It's easy to assume that Physics is a subject that solely tests one's logic and mathematical skills.
What if we tell you that a good imagination will take your Physics knowledge to the next level?
A good imagination will enable you to relate and directly apply the theoretical concepts that you're being taught in real-life situations.
Instead of memorising point after point, one needs to take the time to reflect and come out with consistent logical explanations and solid solutions to a particular phenomenon/problem.
It's not a surprise that students sometimes have a love-hate relationship with Phyiscs right up till their pre-university studies.
While SPM/IGCSE Physics may be a breeze for some of you, the A-Level Physics subject might be a different ball game.
In this article, we will take a look at the A-Level Physics paper from a comprehensive angle in terms of its learning aims, format, marking scheme, learning resources, studying tips and even the career pathways upon completion.
What Are The Learning Aims Of The Cambridge AS & A-Levels Physics Syllabus?
Before you dive deep into the technical parts of the subject, it's good to look at the syllabus framework of the Cambridge AS and A-Levels Physics especially when it comes to the learning aims.
Identifying the learning aim for each subject is useful for you to gauge whether you are on the right track and pace as well as whether you are mastering the learning outcomes.
By the end of your A-Level Physics assessments, you should be able to:
- Gain knowledge and understanding in this field of study as well as cultivate efficient, safe and accurate practical skills and scientific practices
- Master the right way to apply scientific methods with the awareness of the existence of present limitations of scientific theories and models
- Show good skills in data analysis, evaluation and making conclusions as well as demonstrating good scientific values
- Communicate well using the right terminology and scientific convention
- Acknowledge your responsibility when it comes to the welfare of others and the society
- Enjoy and continue to be passionate about Physics at this level and future studying levels
Read up on these tips to ace your A-Level Physics papers.
Discovering The Format & Marking Scheme Of A-Levels Physics 2023
You have to sit for five papers on this subject and all of them are external assessments. Throughout the course of your study, you will learn a total of 25 topics.
Multiple-Choice Questions [Paper 1]
For Paper 1, you will need to answer 40 objective questions based on the 11 topics under the AS Physics syllabus.
Each question carries one mark (40 marks in total) and the test duration is 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Photo by Billy Albert on Unsplash
Structured Questions [Paper 2 and Paper 4]
For Paper 2, you will need to answer a series of structured questions under the 11 topics (Starting from physical quantities and units until particle physics) of the AS Physics syllabus.
The total mark for Paper 2 is 60 marks and the test duration is also 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Similarly for Paper 4, the exam structure is the same but the question scope focuses more on the remaining 14 chapters (Starting from motion in a circle until astronomy and cosmology) under the A-Level Physics syllabus. However, candidates need to be familiar with the previous AS syllabus in order to answer the questions.
This time, the total mark for Paper 4 is 100 marks and the test duration is 2 hours.
Practical Components [Paper 3 and Paper 5]
Paper 3 is an assessment that evaluates candidates' advanced practical skills. The questions are structured and revolve around experimental skills.
The total mark for this paper is 40 marks and the test duration is 2 hours.
On the other hand, Paper 5 evaluates the candidate's planning, analysis and evaluation skills.
You need to answer two compulsory questions for Paper 5. One thing to remember is that the context of the questions for these practical components could be taken outside the syllabus content.
The total mark for this paper is 30 marks and the test duration is 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Effective Learning Resources During Your A-Levels Physics Revision
Now, we'll go through some must-have learning materials as you're preparing for your A-Level Physics throughout the semesters.
Topical Notes
Be it your lecture slides or your own hand-written notes, they should be your go-to point of reference when you want to review important concepts, formulas and elaboration.
We strongly encourage you to organise your notes according to topics and effectively summarise what you have learnt according to definitions, similarities and differences between concepts, relationships between variables, how different formulas are derived and what they stand for as well as relevant examples for the concepts.
You can even incorporate diagrams, illustrations, tables and bullet points to summarise the content. The key is to make your notes as simple and concise as possible so that you can memorise them more effectively.
Past Year Papers/Sample Exercises From Reference Books
Don't forget to practice consistently after you have reviewed the topics.
Start by compiling past year's A-Level Physics papers and get some topical exercises workbooks from the nearest bookstores.
As you are doing the exercises, make sure you attempt to answer them within the actual test duration and be sure to compare your answers with the provided grading scheme.
Audiovisual Materials
If you prefer to learn through watching and listening, you should opt for various online tutorials or explanation videos.
You can either watch videos on particular topics like Crash Course Physics, watch direct A-Levels Q and A tutorials on actual past year papers or even watch some sharing of studying tips from former A-Levels students.
With Youtube, you can literally find anything and everything because new content is being uploaded from time to time.
Learn more about the latest examination format and grading criteria for your A-Levels Physics in this article.
Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash
Important Tips To Ace Your A-Levels Physics Papers
After looking at the learning materials, let's get to the three direct studying tips to ace this subject.
Tip 1: Identify your learning style
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are so many Physics learning materials that you can benefit from. However, none of that will work if you are not sure what works best for you.
For example, some of us might remember and learn best through constant reading and writing while some of us need to relate concepts through more audiovisual stimulation.
The key is to determine the best learning style that allows you to remember what you have learnt in the fastest manner and enjoy the whole revision process at the same time.
Tip 2: Master the marking scheme of each component
Next, you'll need a good strategy to conquer all five papers of your A-Level Physics subject. Look through the provided questions and answers and see if there are any recurring answering patterns/ keywords that you should look out for.
For example, you might notice that when it comes to "state and explain" questions, examiners would award full marks for answers with clear definitions, clear relationship explanations between the variables as well as a few relevant examples.
On the other hand, when it comes to practical components for Paper 3 and Paper 5, you might want to read up on how marks are awarded when any graph or diagram questions are involved, in terms of the drawing, presentation of data and calculation of constant.
Tip 3: Get a reliable Physics tutor
With Superprof, you can experience a flexible and effective tutoring session.
Just head to the Superprof Malaysia homepage and start browsing for Physics tutors near you.
Whether you are looking for a home tutor or an online tutor, you can easily navigate the tutor-hunting process through a series of systematic filtering.
You can filter the tutor according to their qualification, teaching experience, teaching scope, teaching methodology, teaching mode and hourly rates through the information provided at their respective profiles.
For instance, if you are looking for a Physics tutor that's based in Kuala Lumpur and offers an hourly rate that's within RM60, you can indicate that right from the beginning through the search box and filtering tabs.
The system will then direct you to a pool of Physics tutors in Kuala Lumpur that offers their lessons within that price range. In other words, there's no need for anyone to negotiate the price of the lessons, because it's already fixed.
You can explore these learning resources for your A-Level Physics revision.
What Is The Academic/Career Pathway After Completing A-Level Physics?
As an A-Level student, you might think of the potential pathways that you can take after you have completed your pre-university studies.
If you are still deeply interested in Physics, here are three suggestions that you can consider.
Degree in Physics
If you love exploring the fundamental concepts of Physics, this is for you.
Some universities that offer Bachelor of Science (Physics) in Malaysia include:
- Universiti Malaya
- Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Degree in Engineering
If you love to apply theoretical concepts in real-life situations and help solve problems, engineering is a promising field.
Some universities that offer Engineering courses in Malaysia include:
- University Nottingham Malaysia
- Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
Photo by Good Free Photos on Unsplash
Degree in Computer Science
If you love coding and all things IT, you should venture into computer science.
Some universities that offer Computer Science courses in Malaysia include:
- Asia Pacific University Malaysia
- Monash University Malaysia
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. You're now more ready than ever to master A-Level Physics!
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
