Question 1

How do I get full marks on a 6-mark question in Cambridge International (CIE) A-Level Physics?

Accepted Answer

Questions worth several marks in CIE A-Level Physics (9702) are usually built around command words like **Explain**, **Describe** or **Suggest** (all listed in the syllabus's command word glossary), and your answer needs to match the depth that each command word demands. **Explain** questions in particular are often marked using a levels-of-response approach, where Cambridge rewards answers that show clear physical reasoning and link ideas together, not just a list of isolated points. Precise scientific terminology matters throughout, since the assessment objectives explicitly reward knowledge of scientific vocabulary and conventions alongside the ability to provide reasoned explanations. We'd suggest working through our exam practice questions to see how full-marks responses are structured for each command word type before attempting one yourself.

Question 2

What do the levels in the Cambridge International (CIE) A-Level Physics mark scheme mean?

Accepted Answer

The CIE 9702 mark scheme uses command words rather than levels-of-response descriptors to signal what each question is looking for, and the syllabus lists these explicitly. Words like **State** (express in clear terms) and **Define** (give precise meaning) reward concise factual recall, while **Explain** asks you to set out reasons and make relationships evident, and **Justify** requires you to support a case with evidence or argument.

Our exam practice questions include the relevant command words so you can match the depth of your answer to what the mark scheme rewards. We'd suggest paying close attention to these words as you work through questions, since giving a full explanation where a question only says "state" won't earn extra marks, and a bare statement where "explain" is used almost certainly will lose them.

Question 3

What's the difference between Cognito's exam practice and past papers?

Accepted Answer

Cognito's exam practice is organised by topic, so you can focus on the specific areas of CIE A-Level Physics 9702 where you need the most work (whether that's gravitational fields, oscillations, or the planning and analysis skills tested in paper 5).

Past papers, by contrast, mix questions from across the whole course, which is great for building exam stamina but less helpful when you're still consolidating a particular concept. We'd suggest using our exam practice to build confidence topic by topic first, then moving to full past papers to bring everything together. Our by-topic view makes it easy to spot remaining gaps, so your revision stays targeted rather than scattered.

Question 4

How long should I spend on each question in the exam?

Accepted Answer

The mark-to-time ratio varies between papers, so the table below gives a practical breakdown based on the 9702 syllabus timings.

| Paper | Duration | Marks | Approx. time available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Multiple Choice) | 1 hr 15 min | 40 questions | ~2 min per question |
| Paper 2 (AS Structured Questions) | 1 hr 15 min | 60 marks | ~1.25 min per mark |
| Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills) | 2 hours | 40 marks | 1 hour per question |
| Paper 4 (A Level Structured Questions) | 2 hours | 100 marks | ~1.2 min per mark |
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | 1 hr 15 min | 30 marks | ~2.5 min per mark |

For papers 2 and 4, roughly 1 minute per mark is a useful working target, and we'd suggest keeping a mental note of where you are mid-paper so you can give longer written responses the time they deserve. Our exam practice helps you build this sense of pace across all five papers before the real sitting.