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A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 5 Drill Guide: Planning Questions
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · A-LEVEL PHYSICS 9702 PAPER 5: PLANNING AND EVALUATION
Paper 5 holds just two questions: one asks you to design an experiment and set out the measurements, the other hands you a set of data to process, plot, and evaluate for reliability. Most candidates treat it as a writing task, so the variables blur, the controlled ones go missing and the uncertainty is bolted on at the end. This page covers the drilling method only: time split between the two questions, a fixed skeleton for the design question, and a checking order for the data question.
How is A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 5 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): 2 questions, 30 marks (A Level 12%); Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills): Practical test, 40 marks (AS Level 23%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | 2 questions, 30 marks | A Level 12% | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills) | Practical test, 40 marks | AS Level 23% | 2 hours |
A-Level Physics Paper 5 drilling technique: the plan needs instruments, range, precision, method, controls and the graph relationship; evaluation uses percentage uncertainty = error / reading x 100%; reduce error by repeating, using larger readings and avoiding zero error.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | plan + graph + error evaluation | The planning answer says “measure the length” without saying between which points, or how the other variables are held constant. |
| Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills) | hands-on + record + analyse | The graph is plotted before checking units and significant figures, so the gradient comes out an order of magnitude wrong. |
What is each A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 5 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): plan + graph + error evaluation; Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills): hands-on + record + analyse
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 write one planning answer per session in twelve minutes, then mark it at once and list the missing variables, instruments, safety points and repeats in the margin. Weeks five to eight take the data question only, doing the processing and the graph first, always listing units and significant figures. The final four weeks run both questions under time, followed by a second calculation of the gradient.
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 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | 1 h 15 min | about 37 min per question |
| Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills) | 2 hours | about 60 min per question |
How should the time be split inside each A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 5 paper?
Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): about 37 min per question; Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills): about 60 min per question
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan missing precision | ‘Use a ruler’ | State range and precision | range + precision |
| Uncertainty denominator | Divide by the error | Divide by the reading | 5% |
| Single reading | Measure once | Repeat and average | repeat |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: question type (planning or data); the sentence that lost the mark (vague variable, wrong instrument, wrong unit, missing evaluation); and the standard wording. Anything appearing three times becomes a card you revise on its own before the exam.
How many years should you drill?
The Paper 5 format has been stable for years, so older papers stay useful: time the last five as whole papers and take only the planning or only the data question from earlier ones. The official scheme lists a mark per point, so mark line by line, especially the variable definitions and the evaluation sentence.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The Paper 5 format has been stable for years, so older papers stay useful: time the last five as whole papers and take only the planning or only the data question from earlier ones. The official scheme lists a mark per point, so mark line by line, especially the variable definitions and the evaluation sentence.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the A-Level Physics 9702 Paper 5 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 5 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.
Should the planning answer include calculations?
Yes, but only the one or two that turn a measurement into the quantity being compared, so the graph has a clear dependent variable. Skip the rest of the derivation and spend the time on the variable and measurement sentences.
How do I handle uncertainty without running out of time?
Fix one sentence pattern in practice: reading, instrument precision, absolute then percentage uncertainty, always in that order. Use it unchanged on the day instead of reinventing the wording.
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 5 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.
