Difficulty verdict
Overall a demanding but fair set of papers (about 4 out of 5). Over 270 marks, roughly a third are quick wins: 30 multiple-choice marks, 'show that' steps and single-formula calculations. The hard marks sit in six levels-of-response questions (36 marks) and in multi-step numerical work with graphs and uncertainties.
Where the marks are
- Charge and field (about 37 marks) is the biggest single block, spread over capacitors, gravitational and electric fields, the oil-drop experiment and the condenser/electret microphones in the article.
- Practical skills and data analysis (about 55 marks together) are heavily examined, not just in the practical paper: uncertainties, gradients, error bars, lines of best and worst fit, and improving methods.
- Electromagnetism, waves and quantum, Out into space each carry 23-28 marks.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Dropping marks by not showing clear working on 'show that' questions: the mark scheme asks for your own value or complete working.
- Giving too many significant figures, or ignoring the one-off significant-figure penalty rule.
- Weak uncertainty handling: percentage uncertainty doubling for a squared quantity, half-range uncertainty, and choosing points at least half the line apart for gradients.
- Level-of-response answers that cover only one strand. Both strands (for example, maxima/minima and decreasing peak height) are needed for the top level.
Strategy
- Spend no more than 40 minutes on Paper 1 Section A and bank those 30 marks.
- Read the advance-notice article several times before Paper 2: Section C questions point to specific line numbers and equations.
- For asterisked questions, plan the strands first, then write a short structured answer with equations and numbers.
Looking ahead
Topics that have appeared little recently (Matter: hot or cold, Mechanical properties, Creating models, Sensing) are good candidates to revisit. Expect capacitors, fields, waves/interference, uncertainty analysis and nuclear/radiation to appear again.