In the Oct/Nov 2025 Paper 4, about 9–10 of the 80 marks were awarded for drawing: magnetic field lines around a solenoid (4 marks), continuing a ray inside an optical fibre, adding and labelling force arrows, and adding a d.c. supply symbol to a circuit. You cannot rehearse those marks on a screen. Print this sheet and draw on it in pencil.
Print it, then work through it with a sharp pencil, a ruler and an eraser — exactly as you would in the exam. Check your answers on screen afterwards.
Section 1 · Magnetic field lines
The highest-value drawing marks on the paper — the solenoid question alone was worth 4 marks.
1.1The diagram shows a bar magnet. Draw the magnetic field pattern around the magnet. Include the direction of the field.[4]
At least four complete field lines, each with an arrow.
Marking points
Lines emerge from the N pole and enter the S pole — N → S outside the magnet.
An arrowhead on every line pointing away from N. A line with no arrow scores nothing.
Lines never cross and never touch each other.
Lines are closest together near the poles (strongest field) and spread out further away.
Lines are smooth curves that start and end on the magnet, not floating in space.
The pattern is symmetrical above and below the magnet.
1.2The circle shows the cross-section of a long straight wire. The current is out of the page. Draw the magnetic field pattern in the plane of the page, and show its direction.[3]
Marking points
Field lines are complete concentric circles centred on the wire.
Arrows anticlockwise for current out of the page (clockwise if into the page). Use the right-hand grip rule.
Circles get further apart as you move away from the wire — the field gets weaker.
Lines do not cross and do not touch the wire.
1.3The diagram shows a cross-section through a solenoid carrying a current. The current is out of the page in the upper wires and into the page in the lower wires. Draw the magnetic field pattern inside and outside the solenoid, and mark the poles.[4]
This is the Oct/Nov 2025 Paper 4 question. Four marks: shape inside, shape outside, arrows, and correct direction.
Marking points
Inside the solenoid: lines are straight, parallel and evenly spaced — the field is uniform. Draw them with a ruler.
Lines are continuous: they pass right through the coil, out of one end, round the outside and back in at the other end.
Outside: the pattern is the same shape as a bar magnet — lines bulge out and spread apart.
Arrows on every line, all consistent: out of the N end, round the outside, into the S end.
Correct direction from the right-hand grip rule — here the field inside points to the right, so the right-hand end is the N pole.
Lines inside are closer together than outside (field inside is stronger). No crossing lines.
1.4Two bar magnets are placed with unlike poles facing. Draw the magnetic field pattern in the gap and around the magnets.[3]
Marking points
Lines run continuously across the gap from the N pole of one magnet into the S pole of the other — they are not broken in the middle.
The central line is straight; lines further out bow outwards.
Lines in the gap are close together and roughly parallel — a strong, nearly uniform field. The magnets attract.
Arrowheads on every line, all pointing N → S.
Outer lines link the far poles round the outside. No lines cross.
1.5Two bar magnets are placed with like poles facing. Draw the field pattern and mark the position of the neutral point with an X.[3]
Marking points
Lines from the two facing poles curve away from each other — none crosses the gap. The magnets repel.
Each line still starts on an N pole and ends on an S pole of the same magnet (or the far pole), with an arrow.
A neutral point marked X exactly midway between the two facing poles, on the axis, where the two fields cancel and the resultant field is zero.
Lines are widely spaced near the neutral point (weak field) and crowded at the poles.
Pattern symmetrical left–right and top–bottom. No crossing lines.
Section 2 · Ray diagrams (light)
Every angle is measured from the normal, never from the surface. Normals are always dashed and at 90°.
2.1A ray of light strikes a plane mirror. Draw the normal at the point of incidence and the reflected ray. Mark and label the angle of incidence i and the angle of reflection r.[3]
Marking points
Normal drawn as a dashed line at 90° to the mirror, through the exact point where the ray hits.
Reflected ray drawn with a ruler, starting at the same point on the mirror.
Angles i and r marked between the ray and the normal — not between the ray and the mirror.
i = r, so the two angles must look equal (within about 2° if the examiner measures with a protractor).
Arrows on both rays showing the direction of travel: towards the mirror, then away from it.
2.2A ray of light travels from air into a rectangular glass block. Complete the path of the ray through the block and out into the air. Draw the normal at each surface.[4]
Marking points
Normals dashed and at 90° to the surface at both the entry point and the exit point.
On entering the glass the ray bends towards the normal (r < i) — light slows down in glass.
Inside the block the ray is straight (ruler!).
On leaving the glass the ray bends away from the normal by the same angle.
The emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray, but displaced sideways — examiners check this with a ruler.
Arrows on every ray segment showing direction of travel.
2.3The diagram shows a ray of light entering an optical fibre. Continue the path of the ray until it leaves the fibre.[2]
Oct/Nov 2025 Paper 4. The ray is totally internally reflected each time it meets a wall.
Marking points
The ray is reflected at every wall it meets — it does not stop, and no light escapes through the side walls.
At each wall the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence, measured from the normal. The zig-zag must be symmetrical, so use a ruler and keep the same slope.
The angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle, so total internal reflection occurs.
The ray continues until it reaches the end face, then leaves the fibre and refracts away from the normal (glass → air).
Arrows show the direction of travel along the whole path.
Straight lines only — the ray never curves inside the fibre.
2.4An object is placed beyond 2F from a thin converging lens. By drawing three construction rays, locate the image. Draw the image as an arrow and state its nature.[4]
Marking points
Ray 1: from the top of the object parallel to the principal axis, then refracted through the far focal point F.
Ray 2: from the top of the object straight through the centre of the lens, undeviated.
Ray 3: from the top of the object through the near focal point F, then refracted parallel to the axis.
All three rays meet at one point — that is the top of the image. Rays bend at the lens line, not gradually.
Image drawn as a vertical arrow from the axis, pointing downwards (inverted), between F and 2F.
Arrows on all rays; image described as real, inverted and diminished.
2.5A narrow beam of white light enters a glass prism. Complete the diagram to show what happens to the light. Label the colours at the two edges of the emerging beam.[3]
Marking points
The beam refracts towards the normal on entry and away from the normal on exit — normals dashed at 90° to each face.
The beam splits into a spectrum only at the second (exit) surface (or, if you separate them at entry, the colours must stay separated).
A fan of at least three straight coloured rays spreading apart after the prism — drawn with a ruler.
Red at the top edge (least deviated), violet at the bottom edge (most deviated), both labelled.
Arrows show direction of travel. The rays diverge — they never cross.
Reason: different colours travel at different speeds in glass, so each has a different refractive index.
Section 3 · Force and vector diagrams
Arrows start at the point where the force acts, the length shows the size, and every arrow is labelled.
3.1A wooden box rests on a rough slope. Draw and label arrows to represent all the forces acting on the box.[3]
Marking points
All arrows start at the same point — the centre of mass of the box (or all at the surface, but be consistent).
Weight: vertically downwards, always. Not perpendicular to the slope.
Normal contact force: at 90° to the slope surface, pointing away from the surface.
Friction: along the surface, up the slope (opposing the tendency to slide down).
Every arrow has a single straight line, one clear arrowhead, and a written label. Include the value in newtons if one is given.
If the box is in equilibrium, the normal and friction arrows together must balance the weight — keep the weight arrow the longest.
3.2A buggy travels in a straight line at a constant speed. On the diagram, draw and label arrows to show the horizontal forces acting on the buggy. The driving force is 500 N.[3]
Oct/Nov 2025 Paper 4 style. Constant speed means the resultant force is zero.
Marking points
Two horizontal arrows, both starting at the same point on the buggy (its centre).
One arrow points forwards (driving force / thrust), one points backwards (friction and air resistance / drag).
The two arrows must be drawn exactly the same length — this is the mark for “balanced forces”. Measure them.
Each arrow is labelled with the name of the force AND its value (500 N) when the value is given or can be deduced.
Do not draw a “force of motion” or a “resultant force” arrow — there is no resultant.
If asked for all forces, add weight (down) and normal contact force (up), also equal in length.
3.3A ball falls through the air and has reached terminal velocity. Draw and label arrows to show the forces acting on the ball at this moment.[3]
Marking points
Exactly two arrows: weight downwards, air resistance (drag) upwards.
Both arrows start at the centre of the ball (the point of action).
Arrows of equal length — at terminal velocity the forces are balanced. If the question said “still accelerating”, the weight arrow would be longer.
Labelled with names (and values in N if given). “Gravity” alone is not accepted — write weight.
No “upthrust” or “force of motion” arrows unless the question involves a fluid such as water.
3.4Two forces act at a point O: 6.0 N horizontally and 8.0 N vertically. By drawing a scale diagram (parallelogram or triangle of forces), find the magnitude and direction of the resultant. Each square represents 1.0 N.[4]
Marking points
State the scale and use it consistently: arrow lengths must be proportional to the magnitudes (8 N arrow is 4/3 the length of the 6 N arrow).
Both forces drawn from the same point O, at the correct angle to each other.
Parallelogram completed with dashed construction lines (or the triangle method: draw the second vector from the tip of the first).
Resultant drawn as a single arrow from O to the opposite corner, arrowhead at the far end, drawn more heavily or labelled “resultant”.
Both the magnitude AND the direction quoted: 10.0 N at 53° to the 6.0 N force. A magnitude on its own loses a mark.
Measure with a ruler and protractor — the examiner allows a small tolerance, so accuracy matters.
Section 4 · Graph sketching
Axes labelled with quantity AND unit, correct shape, and the key features annotated. A sketch still needs a ruler for straight sections.
4.1A cyclist accelerates uniformly from rest, travels at constant speed, then decelerates uniformly to rest. Sketch the speed–time graph for the whole journey and label the three stages.[3]
Marking points
Graph starts at the origin (from rest) and ends on the time axis (to rest).
Three straight-line sections drawn with a ruler: positive gradient, then horizontal, then negative gradient.
The lines join up — no gaps or steps between stages.
Axes labelled speed / m / s and time / s — quantity and unit both needed.
Each stage annotated. Remember: gradient = acceleration, area under the graph = distance travelled.
4.2An object is stationary, then moves at a constant speed, then moves at a greater constant speed. Sketch the distance–time graph.[3]
Marking points
Stationary section drawn as a horizontal straight line (distance not changing).
Both moving sections are straight lines because the speed is constant — not curves.
The third section is clearly steeper than the second: on a distance–time graph, gradient = speed.
Sections join continuously; the line never goes downwards (distance travelled cannot decrease).
Axes labelled distance / m and time / s; each stage annotated.
4.3Sketch a graph of extension against load for a spring that is stretched beyond its limit of proportionality. Mark the limit of proportionality on the graph with the letter P.[3]
Marking points
The first section is a straight line passing through the origin — extension is directly proportional to load.
Beyond the limit of proportionality the line curves upwards (extension increases more for each extra newton).
P marked exactly where the line stops being straight, with dashed lines to the axes if values are wanted.
Smooth join — no kink or gap between the straight part and the curve.
Axes labelled extension / cm and load / N. Note: extension goes on the y-axis when the question says “extension against load”.
4.4A substance is cooled steadily from a gas to a solid. Sketch a graph of temperature against time. Label the two plateaus and state the state of matter in each region.[4]
Marking points
Line starts high and falls overall — it never rises.
Two horizontal plateaus: the upper one at the boiling/condensation point, the lower one at the melting/freezing point.
The upper plateau is longer than the lower one (more energy released in condensing than in freezing) — a nice extra detail.
Three sloping sections in between, labelled gas, liquid and solid; the plateaus labelled condensing and solidifying / freezing.
Explain if asked: during a plateau, thermal energy is still being removed but it is used to form the bonds between molecules, so the temperature does not change.
Axes labelled temperature / °C and time / min.
4.5A radioactive source has an initial activity of 80 counts / s. Sketch the decay curve and use it to mark one half-life and two half-lives on the time axis.[4]
Marking points
A smooth curve starting at the given initial activity on the y-axis — freehand, single line, no ruler and no dot-to-dot.
The curve is steep at first and gets shallower; it approaches but never touches the time axis.
Dashed construction lines drawn from 40 counts/s and 20 counts/s across to the curve and down to the time axis.
The two half-life intervals must be equal in width — this is the whole point of a half-life.
Axes labelled with quantity and unit; half-lives labelled on the axis (t½ and 2t½).
Real data would show random scatter, so a smooth best-fit curve is expected, not a line through every plotted point.
Section 5 · Circuit diagrams and apparatus
Symbols must be the standard ones. A wrong or home-made symbol scores zero even if the circuit is right.
5.0Reference: copy each circuit symbol into the box beneath it. Use a ruler. These are the only versions the examiner accepts.[—]
cell
battery
lamp
switch (open)
fixed resistor
variable resistor
ammeter (in series)
voltmeter (in parallel)
thermistor
LDR
diode
fuse
motor
d.c. supply
Note: a d.c. supply is drawn exactly like a cell/battery — one long thin plate (+) and one short thick plate (−). Do not draw a box.
5.1Draw a circuit diagram showing a d.c. supply, a lamp, a switch and an ammeter connected in series.[3]
Marking points
One single closed loop — in series there is only one path for the current.
All wires drawn as straight lines with a ruler, meeting at right angles. No wavy or freehand wires.
Correct standard symbols; the ammeter is in the loop (in series), never across a component.
The d.c. supply drawn with the long plate (+) and short thick plate (−).
No gaps in the circuit and no wires crossing. Every component is joined at both ends.
5.2Draw a circuit diagram showing two lamps connected in parallel to a battery, with a voltmeter connected across one lamp.[3]
Marking points
The two lamps are on separate branches, each branch connected to the same two junctions — there is more than one path for the current.
Junction dots drawn where three or more wires meet.
The voltmeter is connected in parallel — across the two ends of one lamp. A voltmeter in series scores zero.
All components correctly symbolised; the battery has two or more cells drawn.
Straight ruled wires, right-angled corners, closed circuit, no crossing wires.
5.3Draw a potential divider circuit containing a thermistor and a fixed resistor, with a voltmeter measuring the output p.d. across the fixed resistor.[3]
Marking points
The thermistor and the fixed resistor are in series with each other, and that pair is connected across the supply.
The output is taken from the junction between the two components and the bottom of the chain — junction dots shown.
The voltmeter is connected in parallel with the fixed resistor only.
Correct thermistor symbol (resistor rectangle with the angled line and foot), not a wavy line or a labelled box.
Single closed circuit for the divider chain; ruled wires and right-angled corners.
5.4Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus you would use to determine the specific heat capacity of a metal block by electrical heating.[4]
The block is drawn for you. Add the heater, the thermometer, the insulation and the electrical circuit, and label everything.
Marking points
Heater and thermometer inserted into the block, in separate holes, each drawn touching/inside the metal.
Insulation (lagging) shown all around the block and labelled — this reduces thermal energy lost to the surroundings.
A workable circuit: heater connected to a d.c. supply with an ammeter in series and a voltmeter in parallel across the heater.
Every item labelled with words, not just drawn. Unlabelled apparatus scores nothing.
Mention the balance for the mass and the stopwatch for the time — you cannot get c without them.
Energy supplied E = VIt; then c = VIt ÷ (m Δθ). The value obtained is slightly too large because some energy escapes to the surroundings.
How examiners award drawing marks
Read this before you start, and again before you hand the paper in.
Use a sharp pencil and a ruler. Every straight line — rays, axes, force arrows, circuit wires, the straight sections of graphs — must be ruled. Pencil so you can erase; ink mistakes cost marks.
One clear line, not several sketchy ones. If the examiner cannot tell which line you meant, you get nothing. Rub out your working lines and leave a single confident line.
Let the mark allocation tell you how much to draw. A 4-mark drawing question wants four separate features. Count what you have drawn against the marks before you move on.
Arrows show direction — put one on every line that has a direction. Field lines, rays, force vectors and resultants all need arrowheads. A field line without an arrow scores zero even if the shape is perfect.
Label everything, in words. Name each force, each ray, each piece of apparatus, each axis (with its unit), and add the numerical value whenever the question gives one.
Dashed lines are for normals and construction only. Normals at reflecting and refracting surfaces, parallelogram construction lines, and lines dropped to the axes on a graph. Never draw a real ray or a real force as a dashed line.
Do not shade, colour in or scribble. Shaded blocks, hatched fills and thick blobs hide the detail the examiner is looking for. Field lines must never cross or touch.
Draw in the right place. Arrows start at the point where the force acts; rays bend exactly at the surface or at the lens line; angles are measured from the normal, never from the surface.
Check the physics last. Are the balanced forces exactly the same length? Is i = r? Do the field lines go N → S? Is the voltmeter in parallel? These are the marks people throw away.
Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 (Extended) · Drawing skills practice · 23 exercises · Print and complete in pencil.