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A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 4: Structured Questions and Planning
A2 structured: formula, unit, significant figures
The A2 paper is mostly structured questions with a planning experiment and data evaluation. Marks are stepped: correct formula, correct substitution and units keep most of the credit even when the final number is wrong. The usual losses are a bare answer, inconsistent significant figures, and a plan that forgets the control variables.
How is A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 4 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 4 (A Level structured): Structured questions, 100 marks (100 (38.5% A Level)); Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): Two compulsory questions, 30 marks (30 (11.5% A Level)); Paper 1/2/3 (AS level): MC 40 + structured 60 + practical 40 (140 (AS))
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 4 (A Level structured) | Structured questions, 100 marks | 100 (38.5% A Level) | 2 h |
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | Two compulsory questions, 30 marks | 30 (11.5% A Level) | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 1/2/3 (AS level) | MC 40 + structured 60 + practical 40 | 140 (AS) | 1h15 / 1h15 / 2h |
Ten questions in 2 hours is about 11 minutes each. Write the formula first (a = v^2/r, F = Bqv, E = hf), then substitute, then give the unit – all three carry marks.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 4 (A Level structured) | write the formula first, then substitute | A bare answer with no formula written first, so the stepped marks never start. |
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | design, analyse, evaluate | Significant figures changed midway, so the final answer does not match the working. |
| Paper 1/2/3 (AS level) | A2 builds on AS content | A plan that lists apparatus but never states the controlled variables or how error is cut. |
What is each A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 4 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 4 (A Level structured): write the formula first, then substitute; Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): design, analyse, evaluate; Paper 1/2/3 (AS level): A2 builds on 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 1-3: a formula and unit sheet, each symbol defined, with the alternative forms you meet in questions.
Weeks 4-6: calculation only. Three lines per question, then one sentence on whether the answer is sensible.
Weeks 7-9: planning practice. Every plan states what is measured, how error is reduced, which variables are controlled and what safety applies.
Weeks 10-12: full papers under time, with the last ten minutes kept for units and significant figures.
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 4 (A Level structured) | 2 h | about 11 min per question, 10 to check |
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | 1 h 15 min | about 35 min per question |
| Paper 1/2/3 (AS level) | 1h15 / 1h15 / 2h | AS underpins A2 |
How should the time be split inside each A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 4 paper?
Paper 4 (A Level structured): about 11 min per question, 10 to check; Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): about 35 min per question; Paper 1/2/3 (AS level): AS underpins A2
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missing formula | Jumping to the number | The formula carries 3 marks | Write a = v^2/r, F = Bqv first |
| Wrong power of ten | 10^-19 as 10^-18 | Keep the exponent exact | Photon energy is of order 10^-19 J |
| Wrong unit | Force as N/C | Magnetic/electric force is in N | Field is N/C, force is N |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: the question and formula; whether the loss was substitution, units or physics judgement; which topic it belongs to. Unit errors get the correct unit derived in writing; judgement errors get the explanation rewritten.
How many years should you drill?
The structured style of older 9702 papers has barely changed and trains stepped answering well; planning mark schemes have been revised, so use old mark schemes for direction rather than as wording to memorise.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The structured style of older 9702 papers has barely changed and trains stepped answering well; planning mark schemes have been revised, so use old mark schemes for direction rather than as wording to memorise.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 4 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 4 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.
If the final number is wrong, are the earlier lines still credited?
Yes. Formula and substitution carry their own marks, so write them on separate lines; a bare final answer throws that credit away.
How many steps does a plan need?
Follow the mark points, usually four to six: apparatus and set-up, measurement, controlled variables, error reduction, safety. One sentence each, not prose.
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-igcse-physics-0625-paper-4-mock-2027/ | IGCSE Physics (0625) Paper 4 mock |
Related: A-Level Physics 9702 drilling guide (paper order and pacing) · practice area · IGCSE Physics Paper 4 mock · IGCSE Chemistry Paper 4 mock
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
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