A Level Physics is an exciting subject enabling students to appreciate how fundamental Science works and to study the history of the key developments influencing Physics.

Year 12

•    Measurements and their errors

•    Particles and Radiation

•    Waves

•    Mechanics and Materials

•    Electricity

Year 13

•    The full A Level examines all of the above and:

•    Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics

•    Fields and their consequences

•    Nuclear Physics

•    Option module: Turning points in Physics

We want students who:  are motivated, hardworking, inquisitive, independent and resilient with a love of Physics.  You will ideally have studied GCSE Physics.

How will students be assessed?

Year 12 internal exams - there will be two ninety minute papers worth seventy marks each, to assess the AS. There is no coursework but practical understanding will be assessed in the papers.  Both papers assess the full Year 12 content. Paper 1 has 70 marks of short and long answer questions, split by topic.  Paper 2 is split into three sections. Section A: 20 marks of short and long answer questions on practical skills and data analysis. Section B: 20 marks of short and long answer questions from across all areas of AS content. Section C: 30 multiple choice questions.

A Level - there will be three two hour papers of 85 marks for Papers 1 and 2 and 80 for the Paper 3.  Paper 1 and Paper 2 have 60 marks of short and long answer questions and 25 multiple choice questions on content. Paper 3 has 45 marks of short and long answer questions on practical experiments and data analysis. There are 35 marks of short and long answer questions on the Turning Points in Physics topic.

What other courses does it complement?

Physics is a very versatile A Level, which can open many doors in the future. It complements several other A Levels including Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry, Engineering, Product Design and Geography. The Institute of Physics strongly recommends that you study at least Year 12 Mathematics alongside A level Physics.

Next steps - what this course can lead to

Studying A Level Physics can open up many diverse career opportunities for students and prepare them for some of the more challenging degree courses in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). These can include the medicinal sciences, becoming a research scientist, all forms of engineering, financial careers such as accountants and stockbrokers, working in the oil and gas industry, architects, sports scientists and many aspects of the nuclear and energy industry.   

St Benedict’s,

Sixth Form