GCSE Physics Exam Study Guide (2027)
Everything the GCSE Physics (9-1) Exam tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | AQA: 2 written papers, 100 marks each (200 marks in total). Edexcel uses the same structure; OCR Gateway uses 2 papers of 90 marks |
|---|---|
| Time | 3 hours 30 minutes in total (2 × 1 hour 45 minutes) |
| Grades and pass mark | Grade 4 is a standard pass and grade 5 a strong pass. Boundaries are set after every exam series, so aim for 70% in practice |
| Format | Written exams, calculator allowed. Foundation tier (grades 1 to 5) or Higher tier (grades 4 to 9), both papers at the same tier. A physics equations sheet is provided in the 2026 and 2027 exams |
| Exam boards | AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR |
| Test provider | At your school or college, or as a private candidate at an exam centre that accepts them |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
Read the complete GCSE Physics study notes for “Energy”
Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 14 minutes of reading: Energy stores and how energy is transferred · Calculating the energy in a store · Specific heat capacity · Work done and power · Conservation of energy, dissipation and efficiency · Reducing unwanted energy transfers · National and global energy resources, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.
1. Energy
Energy stores and transfers, kinetic, gravitational and elastic energy, specific heat capacity, power, efficiency and energy resources. Paper 1, and its ideas come back throughout Paper 2.
Key facts
- Energy stores: kinetic, gravitational potential, elastic potential, thermal (internal), chemical, magnetic, electrostatic and nuclear. Energy is transferred mechanically (a force doing work), electrically, by heating or by radiation.
- Kinetic energy Ek = ½mv². Gravitational potential energy Ep = mgh (g = 9.8 N/kg on Earth in AQA papers). Elastic potential energy Ee = ½ke², valid up to the limit of proportionality.
- Change in thermal energy ΔE = mcΔθ. Specific heat capacity is the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 °C (water: 4200 J/kg °C).
- Power is the rate of energy transfer: P = E ÷ t or P = W ÷ t. 1 watt = 1 joule per second.
- Energy is conserved: it can be transferred usefully, stored or dissipated, but not created or destroyed. In a closed system the total energy doesn't change.
- Efficiency = useful output energy ÷ total input energy (or useful power output ÷ total power input). Efficiency can never be more than 1 (100%).
- Unwanted transfers are reduced by lubrication and thermal insulation. The higher a material's thermal conductivity, the faster energy transfers through it by conduction; thicker walls with low conductivity slow cooling.
- Non-renewable resources: coal, oil, gas, nuclear fuel. Renewable: bio-fuel, wind, hydro-electricity, geothermal, tidal, solar and water waves. Compare reliability, cost, carbon emissions and environmental impact.
Flashcards
Exam tip: In energy-change questions, name the store that empties and the store that fills. 'Kinetic energy becomes heat' loses marks; 'energy transfers from the kinetic store to the thermal store of the brakes' gets them.
2. Electricity
Current, potential difference, resistance, series and parallel circuits, I-V characteristics, mains electricity, power and the National Grid, plus static electricity and electric fields (physics only).
Key facts
- Current is the rate of flow of charge: Q = It (C, A, s). Potential difference V = IR, and energy transferred E = QV.
- Series circuits: the same current everywhere, the potential differences add up to the supply, and total resistance R = R1 + R2. Parallel circuits: the same p.d. across each branch, branch currents add up, and total resistance is less than the smallest resistor.
- I-V characteristics: an ohmic resistor gives a straight line through the origin (constant temperature). A filament lamp's resistance rises as it heats up. A diode lets current flow in one direction only.
- A thermistor's resistance falls as temperature rises; an LDR's resistance falls as light intensity rises. Both are used in sensing circuits.
- UK mains is a.c. at 230 V and 50 Hz. Live wire (brown) is at 230 V, neutral (blue) is near 0 V, and earth (green and yellow) is a safety wire that only carries current if there is a fault.
- Power: P = VI and P = I²R. Energy transferred E = Pt. Appliance power ratings tell you the energy transferred per second.
- The National Grid uses step-up transformers to raise the p.d. so the current is lower, which reduces heating losses in cables, then step-down transformers make it safe for homes.
- Physics only: insulating materials become charged by friction as electrons transfer. Like charges repel and unlike charges attract. A charged object has an electric field around it, strongest close to the object.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Draw circuit symbols exactly as the specification shows them. Ammeters go in series and voltmeters in parallel, and mixing them up costs a mark in almost every circuit-drawing question.
3. Particle Model of Matter
Density, states of matter, internal energy, specific latent heat and the particle model of gas pressure. Short topic with two required practicals' worth of calculations.
Key facts
- Density ρ = m ÷ V. Solids are usually densest because particles are packed closely in a regular arrangement; gases are least dense.
- Changes of state are physical changes and mass is conserved. Melting, freezing, boiling, evaporating, condensing and sublimating can be reversed.
- Internal energy is the total kinetic and potential energy of all the particles in a system. Heating raises internal energy, either raising the temperature or changing the state.
- Specific latent heat is the energy needed to change the state of 1 kg of a substance with no temperature change: E = mL. Latent heat of fusion is for melting; latent heat of vaporisation is for boiling.
- On a heating curve the flat sections are changes of state: energy is breaking bonds, not raising temperature.
- Gas pressure is caused by particles colliding with container walls. At constant volume, raising the temperature increases particle speed, so collisions are harder and more frequent and pressure rises.
- Physics only: for a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature, pV = constant. Doing work on a gas (for example pumping a tyre) raises its temperature.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Don't confuse specific heat capacity (temperature change, ΔE = mcΔθ) with specific latent heat (change of state, E = mL). Check whether the temperature changes in the question.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question GCSE Physics test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. Atomic Structure and Radioactivity
The nuclear atom and how the model developed, isotopes, alpha, beta, gamma and neutron radiation, nuclear equations, half-life, contamination and irradiation, and (physics only) uses in medicine, fission and fusion.
Key facts
- Atoms have a radius of about 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ m; the nucleus is about 1/10 000 of that. Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons are isotopes.
- Model history: plum pudding (Thomson) → Rutherford's alpha scattering showed a small, dense, positive nucleus → Bohr's electrons in energy levels → Chadwick discovered the neutron.
Flashcards
Exam tip: For half-life questions, write a chain: 800 → 400 → 200 → 100, counting half-lives as you go. On a graph, read the time for the activity to halve from any starting point.
5. Forces and Motion
The biggest Paper 2 topic: scalars and vectors, weight, resultant forces, work, springs, moments and pressure (physics only), motion graphs, Newton's laws, stopping distances and momentum.
Key facts
- Scalars have size only (speed, distance, mass, energy); vectors have size and direction (velocity, displacement, force, acceleration, momentum).
- Weight W = mg. Work done W = Fs; 1 J is done when a force of 1 N moves 1 m. Spring force F = ke up to the limit of proportionality.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Third-law pairs always act on different objects and are the same type of force. Weight and the normal contact force on a book are not a third-law pair, which examiners test every year.
6. Waves
Transverse and longitudinal waves, the wave equation, reflection and refraction, the electromagnetic spectrum and its uses and dangers, and (physics only) sound, ultrasound, seismic waves, lenses, visible light and black body radiation.
Key facts
- Transverse waves oscillate at right angles to the direction of energy transfer (water ripples, EM waves). Longitudinal waves oscillate parallel to it, with compressions and rarefactions (sound).
- Waves transfer energy, not matter. Amplitude is the maximum displacement from rest; wavelength is the distance from one point to the same point on the next wave.
Flashcards
Exam tip: When describing how to measure wave speed in the ripple tank or the string practical, name what you measure, how (stroboscope, metre rule, signal generator) and how you reduce error (measure several wavelengths and divide).
7. Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Permanent and induced magnets, magnetic fields, electromagnets, the motor effect and Fleming's left-hand rule, and (physics only) loudspeakers, the generator effect, alternators, dynamos, microphones and transformers.
Key facts
- Like poles repel and unlike poles attract. Field lines go from north to south, and the field is strongest where lines are closest, at the poles.
- A permanent magnet has its own field. An induced magnet becomes magnetic only when placed in a field, and induced magnetism always causes attraction.
Flashcards
Exam tip: In motor-effect diagrams, mark the field direction (N to S) and conventional current (+ to −) before using the left-hand rule. Most wrong answers come from a reversed current arrow.
8. Space Physics
Physics only (Paper 2): the solar system, the life cycle of stars, orbital motion and red-shift as evidence for the Big Bang.
Key facts
- The solar system is one star (the Sun), eight planets and their moons, dwarf planets and smaller bodies, inside the Milky Way galaxy.
- A star forms from a cloud of dust and gas (nebula) pulled together by gravity into a protostar. When fusion of hydrogen into helium starts, it becomes a main sequence star.
Flashcards
Exam tip: In orbit questions, say the speed is constant but the velocity changes because the direction changes. That one sentence is often worth a full mark.
How to pass
- 100 marks in 105 minutes is about 1 minute per mark. A 6-mark extended answer deserves about 6 minutes, so plan two or three linked points before you write.
- For every calculation write the equation, substitute with units, then give the answer with a unit. Method marks are given even if the final number is wrong.
- Convert to SI units first: kJ to J, g to kg, cm to m, minutes to seconds and mA to A. Unit slips are the most common lost mark on calculation questions.
- The equations sheet saves you memorising, but you still need to choose the right equation fast. Practise rearranging each one until it takes seconds.
- Questions on the 10 required practicals carry a big share of marks. Know the method, the variables, the risks and how to improve accuracy for each one.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the GCSE Physics exam?
Most students do best starting 10 to 12 weeks before the first paper, with 30 to 45 minutes a day per subject. You're ready once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the GCSE Physics exam online?
No. GCSE Physics is a written exam sat in person at your school, college or an approved exam centre. Format: written exams, calculator allowed. Foundation tier (grades 1 to 5) or Higher tier (grades 4 to 9), both papers at the same tier. A physics equations sheet is provided in the 2026 and 2027 exams. Check your exam board's timetable for dates.
What score do I need to pass the GCSE Physics exam?
Grade 4 is a standard pass and grade 5 a strong pass. Boundaries are set after every exam series, so aim for 70% in practice. The exam has aqa: 2 written papers, 100 marks each (200 marks in total). edexcel uses the same structure; ocr gateway uses 2 papers of 90 marks and a time limit of 3 hours 30 minutes in total (2 × 1 hour 45 minutes).
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers energy, electricity, particle model of matter, atomic structure and radioactivity, forces and motion, waves, magnetism and electromagnetism, space physics. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium GCSE Physics study path
Premium GCSE Physics prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1Energy8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2Electricity8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Particle Model of Matter8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4Atomic Structure and Radioactivity8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5Forces and Motion7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Waves7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Magnetism and Electromagnetism7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Space Physics7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like exam day. Hit your target on them before your first paper.Premium
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- Content updates during your access
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Summarised from the exam boards' published specifications and the rules cited, checked November 2026. Confirm current requirements with AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR.