A-Level 9709 Paper 4 1h 15min · 50 marks AS & A Level

Cambridge A-Level Mechanics (9709 Paper 4) Past Papers

Every year of Mechanics in one place. This page collects the 9709 Paper 4 question papers and mark schemes for all variants, from 2020 to 2025 — so you can work through one component start to finish instead of hunting session by session.

Mechanics is one of the applied options. It is combined with the pure papers to make up an AS-Level or full A Level.

42 question papers
42 mark schemes
18 exam sessions
2020–2025 years covered

What's on 9709 Paper 4: Mechanics?

Mechanics is a 1h 15min paper worth 50 marks, made up of the 5 syllabus areas below. Mechanics is one of the applied options. It is combined with the pure papers to make up an AS-Level or full A Level.

1

Forces and equilibrium

Resolving forces, friction, and objects in equilibrium under several forces.

2

Kinematics of motion in a straight line

Displacement-time and velocity-time graphs, and the constant-acceleration (suvat) equations.

3

Momentum

Momentum and its conservation in collisions in one dimension.

4

Newton’s laws of motion

Linking force, mass and acceleration, and connected particles over pulleys.

5

Energy, work and power

Kinetic and potential energy, the work-energy principle, and power.

AS Level or A Level? AS & A Level

Mechanics is an applied option. With Pure Mathematics 1 it contributes to an AS Level; alongside Papers 1 and 3 and a statistics paper it forms part of the full A Level.

Centres choose the component combination - if you are unsure which papers your route needs, check with your school's exams officer.

When is this paper next sat?

Cambridge examines A-Level Mathematics in the June and October/November series each year (with a February/March series in some countries). The next sitting is the October/November 2026 series.

See exact 9709 dates on our Cambridge exam timetable →

Mechanics (9709/4) past papers by year

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

How to revise with Mechanics past papers

Work through one component at a time

Doing five years of Mechanics back-to-back trains the specific question styles and topic weighting of this one paper far better than jumping between components. Patterns repeat - you will start to recognise them.

Time yourself at 1h 15min

Sit each paper at the real duration. Pacing is a skill in itself, and Mechanics rewards finishing every question with time to check.

Mark with the matching scheme

Self-mark with the mark scheme for the same session and variant. Note where you lost method marks versus accuracy marks - they need different fixes.

Practise across variants

Variants 1, 2 and 3 test the same syllabus at equivalent difficulty. Working all three for a year gives you three fresh sittings of the same paper.

Tip: open a question paper and its mark scheme side-by-side in our free Exam Hub.

Other Mathematics 9709 papers

9709 Paper 4 — Frequently asked questions

What topics are on 9709 Paper 4 (Mechanics)?
Cambridge A-Level Mechanics covers forces and equilibrium, kinematics of motion in a straight line, Newton’s laws of motion, and work, energy and power. The paper is 1h 15min long and worth 50 marks.
What is the difference between the 9709/41, /42 and /43 variants?
The second digit is the variant (time zone). Cambridge issues variants 1, 2 and 3 of each paper so the exam can be sat safely across the world's time zones without leaks. All variants test the same syllabus content at equivalent difficulty, with grade thresholds calibrated afterwards. Practising any variant is equally valuable.
Where can I get the mark schemes for Mechanics?
Every session listed above links to both the question paper and its mark scheme, free to download. Cambridge typically releases mark schemes around 6-8 weeks after results day.

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