Hello Physicists and Double Award Scientists!
Physics is a subject that requires you to solve problems using a bank of knowledge that you can access quickly and accurately. Below you will find key information and resources to ensure you have the skills and knowledge you need for success in Physics.
The exam specification below, for Edexcel IGCSE Physics, contains details on the course content and exam structure. There are two exams - Paper 1 and Paper 2.
- Paper 1 is a two-hour exam taken by all Physics and Science (Double Award ) students.
- Paper 2 is a 75-minute exam taken only by Physics students ('separate sciences').
As you browse the content of the 8 topics that the course includes you will see that some of the content is in bold text. Course content in bold can only be assessed on Paper 2. Therefore, bold content need not be studied by Science (Double Award) students.
Refer to the exam specification when revising - use it as a checklist to guide you through which areas you have covered, and where you have strengths and improvements to make.
How to prepare for exams - Recall & Application
Work on your recall of Physics knowledge using
- Your notes in your books and class OneNote
- CPG revision guide
- Seneca Learning https://senecalearning.com
- Grade Gorilla quizzes Grade Gorilla | IGCSE Physics Revision Questions
- Flashcards (you could make your own, but CGP sell an excellent flashcard pack)
The key thing is to keep testing your memory. Beware of 'making notes' as an activity. You do not need to produce a set of notes, you already have one - it's your CGP revision guide. What you could do is to make notes from memory on a topic and then check for errors and omissions using your revision guide. Try making the notes again (maybe a couple of days later) and check them again. Each time you do this you should be able to recall more and with less errors.
Work on your application of Physics knowledge using
- Past paper questions and markschemes
Past paper practice is essential for exam success, but make sure you do it the right way.
Timed practice - make sure you know what it feels like to work at exam speed. This should be at an average pace of one minute per mark. If you are going to do some questions, check the total marks and set a time accordingly.
Markschemes - these documents show exactly how to score all the marks on the exams - something you should really want to know! Review your answers against the markschemes and identify improvements you can make to your answers. Pay particular attention to keywords and phrases. Work on keeping explanations nice and short and clear by really focusing on keywords.
Skills and knowledge gaps - identify these by the marks you missed during your exam practice. Ask yourself why you missed those marks. Do I have gaps in my knowledge? Did I misread or misunderstand the question? Did I miss important information in the question? etc.
Equations are not just for calculations - a standard format for a physics exam question is as follows: State the relevant equation, use the equation in a calculation and then explain some physics in a particular context. The explanation is usually linked to the calculation you have just done - the key quantities are in that equation. Put those quantities into your explanation remembering that the equation shows you the relationship between them.
The heart of the problem - a key problem-solving skill is being able to see past the little details and identify the fundamental physics at the heart of the question. The more practice you do the easier this becomes. You will start to notice how similar the markschemes are for exam questions on the same topic. Use this to your advantage and learn those 'standard answers'.
Exam day equipment
Bring all of the following: a calculator, pens, pencils, eraser and a ruler and a protractor for physics exams
Equations, equation, equations!
Full equation booklets will be given to candidates in the 2025 exams (also 2026 and 2027). Please note that this reverses an earlier decision not to give the equation booklets.
Last year's booklet is attached below (and the 2025 booklet will be the same). Students should make themselves familiar with all the information in the booklet. Use the booklet when doing past paper practice.