AQA GCSE physics predicted topics 2026 (higher tier triple)
Obviously you need to learn the whole specification. Students who do best in their exams are always the ones who have revised broadly rather than trying to second-guess the paper.
That said, if you have worked through most of your revision and you are looking for a way to prioritise the final stretch, it can help to know which topics have been quiet recently. We went through every question on the 2024 and 2025 AQA GCSE Physics Higher Tier Triple papers (8463/1H and 8463/2H) and mapped each one against the specification. A handful of topics have had little or no coverage across both years. If you have some time near the end of your revision, those are the ones worth giving a little extra attention.
None of this is insider knowledge and none of it is guaranteed – AQA can test any part of the spec in any year. Think of it as a gentle nudge towards the quieter corners of the course, rather than a shortcut. You have got this.
A handful
of specification topics have had little or no coverage across AQA's 2024 and 2025 Higher Triple Physics papers – a shortlist to review at the end of your revision
What this analysis covers
AQA has to sample the entire specification over time. When a topic has been completely absent from both the 2024 and 2025 Higher Triple papers, there is a reasonable case that it might appear in 2026. Topics that have only been lightly touched are worth a closer look too.
A quick note on what was heavily tested in 2025: The Paper 1 thermal physics question covered specific latent heat of vaporisation, internal energy changes during a state change, and gas pressure with temperature. The same paper had a substantial nuclear question covering isotopes, nuclear equations, half-lives and comparing activities. The electrical work on Paper 1 drew on E = QV, P = I²R and Q = It. Paper 2 featured a large forces and motion block (springs, skydiver, braking and stopping distance), lenses and red-shift, the motor effect, pressure in fluids, and transformers. Those are the areas least likely to carry another major question in 2026, so they are not on our list below.
These predictions are based on past paper analysis, not inside knowledge. They are not guarantees. AQA can test any part of the specification in any year, so the whole spec matters. Use this list to guide where you spend any extra time.
Paper 1 topics worth extra attention
Paper 1 covers energy (4.1), electricity (4.2), particle model of matter (4.3), and atomic structure (4.4). The topics below are the quieter corners of these chapters.
Not seen in either 2024 or 2025 (Paper 1)
| Topic | Spec ref. | What to revise |
|---|---|---|
| Power as a calculation (P = E/t, P = W/t) | 4.1.1.4 | Practise calculations using P = E/t and P = W/t, converting between joules, watts and seconds. Power has appeared as context in 2025 but not as a dedicated power calculation. |
| AC/DC and mains supply (230 V, 50 Hz, live/neutral/earth) | 4.2.3.1 | Label a three-pin plug, explain live, neutral and earth wires, and state the UK mains values. Safety features including fuses and earth wires. |
| Static charge and electron transfer | 4.2.5.1 | Charging by friction, explained using electron transfer. Know which materials tend to gain and lose electrons, and common demonstrations of static. |
| Electric fields | 4.2.5.2 | Drawing electric field lines around charged objects, the idea of a uniform field between parallel plates, and linking field strength to the size of force on a charge. |
| Heating and cooling curves as graphs | 4.3.1.2 | Drawing and interpreting heating and cooling curves, identifying where changes of state occur, and explaining why temperature stays constant during a change of state. The 2025 question on nitrogen touched internal energy but did not ask for a curve. |
| Temperature in Kelvin and absolute zero | 4.3.3.1 | Gas particles in random motion, the link between temperature and kinetic energy, the Kelvin scale, and absolute zero (−273 °C) as the point where particles have minimum kinetic energy. |
Quiet or only lightly tested (Paper 1)
| Topic | Coverage so far | What to revise |
|---|---|---|
| Reducing unwanted energy transfers and insulation | Only a 1-mark prompt in 2025 (reduce energy loss in SHC practical) | Compare insulation methods (loft insulation, cavity walls, double glazing) and explain thermal conductivity. The deeper content around reducing energy loss from homes remains quiet. |
| Gas pressure pV = constant (HT) | Partial only – 2025 tested pressure rising with temperature in a sealed container, not pV = constant at fixed temperature | Explain pV = constant at constant temperature and link to particle collisions. Be ready for a calculation using Boyle's law. |
Paper 1 final-stretch checklist
Work through each topic and tick it off once you have revised the content and attempted at least one exam-style question.
- Power calculations – practise P = E/t and P = W/t with units and conversions
- AC/DC and mains supply – label a three-pin plug and state 230 V / 50 Hz
- Static charge – explain charging by friction using electron transfer
- Electric fields – draw field lines around charged objects and between parallel plates
- Heating and cooling curves – sketch a curve and explain the flat sections in terms of energy and particles
- Kelvin scale – convert °C to K and explain absolute zero in terms of particle motion
- Reducing unwanted energy transfers – compare loft insulation, cavity walls, and double glazing
- Boyle's law (HT) – apply pV = constant and explain using particle collisions
Paper 2 topics worth extra attention
Paper 2 covers forces (4.5), waves (4.6), magnetism and electromagnetism (4.7), and space physics (4.8). This paper has more quiet corners than Paper 1. A few big ones stand out as genuinely untested across both years.
Not seen in either 2024 or 2025 (Paper 2)
| Topic | Spec ref. | What to revise |
|---|---|---|
| Newton's Third Law – action-reaction pairs | 4.5.6.2.3 | Identifying action-reaction pairs, explaining that they act on different objects, and applying the Third Law to real situations. This is a classic six-mark question that students often confuse with balanced forces, so it is worth really nailing. |
| Black body radiation and Earth's temperature balance | 4.6.3.2 | Perfect black bodies, emission spectra, how the temperature of a body relates to the radiation it emits, and the balance between absorbed and radiated energy for the Earth. |
| Weight W = mg as a calculation | 4.5.1.3 | Weight as the force of gravity on an object, the distinction between mass and weight, and calculating weight using W = mg with different gravitational field strengths. Weight appeared as a label in a free-body diagram in 2025 but no calculation was required. |
| Distance and displacement | 4.5.6.1.1 | The difference between distance (scalar) and displacement (vector), and why direction matters when describing motion. |
| Visible light, colour, filters, specular vs diffuse reflection | 4.6.2.6 | How we see colour, the effect of colour filters, the difference between specular and diffuse reflection, and how surfaces appear coloured. |
| Emission and absorption of infrared radiation | 4.6.3.1 | All objects emit and absorb infrared radiation, the factors affecting the rate of emission and absorption, and how surface colour and texture play a role. |
| Poles of a magnet, permanent vs induced magnets | 4.7.1.1 | Attraction and repulsion between poles, the difference between permanent and induced magnets, and how induced magnetism works. |
| Magnetic fields, field lines, compass plotting | 4.7.1.2 | Drawing magnetic field lines around bar magnets, using a compass to plot field lines, and understanding that field lines go from north to south. |
| Solenoids and electromagnets | 4.7.2.1 | The magnetic field around a current-carrying wire, the field inside a solenoid, and the factors that affect the strength of an electromagnet. (The motor effect was tested in 2025 but solenoids and electromagnets specifically were not.) |
| Contact and non-contact forces | 4.5.1.2 | Definitions and examples of contact and non-contact forces (gravity, magnetism, electrostatic forces). |
| Work done W = Fs | 4.5.2 | Practise W = Fs calculations and explain energy transfer when work is done against a force. |
| Distance-time graphs | 4.5.6.1.4 | Reading speed from the gradient, interpreting curves as changing speed, and calculating average speed. |
| Reaction time | 4.5.6.3.2 | Typical human reaction times, factors that affect reaction time (tiredness, alcohol, drugs, distractions), and how the ruler-drop practical works. |
| Waves for detection and exploration (ultrasound, seismic) | 4.6.1.5 | How ultrasound is used in medical imaging and industrial testing, and how seismic P-waves and S-waves provide evidence for the structure of the Earth. |
| EM spectrum – types and order | 4.6.2.1 | List all seven types in order from radio to gamma, and give the order of increasing frequency and decreasing wavelength. |
| EM waves – radio production and ionising radiation dangers | 4.6.2.3 | How radio waves are produced by oscillations in electrical circuits, and the dangers of ionising radiation from UV, X-rays, and gamma rays. |
| Uses and applications of EM waves | 4.6.2.4 | Practical uses of each part of the EM spectrum, from communications to cooking to medical imaging. |
| Loudspeakers (HT) | 4.7.2.4 | How a moving-coil loudspeaker uses the motor effect to convert varying electrical signals into sound waves. |
| Generator effect uses – dynamo and alternator (HT) | 4.7.3.2 | How a dynamo produces DC and an alternator produces AC, and how to sketch the output of each. |
| Microphones (HT) | 4.7.3.3 | How a moving-coil microphone uses the generator effect to convert sound waves into an electrical signal. |
| Our solar system | 4.8.1.1 | Structure of the solar system, distinguishing between stars, planets, dwarf planets, moons, and natural satellites. How the Sun formed and its life cycle. |
The Paper 2 list is long because there are genuinely a lot of quiet corners on this paper. Newton's Third Law (4.5.6.2.3) is one of those topics that examiners love to test with a six-mark question because students often confuse action-reaction pairs with balanced forces, and it has been entirely absent for two years.
The magnetism chapter has three entirely untested specification points in a row – poles and induced magnets (4.7.1.1), field lines (4.7.1.2), and electromagnets (4.7.2.1). If AQA gives magnetism a bigger presence in 2026, students who have not revised these basics will feel it.
The EM spectrum is similarly quiet. Types and order, uses, radio production, and the dangers of ionising radiation have all been untested. A question on the spectrum with a couple of marks on uses and a couple on dangers would not be a surprise.
Paper 2 final-stretch checklist
Prioritise these topics in any extra Paper 2 revision time. Tick off each one once you are confident.
- Newton's Third Law – identify action-reaction pairs in at least three different scenarios, explaining why the forces act on different objects
- Black body radiation – describe how the spectrum of emitted radiation changes with temperature and explain Earth's temperature balance
- Weight W = mg – calculate weight on Earth and other planets using different gravitational field strengths
- Distance vs displacement – give examples that show why direction matters
- Visible light and colour – explain how filters work and the difference between specular and diffuse reflection
- Infrared radiation – explain the factors affecting emission and absorption rates, including surface colour and texture
- Magnetism basics – draw field lines around bar magnets, explain compass plotting, and distinguish permanent from induced magnets
- Solenoids and electromagnets – draw the field inside a solenoid and list the factors affecting electromagnet strength
- Contact and non-contact forces – give examples of each
- Work done – practise W = Fs calculations and explain energy transfer
- Distance-time graphs – read speed from the gradient and interpret curves
- Reaction time – describe the ruler-drop practical and list factors affecting reaction time
- Waves for detection – describe ultrasound and seismic wave uses
- EM spectrum – list all seven types in order, give a use and a danger for each
- Loudspeakers and microphones (HT) – explain how they use the motor and generator effects
- Dynamo vs alternator (HT) – describe the difference and sketch DC and AC outputs
- Our solar system – describe the structure and distinguish planets, dwarf planets, and natural satellites
The three highest-priority topics across both papers are Newton's Third Law and black body radiation on Paper 2, and the Kelvin scale / heating-cooling curves on Paper 1. If your revision time is limited, start with these.
How to turn this list into marks
A list is only useful if you do something with it. Here is a simple approach.
Start by rating your confidence on each topic from 1 to 5. Anything below a 3 goes to the top of your revision plan. There is no value in spending extra time on topics you already know well when you have clear gaps to fill.
Use active recall for every topic. Do not just re-read your notes. Cover up the answers and try to explain the topic from memory, write out key equations, or sketch diagrams. Then check what you missed. It is more effortful than passive reading, but it is far more effective.
Practise with the right command words. If a question says describe, you need a step-by-step explanation. If it says calculate, you need clear working with units. If it says evaluate, you need to weigh up both sides before reaching a conclusion. Matching your answer to the command word is one of the easiest ways to pick up marks that students commonly leave on the table.
For calculation questions, always write the equation first, substitute the values with units, then give your answer to the correct number of significant figures with the unit. This three-step structure picks up method marks even if you make an arithmetic error.
What about recently tested topics?
Topics that were tested in depth in 2025 – specific latent heat, internal energy, gas pressure with temperature, nuclear equations, half-lives, electrical power and energy (P = I²R, E = QV, Q = It), springs and Hooke's law, skydivers and terminal velocity, braking and stopping distance, lenses and red-shift, the motor effect, pressure in fluids, and transformers – are less likely to carry a major question in 2026. But AQA frequently includes a couple of marks on a well-tested topic as part of a broader question, so do not skip them completely.
The specification is the contract between you and the exam board – anything on it is fair game. The predictions above simply highlight where a larger question is a little more likely based on the last two years of papers.
