How AS & A Level Physics (9702) is really marked
9702 runs across Papers 1 to 5, each in multiple variants, totalling 2,756 questions in our bank. Papers 1 (multiple choice) and 3/4 style long-answer papers are dominated by the points style, but the syllabus overall carries a substantial calculation load: 529 of the questions in our bank use the calculation style against 2,220 points-marked, so roughly one in six questions is marked on both method and final answer rather than a discrete fact.
Paper 2 and Paper 4 concentrate this calculation weighting most heavily: Paper 22, for example, splits almost evenly between points (98) and calculation (99) across its 197 questions and 360 marks, and Paper 42 carries 109 calculation questions out of 300. This means structured long-answer papers reward showing full substitution and units, not just a correct final number.
Papers 5 (practical) contain a small number of points-with-levels questions (7 across the syllabus, concentrated in Papers 51 to 53) alongside points and calculation marking. These reward specific, detailed responses about experimental limitations and improvements — vague statements about 'accuracy' or 'more readings' do not reach the level of detail the mark scheme rewards.
Where candidates actually lose marks
- When suggesting improvements to an experiment, common but uncreditworthy answers include 'take more readings and find average' (something that could have been done in the original experiment), vague references to shielding from wind, or an underspecified suggestion to film the experiment. (try the question)
- In electron diffraction questions, some candidates confuse the pattern with unrelated phenomena such as the photoelectric effect or X-ray production, showing they have not connected the observation to wave behaviour of electrons. (try the question)
- In electromagnetic induction explanations, many answers become muddled between the external field and the field of the induced current, or wrongly describe two currents or an e.m.f. opposing motion instead of a force. (try the question)
- In uncertainty estimates, many candidates give an unrealistically small absolute uncertainty for a force reading, such as 0.01 N, when the measurement setup is awkward and the true uncertainty is much higher. (try the question)
- Many candidates cannot state Ohm's law correctly, sometimes giving an equation for resistance without the idea of constant resistance, or omitting the condition of constant temperature entirely. (try the question)
- In potentiometer circuit questions, the majority of candidates do not appear to understand how the circuit operates, making these questions a consistent weak point. (try the question)
- A common error in drawing a line of best fit is forcing it through both the highest and lowest data points rather than through the genuine trend. (try the question)
- In circuit questions with two fixed resistors, the most common mistake is treating resistors that are actually in series as if they were in parallel. (try the question)
- In sphere volume calculations, many candidates use an incorrect formula for the volume of a sphere. (try the question)
- Some weaker candidates confuse a meson with a baryon, reflecting incomplete learning of the charges of different quark flavours. (try the question)
Command words in AS & A Level Physics
| Command word | Times in our bank | What it demands |
|---|---|---|
| Calculate | 850 | Substitute values into the correct equation, show the working, and give a final numerical answer with the correct unit and significant figures. |
| Identify | 330 | Pick out the correct named quantity, component or particle from a diagram, list or dataset without further explanation. |
| State | 330 | Give a fact, law or definition concisely and precisely; the exact wording of a law such as Ohm's law is often required. |
| Deduce | 281 | Use given data or a stated result to work out a further conclusion, showing the reasoning that links the data to the answer. |
| Explain | 220 | Give the physical reasoning behind an observation or result, not just a description of what happens. |
| Draw | 207 | Produce an accurate diagram, graph or ray path, including correct line direction, scale and labelling. |
| Find | 176 | Determine a value using a specified method, generally with working shown, similar in demand to Calculate. |
| Determine | 81 | Combine data, a graph reading or an equation to arrive at a value, typically requiring a short chain of working. |
How to revise with past papers
Given how large a share of 9702 marks come from calculation and practical questions, past-paper practice should focus on showing full working, correct units and the right number of significant figures every time, not just on getting the right final number. Marks for method are awarded independently of the final answer, so a slip near the end of a calculation should not cost the marks earned earlier.
The Paper 5 practical questions reward specific, detailed answers about uncertainty, error bars, gradients and experimental limitations. Practising exactly what phrasing counts as sufficiently detailed — a named quantity and a named source of error, not a vague statement — is a specific skill worth drilling with past papers rather than assuming general lab experience will transfer automatically.
Because circuit and practical-method misconceptions recur (series versus parallel, cause versus effect in induction, what changes and what stays constant when a component changes), working through a spread of past Paper 2 and Paper 4 questions on the same topic area helps surface which specific misconception is yours before the real exam.
Practise real 9702 questions with AI marking →FAQs
How much of 9702 is calculation versus recall?
In our bank, 529 questions are calculation-style against 2,220 points-marked and 7 points-with-levels, so calculation is a meaningful but minority share of the syllabus overall, concentrated in Papers 2 and 4.
Do I lose marks for a wrong final answer if my method is correct?
No, not entirely — calculation questions award marks for method as well as the final value, so correct working can still earn credit even when the final answer is wrong.
What's the most common command word in 9702?
Calculate, appearing 850 times in our bank, reflecting how central quantitative work is to this syllabus.
Why do I lose marks on practical questions even when my experiment made sense?
Practical questions in Paper 5 require specific, detailed answers about named sources of error and named improvements; vague statements like 'take more readings' or 'be more careful' are not credited even if the underlying idea is reasonable.