0653 · June 2024

Science - Combined

Candidates performed very well on Questions 1, 5, 24, 28 and 33. Questions 7, 26 and 31 proved the most challengi COMBINED SCIENCE Paper 0653/11 Multiple Choice (Core) General comments Candidates performed very well on Questions 1, 5, 24, 28 and 33.

16 pitfalls38 questions3 takeawaysView official report

Source: Cambridge International

Last reviewed: 2026-06-30Paraphrased for study purposes — not an official publication of the exam board.

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

No data available in official reports

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

Candidates should always show their working in numerical answers as they could gain credit even if the calculation contains an arithmetical error.

Candidates should read the questions carefully and use the number of marks for each question as a guide to the detail required in their answers.

It is important that candidates can apply their knowledge to unfamiliar situations.

Question difficulty map

How candidates performed on each question in this series

Report

Examiner report

Strongest: Q1(a)(i), Q4(a)(i)(b)Weakest: Q2(a)(c)(i), Q5(a)(i)(c)

Q1(a)(i)

Q1(a)(i)(a)(ii)

Q1(a)(i)(b)(i)

Q1(a)(i)(b)(ii)

Q1(a)(i)(c)(i)

Q1(a)(i)(c)(ii)

Q1(a)(i)(c)(iii)

Q2(a)

Q2(a)(b)

Q2(a)(c)(i)

Q2(a)(c)(ii)

Q2(a)(c)(iii)

Q2(a)(d)(i)

Q2(a)(d)(ii)

Q2(a)(d)(iii)

Q3(a)(i)

Q3(a)(i)(a)(ii)

Q3(a)(i)(b)(i)

Q3(a)(i)(b)(ii)

Q3(a)(i)(c)

Q3(a)(i)(d)(i)

Q3(a)(i)(d)(ii)

Q3(a)(i)(e)

Q3(a)(i)(f)

Q4(a)(i)

Q4(a)(i)(a)(ii)

Q4(a)(i)(a)(iii)

Q4(a)(i)(b)

Q4(a)(i)(c)(i)

Q4(a)(i)(c)(ii)

Q5(a)(i)(a)(ii)

Q5(a)(i)(a)(iii)

Q5(a)(i)(b)(i)

Q5(a)(i)(b)(ii)

Q5(a)(i)(b)(iii)

Q5(a)(i)(b)(iv)

Q5(a)(i)(c)

Q6(a)(i)

StrongMixedWeak

Assessment objectives

Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Method marks watchlist

Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost

No data available in official reports

Recurring mistakes across years

Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject

No data available in official reports

Question choice intelligence

Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)

No data available in official reports

Level exemplars

What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like

No data available in official reports

Grade & admission context

How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards

No data available in official reports

Deep insights

What top candidates did

Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series

No data available in official reports

Command word playbook

How to match each command word to the expected response style

No data available in official reports

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

No data available in official reports

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

No data available in official reports

MCQ trap analytics

Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Topic heatmap across years

Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject

Mark intensity

LowHigh

Topic

2023

2024

2025

Motion, forces and energy

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Organic chemistry

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Electrochemistry

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Electricity

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Motion, forces and energy (Physics)

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Transport in animals

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Reproduction

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Acids, bases and salts

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Difficulty trend

How session difficulty has shifted across recent years

2023 June 2023 · 3.2/52024 June 2024 · 3.0/52025 June 2025 · 3.4/5

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

No data available in official reports

Marks you can still earn

Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit

No data available in official reports

Practise what examiners flagged

Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app

Science - Combined

Session priority from examiner report

Practise in Revui

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

1Message
Candidates should always show their working in numerical answers as they could gain credit even if the calculation contains an arithmetical error.
2Message
Candidates should read the questions carefully and use the number of marks for each question as a guide to the detail required in their answers.
3Message
It is important that candidates can apply their knowledge to unfamiliar situations.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

June 2024 2024

Science - Combined

Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education 0653 Combined Science June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 COMBINED SCIENCE Paper 0653/11 Multiple Choice (Core) Question Number Key Question Number Key Question Number Key Question Number Key 1

Candidates should always show their working in numerical answers as they could gain credit even if the calculation contains an arithmetical error.
Candidates should read the questions carefully and use the number of marks for each question as a guide to the detail required in their answers.
It is important that candidates can apply their knowledge to unfamiliar situations.

Examiner insights

General comments

•Candidates performed very well on Questions 1, 5, 24, 28 and 33.
•Questions 7, 26 and 31 proved the most challengi COMBINED SCIENCE Paper 0653/11 Multiple Choice (Core) General comments Candidates performed very well on Questions 1, 5, 24, 28 and 33.
•Questions 7, 26 and 31 proved the most challenging for candidates.
•Comments on individual questions Question 2 Most candidates correctly selected option D.
•Where candidates had chosen an incorrect option, they had mainly selected option C.