Question 1

When should I start doing Pearson Edexcel A-Level Physics past papers?

Accepted Answer

The best approach is to start using past-paper questions much earlier than most students do, working topic by topic as you move through the course rather than saving everything until the revision period. As you finish each area of content, we'd suggest using our exam practice to test yourself straight away, since active recall under exam conditions is one of the most effective ways to make the content stick for the long term. Your school mocks make a great milestone to aim for throughout the year, and in the final few weeks before your 9PH0 exams, we'd suggest reserving two or three complete papers so you can experience the full demands of each, including paper 3's 2 hours 30 minutes of synoptic questions that draw across the entire specification.

Question 2

How many past papers should I do?

Accepted Answer

There's no number that works for every student, but the approach matters as much as the volume. Since Pearson Edexcel 9PH0 first examined in 2017, there are several years of papers available across all three components.

We'd suggest spacing them out throughout your revision using spaced retrieval, so each paper you attempt feels like a genuine test of what you've retained, rather than rushing through them all close to the exam. Our exam practice lets you build confidence topic by topic before you take on a full paper, which can make those later attempts much more productive.

Question 3

Should I do past papers under timed conditions?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Practising past papers under timed conditions is one of the most effective ways to prepare for 9PH0, and we'd suggest building up to it rather than starting there. Our exam practice tools let you work through questions by topic first, so you can consolidate understanding before pressure-testing yourself with a full paper.

When you feel ready, we'd suggest using the actual paper durations from the spec: Paper 1 and paper 2 are each 1 hour 45 minutes and worth 90 marks, while paper 3 is 2 hours 30 minutes and worth 120 marks. Getting comfortable with those time windows helps you develop a feel for pacing, particularly on paper 3's synoptic questions which can draw on any topic across the whole specification. Using spaced retrieval, where you return to a paper you have already attempted after a gap and actively review where you dropped marks, is often more valuable than simply moving on to the next paper.

Question 4

What should I do if I get a low mark on a past paper?

Accepted Answer

A low mark on a past paper is more useful than it might feel right now, because it tells you exactly where to focus your revision. We'd suggest going back to our notes and flashcards for the topics where you dropped marks, rather than jumping straight into another full paper, since re-exposing yourself to the content through spaced retrieval helps it stick far more effectively than passive re-reading. Once you feel more confident on those areas, our by-topic exam practice lets you work through targeted questions before returning to a full paper. It's also worth spending careful time with the mark scheme to understand the specific phrasing Pearson Edexcel rewards, particularly on the open-response and extended writing questions that appear across all three papers in 9PH0.

Question 5

How do I mark my own past paper using the Pearson Edexcel mark scheme?

Accepted Answer

Marking your own work carefully is one of the best ways to improve, so it's worth taking time to do it properly. We'd suggest downloading the official mark scheme directly from Pearson Edexcel's website for each paper you attempt, making sure you have the correct year's version.

The papers include a range of question types, from multiple-choice and short calculations through to extended writing, and each type is marked differently. For calculation questions, work through the mark scheme step by step rather than just checking your final answer, since marks are often awarded for correct method and working along the way. For extended writing questions, it helps to understand the levels-of-response approach: examiners reward the quality and depth of your explanation, so look at the mark scheme's descriptor for each level rather than ticking off individual bullet points. Our exam practice walks through the kinds of questions that appear across all three papers and can help you build a feel for what a strong answer looks like before you mark your own attempts.

Physics

New specification

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

Old specification

Physics

New specification

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

AS

A-level

Old specification