One subject, two sciences. Combined Science pairs two of the three reduced components — Physics, Chemistry and Biology — into syllabuses 5086, 5087 and 5088. Here is which pair makes which code, how the five papers fit together, and where to practise each component.
Which syllabus am I taking?
Every candidate studies exactly two of the three components. The pair fixes the syllabus code, the structured papers you sit, and the Multiple Choice paper you prepare for.
The most common pairing. Mechanics, thermal physics and electricity alongside particles, bonding, acids and organic chemistry.
Waves, circuits and radioactivity alongside cells, human body systems, genetics and inheritance.
Reactions, rates and organic chemistry alongside cells, plants, ecosystems and reproduction.
How the exam works
Every candidate enters Paper 1, Paper 5 and the two structured papers for their components — so 5086 candidates take Papers 1, 2, 3 and 5, and so on.
| Paper | Type | Duration | Format | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Multiple choice | 1 h | 40 marks · both components | 20.0% |
| Paper 2 | Structured (Physics) | 1 h 15 min | 65 marks · A compulsory, B choose 1 of 2 | 32.5% |
| Paper 3 | Structured (Chemistry) | 1 h 15 min | 65 marks · A compulsory, B choose 1 of 2 | 32.5% |
| Paper 4 | Structured (Biology) | 1 h 15 min | 65 marks · A compulsory, B choose 1 of 2 | 32.5% |
| Paper 5 | Practical | 1 h 30 min | 30 marks · one or two questions per Science | 15.0% |
Paper 1 covers both of your components in roughly equal measure (a Periodic Table and metal-hydroxide data sheet is printed inside it for the chemistry pairings). Each structured paper is a compulsory Section A worth 55 marks — ending with one 10-mark question — plus a Section B where you answer one of two 10-mark free-response questions. Paper 5 tests one or two practical questions per Science, including a short modification-or-extension element. Format facts above follow the published SEAB scheme; always confirm details with your teacher for your exam year.
Practise by component
Each component has its own chapters, quick quizzes, topical questions with mark schemes, and WA/EOY/Prelim practice papers — written at Combined Science depth, not pure-science depth.
Measurement, forces, energy, thermal physics, waves, light, electricity, magnetism and radioactivity — the reduced Physics component used by 5086 and 5087.
Purification, particles, bonding, the mole, acids and bases, qualitative analysis, redox, rates, organic chemistry and air quality — the Chemistry component in 5086 and 5088.
Cells, movement of substances, biological molecules, human body systems, diseases, plants, ecosystems, genetics and inheritance — the Biology component in 5088.
Combined vs pure
Each Combined component keeps the core of the matching pure syllabus and drops the rest — so revising the right scope matters more than working harder.
Keeps mechanics, energy, thermal physics, waves, light, electricity, magnetism and radioactivity. Leaves out hydraulic systems, terminal velocity detail, specific heat capacity and latent heat, total internal reflection, and electromagnetic induction.
Keeps purification, particles, bonding, mole calculations, acids and bases, qualitative analysis, redox, rates, organic chemistry and air quality. Leaves out electrolysis, salt preparation methods, the blast furnace, ammonia and condensation polymers.
Keeps cells, biological molecules, human nutrition, transport, respiration, disease, plants, ecosystems, genetics and inheritance. Leaves out excretion, the nervous system, active transport and cell division.
The pure subjects keep their own full-syllabus pages, so you can revise both side by side without the scopes bleeding into each other.
Questions
Combined Science (syllabuses 5086, 5087 and 5088) lets you study two sciences instead of two separate pure-science subjects. Each syllabus is built from two reduced components — Science (Physics), Science (Chemistry) and Science (Biology) — that cover a subset of the pure Physics, Chemistry and Biology content at a depth matched to the Combined papers.
5086 is Physics with Chemistry, 5087 is Physics with Biology, and 5088 is Chemistry with Biology. Your school chooses which combinations it offers, so confirm your pair with your subject teachers.
Everyone sits Paper 1 (40 multiple-choice questions across both components, 1 hour) and Paper 5 (the 1 h 30 min practical, 30 marks), plus the structured paper for each of their two components: Paper 2 (Physics), Paper 3 (Chemistry) and Paper 4 (Biology) — each 1 h 15 min for 65 marks, split into a compulsory Section A and a choose-one-of-two Section B.
Combined Science covers less content per component than the pure syllabuses and examines it at a matched depth, so it suits students carrying many other subjects. It is not a watered-down subject: the same ideas of energy, particles, cells and reactions are examined, with the same practical mindset.
Grades are awarded for the combined subject as a whole, not per component. Entry requirements differ by course and institution, so check the specific requirements rather than assuming a Combined grade equals a pure-science grade.
No. Every note and paper on QuizQuip is original material written to the Combined Science style. QuizQuip is not affiliated with MOE or SEAB and does not host school or examination papers.
Every component chapter pairs notes with a quiz, tiered topical questions and its own practice paper with a full mark scheme.