The shared themes across all three boards

GCSE Physics specifications across AQA, Edexcel and OCR cover broadly the same ground, organised slightly differently: energy, electricity, particle model of matter, atomic and nuclear physics, forces and motion, waves, magnetism and electromagnetism, and space physics (often the smallest, most self-contained topic, and a good place to pick up reliable marks). Build your revision around these shared themes, then check your specific board's specification for exact wording and any additional content.

Know which equations you must memorise versus which are given

Each board publishes a list of equations students are expected to recall from memory, separate from a list of equations provided on an equation sheet in the exam. Confusing the two — assuming an equation will be given when it is actually one you are expected to know — is a common and entirely avoidable way to lose marks. Get your board's exact equation list early in your revision and test yourself on the memorise-list specifically, separate from general topic revision.

Required practicals are examined on the written papers

As with GCSE Chemistry, Physics required practicals are not sat as a separate hands-on exam but are tested through written questions about method, variables, apparatus, and evaluating results and sources of error. Revise each required practical as a named topic — what was measured, what was controlled, what the typical sources of error were — rather than relying on having “done it once in class” to carry you through an exam question months later.

Units and significant figures

Physics calculation questions commonly lose marks not from the wrong method but from missing or incorrect units in the final answer, or from giving more or fewer significant figures than the data in the question supports. Make checking units and significant figures part of your standard answer-checking routine for every calculation question, not an afterthought.

Common content traps

  • Confusing distance-time and velocity-time graphs, particularly when reading gradients and interpreting what a curved versus straight line represents.
  • Mixing up the units and definitions of energy, work done, and power, especially in multi-step calculation questions that chain several quantities together.
  • Describing the difference between alpha, beta and gamma radiation only by penetrating power, without also being able to describe their relative ionising power and what each actually consists of.

Revising GCSE Physics with ExamPass.ai

ExamPass.ai generates GCSE Physics topic quizzes and full mock papers with mark schemes matched to your exam board and tier, with instant AI marking of handwritten calculation working — helping you see exactly where units, significant figures, or method steps were missed.