Two boards, two different papers
Pearson Edexcel IAL Physics is unit-based, sat as separate modular papers across AS and A2 content, with two dedicated practical-skills units. CAIE goes a different way: multiple-choice, AS and A-level structured-question papers, plus a separate planning, analysis and evaluation paper. Don't assume either pattern applies until you've checked which board you're actually sitting.
Practical skills are examined directly
Both boards test practical skills through written questions: choosing apparatus, spotting sources of error, processing data including uncertainty, and evaluating how an experiment was designed. That's not something covered once in a lesson and then forgotten. Give it its own place in your revision.
Calculations reward full working
Multi-step numerical questions still carry method marks even when your arithmetic goes wrong, as long as your working and units are clearly shown. Keep units consistent all the way through rather than converting partway, and sanity-check whether your final answer's order of magnitude actually makes sense.
Explain questions need the whole chain
Build a complete chain of physical reasoning, not just a correct final statement dropped at the end. Show every step of a calculation, including the equation before you substitute values. And apply the concept to the actual scenario in the question, not in the abstract.
Where marks quietly disappear
Watch for sign errors in vector-based mechanics and field calculations, mixing up similar concepts across topics (electromagnetism and modern physics are common culprits), and explanations that state a conclusion without the reasoning chain the mark scheme is actually looking for.
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