📚 AO1: know it
Knowledge and understanding of physics: facts, definitions, laws and equations. About 38-42% of the marks.
The Exam Papers » How the Physics Exams Work
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Assessment overview
- Describe Paper 1 and Paper 2: length, marks and what each one covers
- Explain what AO1, AO2 and AO3 reward
- Use the eight topics as a revision checklist, including the Paper 2 only parts
- Plan your time at about a mark a minute
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Unlock This CourseThe qualification at a glance
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Physics (4PH1) is untiered. Everyone sits the same two papers, and there is no Foundation or Higher choice. Grades run from 9 to 1, and 9 is the highest.
Key terms:
- Untiered: every student takes the same papers, with the same chance of every grade.
- Paper 2 only content: points printed in bold with a P reference in the specification. They are examined in Paper 2 only.
- Assessment objective (AO): a skill the examiners reward. Every mark on both papers belongs to AO1, AO2 or AO3.
Paper 1 and Paper 2
The two papers are written exams. You may use a calculator in both.
| Paper 1 (4PH1/1P) | Paper 2 (4PH1/2P) | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 2 hours | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Marks | 110 | 70 |
| Share of the qualification | 61.1% | 38.9% |
| Content | Core content only: points that are not in bold and have no P reference | All the content, including the bold points with a P reference |
| Topics | Questions may come from any topic | Questions may come from any topic |
Both papers use a mix of question styles:
- Multiple-choice: pick the one correct answer from the options.
- Short-answer: one or two lines.
- Calculations: use an equation, show the steps and give a unit.
- Extended open-response: a longer answer where you build a clear, joined-up explanation.
Paper 2 only
Paper 2 examines everything, so it also tests the Paper 2 only points. Paper 1 never asks about them. That means you cannot skip the P content: it only appears on one paper, but that paper is worth 38.9% of your result.
How the marks add up
The two papers are simply added together. Paper 1 is out of 110 marks and Paper 2 is out of 70 marks, so the total is 180 marks. The marks are not scaled, which means a mark on Paper 1 is worth the same as a mark on Paper 2. Your grade comes from the overall mark out of 180.
Worked example
A student scores 66 marks on Paper 1 and 40 marks on Paper 2.
Total = 66 + 40 = 106 marks out of 180.
Share check: 110 ÷ 180 = 0.611, which is 61.1%. And 70 ÷ 180 = 0.389, which is 38.9%.
The exams are held in June and November.
You need a suitable electronic calculator for every paper. Calculators that can retrieve stored text or formulae, or that have a QWERTY keyboard, are not allowed. Check yours before exam day.
What the examiners reward: AO1, AO2 and AO3
The marks are split between three skills. Here they are in plain words.
💡 AO2: use it
Applying your knowledge to new situations, and analysing and evaluating physics. About 38-42% of the marks.
🔬 AO3: test it
Experimental skills: analysing and evaluating data and methods. About 19-21% of the marks.
So roughly four marks in ten reward knowing physics, four in ten reward using it in new situations, and two in ten reward practical skills. Only about two in five marks are knowledge. The rest need you to think, which is why practising questions matters as much as reading.
Your revision checklist: the eight topics
The content is split into eight topics. Each topic starts with a short units section. Use this table to tick off what you have revised. The last column shows which parts are Paper 2 only.
| Topic | Sections | Paper 2 only parts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Forces and motion | Units, movement and position, forces, movement, shape and momentum | Momentum, Newton's third law and moments (points 1.25P to 1.33P), and the units point 1.2P |
| 2 Electricity | Units, mains electricity, energy and voltage in circuits, electric charge | All of the electric charge section (2.22P to 2.28P) |
| 3 Waves | Units, properties of waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, light and sound | The last part of light and sound (3.24P to 3.29P) |
| 4 Energy resources and energy transfers | Units, energy transfers, work and power, energy resources and electricity generation | All of the energy resources and electricity generation section (4.18P and 4.19P) |
| 5 Solids, liquids and gases | Units, density and pressure, change of state, ideal gas molecules | All of the change of state section (5.8P to 5.14P), and the units point 5.2P |
| 6 Magnetism and electromagnetism | Units, magnetism, electromagnetism, electromagnetic induction | Points 6.9P, 6.10P and 6.11P, and the end of induction (6.17P to 6.20P) |
| 7 Radioactivity and particles | Units, radioactivity, fission and fusion | None: all of it can appear on Paper 1 |
| 8 Astrophysics | Units, motion in the universe, stellar evolution, cosmology | Points 8.11P and 8.12P, and all of cosmology (8.13P to 8.18P) |
Because questions on both papers may come from any topic, you must revise all eight. There is no topic you can leave out.
Equations
Some equations are marked in the specification as "know and use". You must learn those, because they are not given in the exam. Others are only "use", and are printed on the formulae page of the paper. You will meet this properly in the lesson Equations to Learn and Equations Given.
Timing: about a mark a minute
Paper 1 gives 120 minutes for 110 marks. Paper 2 gives 75 minutes for 70 marks. On both papers that is a little over one minute per mark, so a good rule is about a mark a minute.
Worked example
A question is worth 4 marks. At about a mark a minute, spend about 4 minutes on it.
A 6-mark extended answer: about 6 minutes, which includes a moment to plan before you write.
Paper 2 check: 75 minutes ÷ 70 marks = 1.07 minutes per mark. That leaves a few minutes at the end to check your answers.
- If you are stuck, write what you can, move on and come back. A blank answer earns nothing.
- Multiple-choice questions usually need less time than longer written answers, so do not linger on them.
- Do not spend ten minutes on a 2-mark question.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes
- Thinking there are Foundation and Higher papers. There are not. Everyone sits the same two papers.
- Skipping the Paper 2 only content because "it is only on one paper". Paper 2 is 38.9% of the total, and the P points can appear on any topic in it.
- Believing Paper 2 is the "easy" short paper. It is shorter, but it covers all the content.
- Thinking each paper is graded separately. Marks are added to make one total out of 180.
- Revising only facts. About 60% of the marks are for applying knowledge and practical skills (AO2 and AO3).
- Using a calculator that stores text or formulae. It is not allowed.
Exam-style question
(a) State the number of marks and the length of Physics Paper 2. [2 marks]
(b) Explain why a student must revise the points marked with a P, even though Paper 1 does not test them. [2 marks]
(c) A question on Paper 1 is worth 5 marks. Calculate roughly how many minutes the student should spend on it, using the usual rule for timing. [1 mark]
Model answer
(a) 70 marks (1) and 1 hour 15 minutes (1).
(b) Paper 2 tests all the content, including the P points (1), and it is worth 38.9% of the total marks, so skipping them would lose marks (1).
(c) About 5 minutes, because it is about a mark a minute (1).
Exam tip
When a question has two marks, give two separate facts. In part (a) the marks and the time are separate answers, so write both.