Physics (9702) Past Papers & Revision Resources
Free Cambridge A-Level Physics (9702) past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and grade thresholds from 2020-2026, plus 546 flashcards across 73 topic decks and topic-by-topic revision notes.
A-Level Physics (9702): November 2026 papers
Dates depend on your administrative zone, so some papers show a range of days. Your school or exams officer confirms your own papers and times.
- Paper 3Practical - Advanced · 2h8–22 Oct AM/PMBefore this paper ↓
- Paper 4A Level Structured Questions · 2h12 Oct AM/PMBefore this paper ↓
- Paper 2AS Level Structured Questions · 1h 15m14 Oct AM/PMBefore this paper ↓
- Paper 5Planning, Analysis and Evaluation · 1h 15m14 Oct AM/PMBefore this paper ↓
- Paper 1Multiple Choice · 1h 15m10 Nov AM/PMBefore this paper ↓
On the day: Exam-day tips · Last-minute revision
Before your paper: A-Level Physics (9702)
Pick the paper you're sitting next. Each one lists the mistakes that most often lose marks on it, and how to avoid them.
Paper 1: Multiple Choice (AS)Show
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Change in momentum
MistakeWhen a ball rebounds, you subtract the two speeds, so you choose an option with a small or zero change in momentum.
Fix
Momentum is a vector: take one direction as positive and give velocities the other way a minus sign.
A rebound at the same speed changes momentum by 2mv.
Newton's third law
MistakeYou pick the weight of an object and the normal contact force on it as a third-law pair, because they are equal and opposite.
Fix
A third-law pair acts on two different objects and is the same type of force.
The partner of an object's weight is its gravitational pull on the Earth.
Area and volume units
MistakeYou convert mm² to m² by multiplying by 10⁻³, or cm³ to m³ by 10⁻², so your answer is far out and matches a wrong option.
Fix
Square or cube the prefix as well: 1 mm² = 10⁻⁶ m² and 1 cm³ = 10⁻⁶ m³.
Work out the answer yourself before looking at the options.
Polarising filters
MistakeWith two or more polarising filters, you apply the cos² rule only once, or assume the amplitude drops by the same factor as the intensity.
Fix
Apply I = I₀cos²θ at each filter, θ being the angle between its axis and the incoming polarisation.
Intensity ∝ amplitude², so amplitude changes by the square root.
Stationary wave spacing
MistakeYou take the gap between adjacent nodes as one whole wavelength, or forget to count a reflecting surface as a node.
Fix
Adjacent nodes, or adjacent antinodes, are λ/2 apart; node to next antinode is λ/4.
A reflecting surface or closed pipe end is a node; an open end is an antinode.
Paper 2: AS Level Structured QuestionsShow
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Uncertainty with powers
MistakeWhen a quantity is squared or cubed in a formula, you count its percentage uncertainty once instead of multiplying it by the power.
Fix
Multiply each percentage uncertainty by its power, then add them for products and quotients.
Halve it for a square root.
For a sum or difference, add absolute uncertainties.
Word definitions
MistakeYou define a quantity with an equation such as P = Fv or F = ma, or drop key words like 'per unit', 'adjacent' or 'in the direction of'.
Fix
Learn the word forms: power is work done per unit time; force is rate of change of momentum; work is force × displacement in the direction of the force.
Beta decay
MistakeYou describe beta decay only as an electron leaving the nucleus, leaving out the quark change, or mix up what β⁻ and β⁺ decay emit.
Fix
β⁻: a down quark becomes an up quark, so a neutron becomes a proton, emitting an electron and an antineutrino. β⁺: up becomes down, emitting a positron and a neutrino.
Resistance from graphs
MistakeYou find the resistance of a filament lamp or diode from the gradient of its I–V graph, or think a lamp's resistance falls as the current rises.
Fix
Resistance at any point is V ÷ I using that point's coordinates.
In a filament lamp, more current means a higher temperature, so the resistance increases.
Show-that questions
MistakeIn a 'show that' question, you jump to the given value, or substitute numbers without first writing the equation or showing the powers of ten.
Fix
Write the equation, substitute every value with its power of ten, then give your result to one more significant figure than the value quoted.
Never round midway.
Paper 3: Advanced Practical SkillsShow
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Results tables
MistakeYou record readings in one column to different precisions, or give calculated values a fixed number of decimal places unrelated to your raw data.
Fix
Record raw readings to the instrument's smallest division.
Give calculated values the same significant figures as the least precise raw reading used, or one more, and name that reading.
Plotting graphs
MistakeYou choose a scale such as 3 or 7 units per large square, plot large dots, or draw the best-fit line in pieces with a short ruler.
Fix
Use 1, 2 or 5 units per large square so points fill over half the grid.
Plot small crosses and draw one straight line with points balanced either side.
Gradient and intercept
MistakeYou find a gradient from a small triangle or from table values, or read the y-intercept off the y-axis when the x-axis does not start at zero.
Fix
Use two points read from your line, at least half its length apart.
If the x-axis does not start at zero, calculate the intercept from c = y − mx.
Estimating uncertainty
MistakeYou quote the smallest scale division as the uncertainty even when the reading was hard to take, such as timing by hand or judging a moving edge.
Fix
Judge how far off you could really be.
Reaction time makes hand timing uncertain by a few tenths of a second.
With repeats, use half their range.
Limitations and improvements
MistakeYou write limitations like 'human error' or 'parallax', or improvements like 'repeat readings', that could apply to any experiment.
Fix
Name the reading that was hard to take here, and why.
Then give an improvement that tackles that difficulty, such as a clamp, a marker or video with a timer.
Paper 4: A Level Structured QuestionsShow
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Gravitational potential
MistakeYou define gravitational potential as the work done moving a mass, without 'per unit mass' or 'from infinity', or forget that its value is negative.
Fix
It is the work done per unit mass bringing a small test mass from infinity to the point. φ = −GM/r, so it rises towards zero as r increases.
Internal energy
MistakeYou define internal energy without the word 'random', or give an ideal gas potential energy as well as kinetic energy.
Fix
It is the sum of a random distribution of kinetic and potential energies of the molecules.
An ideal gas has no intermolecular forces, so its internal energy is all kinetic.
First law signs
MistakeIn ΔU = q + W, you give W a positive value when the gas expands, or mix up energy supplied to the gas with energy it loses.
Fix
q is energy supplied to the gas by heating; W is work done on the gas.
An expanding gas does work, so W is negative, equal to −pΔV.
Induced e.m.f.
MistakeYou say a changing field induces a current directly, or find the induced e.m.f. from the area under a flux linkage–time graph.
Fix
Changing flux linkage induces an e.m.f., which drives a current only in a complete circuit.
The size of the e.m.f. is the gradient of the flux linkage–time graph.
Centripetal force
MistakeYou draw centripetal force as an extra arrow on a free-body diagram, or treat it as a separate force that balances weight.
Fix
Centripetal force is the resultant of the real forces, such as tension, weight, friction or normal contact force.
Set that resultant equal to mv²/r, towards the centre.
Paper 5: Planning, Analysis and EvaluationShow
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Variables
MistakeYou say a variable will be 'controlled' without stating it is kept constant or how, or name the measured quantity vaguely, such as temperature for temperature change.
Fix
Use the question's symbols for what you change and measure.
For each other variable, say it is kept constant and how, for example with a water bath or a rheostat.
Choosing instruments
MistakeYou name an instrument vaguely, such as 'a scale', or one too coarse for the job, such as a ruler for a tiny gap or a stopwatch for milliseconds.
Fix
Name each instrument and what it measures: micrometer for small diameters, top-pan balance for mass, data logger for short times.
Time many oscillations, then divide.
Safety precautions
MistakeYou give a general safety rule, such as wearing a lab coat, that does not match any real hazard in the set-up.
Fix
Name the hazard in this experiment, then a precaution that deals with it, such as a sand tray under hanging masses or gloves for a wire heated by a current.
Log graphs
MistakeWhen you linearise with logs, you drop the minus sign from a negative power, give log values a unit, or round them to the wrong number of decimal places.
Fix
Take logs of both sides to get the form y = mx + c.
Logs have no unit; use as many decimal places as the raw value has significant figures.
Worst acceptable line
MistakeYour worst acceptable line misses some error bars, or you find the uncertainty in a gradient or intercept by adding percentage uncertainties.
Fix
Draw the steepest or shallowest straight line that still passes through every error bar.
The uncertainty is the difference between the best-fit and worst-line values.
Start studying A-Level Physics
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Past Papers (2020-2026)
482 files across 20 sessions. Question papers, mark schemes, examiner reports.
Flashcards (73 decks)
546 flashcards organised by topic. Spaced repetition for active recall.
Revision Notes
Topic-by-topic notes mapped to the 9702 syllabus. Concise, exam-focused.
9702 Paper Components
Cambridge A-Level Physics consists of 5 paper components. AS-Level candidates sit Papers 1-2. Full A-Level candidates sit all 5 papers, including the Paper 3 practical exam (with Confidential Instructions for the supervising teacher) and the Paper 5 planning, analysis & evaluation paper.
About Cambridge A-Level Physics
Cambridge A-Level Physics (9702) is one of the most respected pre-university physics qualifications in the world. The syllabus develops fluency in scientific inquiry, advanced practical experimentation, and the mathematical handling of physical models — preparation that maps directly onto first-year undergraduate physics, engineering, and astronomy degrees.
AS-Level (Papers 1-2)
AS-Level (Papers 1 and 2) covers the foundation half of the syllabus: physical quantities and units, kinematics, dynamics, forces and momentum, work and energy, waves, superposition, electric circuits, particle physics, and a first look at radioactivity. Paper 1 is 40-mark multiple choice; Paper 2 is structured questions worth 60 marks.
Full A-Level (Papers 3-5)
A2 (Papers 3, 4, 5) extends the syllabus into circular motion, oscillations, gravitation, thermal physics, ideal gases, electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic induction, alternating currents, quantum physics, nuclear physics, medical physics, and astronomy & cosmology. Paper 3 is the practical exam (40 marks, with a Confidential Instructions document for the teacher); Paper 4 is the largest theory paper (100 marks); Paper 5 covers planning, analysis & evaluation (30 marks).
Key topics in A-Level Physics
These are the major topic areas examined across the 9702 syllabus. Refer to the official Cambridge syllabus PDF for the complete topic list with learning outcomes.
- Physical quantities, units, and measurement uncertainty
- Kinematics, dynamics, and Newton's laws
- Work, energy, power, and conservation principles
- Mechanical waves, superposition, and stationary waves
- D.C. electricity, resistance, and circuit analysis
- Particle physics, leptons, and quarks
- Circular motion and gravitational fields
- Thermal physics and the ideal gas equation
- Electric, magnetic, and capacitor fields
- Electromagnetic induction and alternating currents
- Quantum physics, photoelectric effect, and matter waves
- Nuclear physics, radioactive decay, and binding energy
Past Papers by Year
Download 9702 past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and grade thresholds for any year from 2020 to 2026. Each year covers up to three sessions: February-March (limited centres), May-June (main series), and October-November.
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
How A-Level Physics is graded
Cambridge A-Level Physics is graded A* to E for the full A-Level, and a to e (lowercase) for stand-alone AS-Level. There is a U (ungraded) below E. The conversion from raw marks to grades uses session-specific grade thresholds that Cambridge publishes after each exam series — harder papers have lower thresholds.
As a rough guide for 9702: an A* typically requires around 85-90% across the relevant papers; an A around 75-80%; a B around 65-70%; a C around 55-60%. The exact threshold is set against a curve to keep grade boundaries fair across sessions. Look at the GT document for any session above to see the actual cut-offs for that session.
Official syllabus and external references
These are the authoritative sources for A-Level Physics content. Use the Cambridge syllabus PDF as the definitive list of what's examinable; the others are reputable third-party resources that complement what's on this site.
- Cambridge International — 9702 Physics syllabus
Official syllabus PDF, specimen papers, and learner guides direct from Cambridge.
- Institute of Physics — A-Level resources
IOP teaching and learning resources, careers in physics, and university transition guides.
- Khan Academy — AP Physics 1/2
Free video walkthroughs that overlap heavily with the 9702 AS and A2 syllabus.
Studying A-Level Physics? Brush up on IGCSE foundations first
A-Level Physics (9702) builds directly on IGCSE Physics (0625). If you're transitioning from IGCSE or coming to A-Level from a different IGCSE specification, the 0625 resources are the most efficient way to fill any foundation gaps before tackling the AS material.
Applying to Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford or UCL?
Many Engineering and Science courses require the ESAT (Engineering and Science Admissions Test). A-Level Physics (9702) maps closely to ESAT Physics - prepare with our free topic-by-topic ESAT revision notes.
A-Level 9702 — Frequently asked questions
When are the A-Level Physics exams in 2026?
Cambridge A-Level Physics (9702) exams in 2026 are held during these sessions:
- February-March 2026: limited centres, mainly in India
- May/June 2026: 23 April – 9 June 2026 (main global session)
- October/November 2026: late September – mid November 2026
AS-Level papers and A2 papers are scheduled on different dates within each session. View the October/November 2026 timetable →
What's the difference between AS-Level and full A-Level?
AS-Level is Papers 1-2, taken at the end of year 1 of a two-year course or as a stand-alone qualification. It's worth half the UCAS points of full A-Level. Full A-Level adds Papers 3, 4, and 5 (year 2), and is the qualification most universities require for entry to physics, engineering, or astronomy degrees.
What paper components are in A-Level Physics?
Cambridge A-Level Physics (9702) has 5 paper components:
- Paper 1: Multiple Choice (AS) — 1h 15min, 40 marks (AS-Level)
- Paper 2: AS Level Structured Questions — 1h 15min, 60 marks (AS-Level)
- Paper 3: Advanced Practical Skills — 2h, 40 marks (A2)
- Paper 4: A Level Structured Questions — 2h, 100 marks (A2)
- Paper 5: Planning, Analysis and Evaluation — 1h 30min, 30 marks (A2)
What are paper variants (e.g. 11, 12, 13) and which one should I practise?
Cambridge issues different variants of each paper so the exam can be sat across global time zones without leaks. Variant 1 (e.g. Paper 11, 21) typically goes to Zone 1 (Americas); Variant 2 (12, 22) to Zone 2 (Europe, Africa, Middle East); Variant 3 (13, 23) to Zone 3 (Asia, Oceania). All variants test the same syllabus content at equivalent difficulty, with grade thresholds calibrated session-by-session to even out small variation. Any variant is equally valuable for revision.
How many UCAS points is A-Level Physics worth?
Cambridge A-Levels carry the same UCAS tariff as UK GCE A-Levels (subject to per-university confirmation). A* = 56 points, A = 48, B = 40, C = 32, D = 24, E = 16. AS-Level is worth roughly 40% of the full A-Level points (a = 20, b = 16, c = 12, d = 10, e = 6). Most UK universities accept Cambridge A-Levels directly; some prefer the predicted-grade route. Always check the specific UCAS course page for your target university.
What is Paper 3 and the Confidential Instructions (CI) document?
Paper 3 is the Physics advanced practical-skills exam. It is sat under supervised lab conditions and tests skills like manipulation of apparatus, data presentation, and analysis. The accompanying Confidential Instructions document is given to the supervising teacher before the exam — it lists the apparatus, equipment required, plus any preparatory work the centre must do. Students don't see the CI, but reading past CIs is a useful way to anticipate what kind of experimental setups Paper 3 favours.
How should I structure my A-Level Physics revision?
A solid approach: (1) finish notes for every topic at least 6 weeks before the exam, (2) work through 4-6 past papers under timed conditions, (3) self-mark each one with the mark scheme and log your error patterns, (4) read the examiner report for at least 2-3 of those sessions — it tells you exactly which questions tripped most candidates and what examiners wanted, (5) use flashcards for active recall on factual content and timed practice on calculation-heavy questions. On this site: 546+ Physics flashcards and topic-by-topic revision notes are free with no signup.