GCSE Physics exam guide.

Timing strategy

• Budget about 1 minute per mark, with 5–10 minutes at the end to recheck calculations and units.
• Calculations worth 2–3 marks should take 2–4 minutes. If one is taking longer, write the equation and move on.
• Allow 6–8 minutes for 6-mark questions, which often ask you to describe a practical method or explain a process.
• Read the whole question before calculating. Units and the quantity asked for are often in the final line.
• Check that answers are physically sensible: a car travelling at 3,000 m/s means something has gone wrong.

Showing working

• Use the same four lines for every calculation:
  1. Write the equation in symbols or words
  2. Substitute the numbers, converted to SI units
  3. Rearrange if needed
  4. Give the answer with units
• Convert units first: kJ to J, g to kg, minutes to seconds, cm to m.
• Rearrange before substituting if you find it easier; either way, show the rearranged form.
• Error carried forward applies, so always use your earlier answer in later parts, even if you're unsure of it.
• Explanations need a chain: cause → mechanism → effect, using correct terms (resultant force, current, potential difference).
• Graphs: use a sharp pencil, plot accurately, draw a line or curve of best fit, and show gradient working on the graph.

Calculator use

• Standard form and prefixes: know kilo (10³), mega (10⁶), giga (10⁹), milli (10⁻³), micro (10⁻⁶) and nano (10⁻⁹).
• Powers and roots: square roots appear in kinetic energy and v² − u² = 2as calculations.
• Use brackets when substituting into equations with several terms.
• Keep full values until the final step, then round to the precision asked (usually 2–3 significant figures).
• Gradients and areas under graphs: acceleration from a velocity–time graph, distance from the area under it.
• Equations sheet: check which equations are provided for your exam year and learn the rest by heart.

Revision checklist

• Energy: stores and transfers, kinetic and gravitational potential energy, power, efficiency
• Electricity: circuits, V = IR, series and parallel, I–V graphs, mains electricity, the National Grid
• Particle model: density, changes of state, specific heat capacity, specific latent heat, gas pressure
• Atomic structure: atomic models, radioactive decay, half-life, nuclear equations
• Forces: resultant forces, Newton's laws, motion graphs, stopping distance, momentum (Higher)
• Waves: wave equation, electromagnetic spectrum, reflection and refraction
• Magnetism and electromagnetism: magnetic fields, the motor effect, F = BIl (Higher)
• Space physics (separate Physics only): life cycle of stars, orbits, red-shift
• Equations: practise recall and rearrangement, with units for each quantity
• Required practicals: method, variables and likely errors for each one
• Timed past papers, with calculation and unit errors logged and redone

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