Examinations
- Teaching plans (first exam 2025)
- Examinations
From 2025, DP physicists will sit two examinations. Here we'll take a look at what these contain and how students can prepare.
Paper 1 consists of two sections:
- Section A is formed of multiple-choice questions from topics A.1 to E.5
- Section B is formed of data-based questions that will assess students' fluency with the tools of a physicist
At Standard Level, the duration is 1 hour and 30 minutes, and it contains 45 marks (36% of the grade).
At Higher Level, the duration is 2 hours, and it contains 60 marks (36% of the grade) - 40 marks for Section A and 20 marks for Section B.
Paper 2 consists of short-answer and extended-response questions.
There are no separate sections, and questions will be formed from topics A.1 to E.5.
At Standard Level, the duration is 1 hour and 30 minutes, and it contains 55 marks (44% of the grade).
At Higher Level, the duration is 2 hours and 30 minutes, and it contains 90 marks (44% of the grade).
Reading time (5 minutes) will be provided for both papers. The use of calculators is permitted and data booklets will be provided for both papers.
Students will benefit from Paper 1 practice in particular. They will receive warnings when 30 minutes and 5 minutes remain, but there will be no instruction provided about when to turn from Section A to Section B (or vice versa).
The assessment objectives for both papers are:
- Demonstrate knowledge of terminology, facts and concepts, and skills, techniques and methodologies.
- Understand and apply knowledge of terminology and concepts, and skills, techniques and methodologies.
- Analyse, evaluate, and synthesize experimental procedures, primary and secondary data, and trends, patterns and predictions.
Paper 1 Section A is presented in Theme order (A, B, etc) with questions that do not generally benefit from using a calculator. Almost all questions can be answered using information from only one topic at a time. A fair rule of thumb seems to be assuming that the ratio of marks will follow the ratio of teaching hours (give or take).
Paper 1 Section B is comprised of two questions, approximately equal in marks distribution. Although detailed contextual information is provided (which presumably contributes to the generous ratio of minutes to marks), students can generally respond to questions as though they were in isolation - employing knowledge of uncertainties, types of relationships, how to analyse graphical data and algebra. Attempting a few practice questions (including from Paper 3 Section A of the previous Guide) should support students in learning the style, and could be a fun aspect of studying the topics from which past paper questions are drawn.
Paper 2 at Standard Level is made up of seven questions (presented here in general terms):
- Forces - 4 marks
- Standing waves - 5 marks
- Gravitation - 4 marks
- Radioactivity and current electricity - 6 marks
- Radiation and stars - 6 marks
- Thermal physics and experimental awareness - 5 marks
- Electric fields and forces - 20 marks
Paper 2 at Higher Level is made up of 10 questions (presented here in general terms):
- Forces - 4 marks
- Relativity - 6 marks
- Standing waves - 5 marks
- Gravitation and energy - 7 marks
- Induction - 7 marks
- Radioactivity and current electricity - 9 marks
- Radiation and stars - 6 marks
- Thermal physics and experimental awareness - 6 marks
- Electric fields and forces - 20 marks
- Oscillations, energy, handling unfamiliar information, thermodynamics, nuclear reactions and power production - 20 marks
Paper 1 Section B is the same for Higher Level and Standard Level students. Most (if not all) Standard Level content from Paper 1 Section A and Paper 2 are presented unedited in the Higher Level papers, suggesting that students taking Higher Level are simply taking 'more' rather than 'more difficulty'.
There is no apparent attempt to disguise the 'links' in Paper 2; students can generally solve each question part using information from one topic before moving to the next. Saying this, students who rely heavily on the data booklet would do well to practise moving between sections at speed.
The obvious way to prepare for examinations is to review all Tools and Understandings from throughout the course, ticking off the Subject Guide along the way. Review requires processing (rather than just 'looking') for transfer of information to the long-term memory, so covering and repeating reading material, taking notes, making flashcards, discussions with peers and interacting with simulations are likely to be effective.
Once all content has been reviewed, exam technique can be developed by attempting questions. Because physics is more about application than recall, it might be beneficial to complete questions 'open book' until you are reliably scoring around 50% or higher. This strategy means that you can access the most complex problems rather than getting held up on facts that you might not yet remember. Ensure that as much time is dedicated to marking and drawing up new revision lists as actually attempting the questions in the first place; this is where the real learning happens.
The 'command terms', which represent an instruction about the response required to a question, should be understood by students. Here we highlight those that might act as a clue or deterrent:
- Draw - use a pencil and ruler and include labels
- State - no explanation or calculation required (and therefore the student shouldn't have to think for long)
- Annotate - add brief notes
- Calculate - show relevant stages to ultimately obtain the correct numerical answer
- Describe
- Estimate - an approximate value
- Outline
- Analyse
- Determine - only one possible answer
- Discuss - offer a considered and balanced review with evidence-based arguments
- Explain - describe with reasons
- Predict
- Show - often trickier than "calculate" because marks are only given for the steps and not the answer
- Sketch - shape/relationship with qualitative but not quantitative features
- Suggest - code for "not on the course", which means that students should propose a possible answer
- Noticing unit prefixes
- Giving a suitable number of significant figures when required by the question
- Physics being many students' first exam, which has the upside of students having unambiguous readiness time but also a mix of emotions
- Guessing when not sure in Paper 1 Section A, as average luck should yield 25% rather than 0%
- Writing within the boxes provided (and indicating clearly if an answer booklet was used for extra space)
- Remembering that, unlike some other qualifications in schools, there is not necessarily any increase in difficulty as the papers progress, so an optimistic mindset and appropriate time allocation will be hugely beneficial
- Using spare minutes at the end to relentlessly 'scrap' for marks rather than sitting back and waiting for the session to end