical
    1 hr 40 marks

Note: Times shown are the official Cambridge writing time and do not include the 5 minutes of reading time given before most papers begin. Your tier (Core or Extended, where the subject offers tiering) determines which papers you sit.

When are Cambridge IGCSE Biology exams held?

Cambridge IGCSE Biology (0610) is offered in up to three sessions each year: Feb/March (limited to certain regions, mainly India), May/June (the main worldwide session), and October/November. Most candidates sit either the May/June or October/November series. The 2025 papers on this page cover all 3 sessions that ran in 2025.

View the full Cambridge exam timetable →

What's the difference between Paper variants like 11, 12 and 13?
Cambridge produces several variant papers from each paper to manage exam logistics across global time zones. Papers 11, 12 and 13 are three different versions of Paper 1; papers 21, 22 and 23 are three versions of Paper 2; and so on. Your school assigns you to one version based on your administrative zone. Papers 11, 12 and 13 are typically separately written and don't share questions, and the syllabus areas tested can vary noticeably from one variant paper to the next — the topic mix on the version you sit may differ noticeably from another candidate's. Cambridge calibrates all variant papers to equivalent overall difficulty and sets a separate grade threshold for each one. For thorough revision, rotate through different versions when you practise past papers — each one covers a different slice of the syllabus.
Is one paper variant harder than another?
No version of the paper is systematically "easier" or "harder" than the others. Cambridge writes every variant paper to the same overall difficulty target, and if small differences emerge during a session they're absorbed by per-paper grade thresholds set after marking — a slightly harder version typically gets a slightly lower threshold, so candidates end up worth the same grade for the same level of performance. You can't choose your variant paper anyway (your school's administrative zone determines it). If a friend's paper looks "easier" than yours, it's usually because the specific topic mix happened to hit their strengths rather than the paper being genuinely lighter.
Are mark schemes and examiner reports free to download?
Yes — and LumiExams makes them easy to find. The 0610 question papers (QP), mark schemes (MS), examiner reports (ER) and grade thresholds (GT) are all © Cambridge Assessment International Education, published after each session as free educational materials. LumiExams does not own these documents — we organise the official Cambridge PDFs by year and session so you can study with the same materials your teachers and exam officers reference, and we link directly to each file. For official syllabuses, registration and assessment policy, refer to cambridgeinternational.org.
How should I use the 2025 Biology papers for revision?

Work through one full paper under timed exam conditions, mark it with the official mark scheme, then read the examiner report for that session. The examiner report highlights the questions students typically got wrong and explains why — that's where the highest-leverage revision wins are. Cambridge updates each syllabus in roughly 3-year cycles, so the 2025 papers reflect the syllabus version that was active in 2025. Before relying on these for the year you're sitting, confirm the active syllabus on Cambridge International's official 0610 page.

Cambridge International 0610 syllabus page →

When will Cambridge 2026 Biology papers be available?
Cambridge releases past papers a few months after each exam session, so 2026 papers appear gradually rather than all at once. Expected timeline: Feb/March 2026 papers around late May or early June 2026 (after the smaller India session); May/June 2026 papers — the main worldwide session — around mid-August 2026, soon after the 11 August 2026 results release; October/November 2026 papers around February 2027. 2025 (shown above) currently has the most recent 0610 papers — new 2026 question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports will appear here on LumiExams as soon as Cambridge publishes them.