GCSE Physics resources
AQA GCSE Physics exam skills
Most calculation marks come from choosing the model, converting units, substituting correctly and checking whether the answer makes physical sense.
Start here
Most calculation marks come from choosing the model, converting units, substituting correctly and checking whether the answer makes physical sense.
Core learning content
Start with this short teaching sequence for GCSE Physics Equations and Maths Skills. Read the model, use the visual, then test your recall before moving into examples and exam practice.
Most calculation marks come from choosing the model, converting units, substituting correctly and checking whether the answer makes physical sense. Use the focused resources below to apply the equations and maths skills ideas in exam-style contexts.
Treat units as part of the calculation. Convert prefixes before substituting, write the equation and rearrangement clearly, then check that the final unit fits the quantity. A number without a unit, or compatible-looking numbers with incompatible units, loses otherwise available marks.
Choose a relationship because of the physical change in the question, not because it is familiar. Method: model → units → equation → substitution → answer → sense check (exam routine). Keep the unit next to each value while you substitute.
Use precise definitions, show the relevant working and link each conclusion to the physics evidence in the question. Before writing, underline the command word and identify the information that matters. Keep a calculation as equation, substitution and answer with unit; keep an explanation as a linked chain using because, so or therefore. Finish by checking that the final sentence answers the exact context in the question and that the number, direction or conclusion agrees with the evidence given.
Retrieval practice
Answer without looking back first. The feedback explains the model, so a wrong answer still helps you learn.
Mini quiz 1
Mini quiz 2
Mini quiz 3
Try it
How can a unit check expose a wrong equation or conversion?
What to notice: the readout and written explanation remain available if you do not use the controls.
Worked examples
Cover the answer, attempt the method and then compare your physics language as well as the number.
3 500 J.
t = E ÷ P.
Check that v² was used; the correct value is 9 J.
Misconception clinic
Each of these is tempting because it sounds almost right. Replace it with the precise physics before you meet it in a question.
Independent practice
Use the working space first. Reveal the guidance only after you have committed to an answer, then improve the exact part that would gain the next mark.
250 W.
They identify the physical quantity and show the result is expressed in a meaningful form.
Identify the quantity requested and the physical relationship that links it to the given values.
A unit prefix may not have been converted, the equation may be wrong or a value may have been entered incorrectly.
0.0049, or 4.9 × 10⁻³.
Early rounding can change the final answer unnecessarily.
Questions pupils ask
Most calculation marks come from choosing the model, converting units, substituting correctly and checking whether the answer makes physical sense.
Read the snapshot, attempt the worked examples without looking, complete the mini quizzes and then use the practice questions to check your wording and method.
Next step
Physics sticks when you move between explanation, retrieval and application.