中文（繁體）
中文（简体）
English
A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 2 Drill Guide: Written Answers and Units
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · A-LEVEL PHYSICS PAPER 2: WRITTEN ANSWERS AND UNITS
Paper 2 marks the working, not the number: every definition, every unit, every source of a formula. Structured parts award marks per line, so a missing unit or a missing direction sentence costs the whole part, and graph questions ask for the physical meaning of a gradient or an area rather than a copied pair of coordinates. This page is the drilling method only; the original mock paper with worked answers sits in the same series.
How is A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 2 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 2 (AS Structured Questions): Structured questions, 60 marks (AS Level 43%); Paper 1 (Multiple Choice): 40 four-choice items, 40 marks (AS Level 29%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 2 (AS Structured Questions) | Structured questions, 60 marks | AS Level 43% | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 1 (Multiple Choice) | 40 four-choice items, 40 marks | AS Level 29% | 1 h 15 min |
A-Level Physics Paper 2 drilling technique: show formula, substitution and units; waves use f = 1/T and v = f x lambda; keep stationary (nodes/antinodes) and progressive waves apart. Series resistances add, parallel use reciprocals.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 2 (AS Structured Questions) | kinematics, waves, electricity | Only the working and the number are written, so symbol definitions and units lose marks part by part. |
| Paper 1 (Multiple Choice) | all AS content | The graph question copies two coordinates without stating what the gradient physically means. |
What is each A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 2 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 2 (AS Structured Questions): kinematics, waves, electricity; Paper 1 (Multiple Choice): all AS content
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Weeks one to four go topic by topic: mechanics and motion, then waves and electricity, then heat and fields. After each question, circle the marking points in a second colour and add any missing sentence. Weeks five to eight switch to timed papers at full length, then tighten by a tenth, starting with the long questions you can do best. The final four weeks redo only the recurring error types until every standard definition can be written from memory.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 2 (AS Structured Questions) | 1 h 15 min | about 12 min per question |
| Paper 1 (Multiple Choice) | 1 h 15 min | about 2 min per question |
How should the time be split inside each A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 2 paper?
Paper 2 (AS Structured Questions): about 12 min per question; Paper 1 (Multiple Choice): about 2 min per question
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series as parallel | R = 1/(6+3) | Series adds: R = 6+3 | 9 ohm |
| Frequency as period | f = 4 ms | f = 1/T | 250 Hz |
| Stationary as progressive | Stationary transfers energy | Stationary transfers none, has nodes | nodes + antinodes |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: question and topic; the sentence that lost the mark (missing unit, missing direction, missing definition); and the fixed wording to use next time. Keep a separate page for unit and significant-figure losses, because that error repeats several times in one paper.
How many years should you drill?
The 9702 paper structure and assessment objectives have been stable for years, so ten years of past papers are usable: time the last five as whole papers and split older ones by topic. Always answer to the current unit and significant-figure standard rather than an older paper s looser key.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The 9702 paper structure and assessment objectives have been stable for years, so ten years of past papers are usable: time the last five as whole papers and split older ones by topic. Always answer to the current unit and significant-figure standard rather than an older paper s looser key.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 2 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 2 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
How precise must a definition be?
Precise enough to write from memory, including any direction or condition, such as stating that a quantity is a vector and which way it points. Marking only credits words on the page, so understanding without writing earns nothing.
Which long question should be attempted first?
Start with the one that needs a diagram or a derivation, since it takes the longest and a wrong diagram drags the later parts down with it. Leave the purely descriptive parts until last, where partial marks are still reachable if time runs short.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Cambridge A-Level Physics 9702 syllabus (2025-2027) | Confirm the Paper 1-5 marks and times |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-alevel-physics-9702-paper-4-mock-2027/ | A-Level Physics Paper 4 drilling mock |
Original mock: A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 2 mock paper with answers; more practice in the practice area.
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
Demand for tutors in this subject is steady, and those who can explain the marking scheme and where marks are won are especially sought after. Register free; you pay only when a match succeeds.
