IGCSE Chemistry tutor: Cambridge 0620 and Edexcel 4CH1

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry 0620 / 0971: assessment

Core candidates take Papers 1, 3 and 5 or 6. Extended candidates take Papers 2, 4 and 5 or 6.

Syllabus for exams in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Exams in June and November.

Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry 4CH1: assessment

Both papers compulsory, no tiers, calculators allowed. Exams in May/June and November.

Paper 1 is the same paper that Science (Double Award) students sit, so the bold content is what separates separate Chemistry from the double award.

Where IGCSE Chemistry marks are lost

Mole calculations decide more grades than any other topic. Students learn the formula n = m / Mr but then lose track in multi-step questions: finding moles of one substance, using the ratio from the balanced equation, then converting to mass, volume of gas or concentration. A clear, labelled layout for every step prevents most errors and earns method marks even when the final number is wrong.

Equations come second. Students balance by changing subscripts instead of coefficients, forget state symbols when they are asked for, and write ionic half-equations with electrons on the wrong side. On Extended and Edexcel papers, ionic equations and electrolysis half-equations appear almost every series.

The third gap is explaining properties. Why does sodium chloride have a high melting point? The full answer names the structure (giant ionic lattice), the force (strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions), and the consequence (lots of energy needed to overcome it). Students who write that the bonds are strong, without saying which bonds, lose marks. Organic chemistry and tests for ions and gases are mostly recall, but precise colour changes and observations are needed: a precipitate is white, not cloudy.

Quick checks before any Chemistry paper

• Can your child go from mass to moles to mass in a two-step question without a hint?
• Can they write the ionic equation for a neutralisation and for a displacement reaction?
• Can they explain melting points for ionic, simple molecular, giant covalent and metallic structures?
• Do they know every test for ions and gases with its exact observation?
• Can they plan a titration or rate experiment, with variables and repeats?

How one-to-one Chemistry lessons work

A tutor who teaches your child's board works problems on the shared whiteboard, step by step, then gives the next one for the student to lead. For mole calculations that means the same layout every time until it is automatic. For bonding and structure, the tutor uses diagrams and asks the student to explain them in examiner language. Practical skills are covered with Alternative to Practical questions: reading a burette, drawing a results table, choosing apparatus and suggesting improvements.

The tutor also advises on the Cambridge tier using your child's actual answers to Extended questions. Most students benefit from starting in Year 10, because the mole and bonding topics underpin everything that follows. In Year 11, lessons shift to timed past papers and the recurring errors they reveal.