A Level physics explained — a parent’s guide

One of these qualifications is being withdrawn

OCR B — Physics B (Advancing Physics) (H557) — OCR is withdrawing this qualification. The final first teach date was September 2026 and the final assessment opportunity is summer 2028. There is no resit opportunity

If your child is taking it, this matters: there is no resit after the final series. A student who misses or fails the exam cannot retake the same qualification.

The other 3 specifications on this page continue as normal. If you are unsure which one your child is entered for, the school office will tell you.

The exam boards compared

There are 4 A Level physics specifications in England. The boards do not teach different physics, what changes is how the course is organised. Your child’s school chooses which one to enter, and it may not be the same board it uses for other subjects. If you do not know which one, the school office will tell you.

At a glance

	AQA	Edexcel
Specification code	7408	9PH0
Papers	3	3
Length of each	2 hr / 2 hr / 2 hr	1 hr 45 min / 1 hr 45 min / 2 hr 30 min
Marks per paper	85 / 85 / 80	90 / 90 / 120
Total marks	250	300
Weighting	34% / 34% / 32%	30% / 30% / 40%

	OCR A — Physics A	OCR B — Physics B (Advancing Physics)
Specification code	H556	H557
Papers	3	3
Length of each	2 hr 15 min / 2 hr 15 min / 1 hr 30 min	2 hr 15 min / 2 hr 15 min / 1 hr 30 min
Marks per paper	100 / 100 / 70	110 / 100 / 60
Total marks	270	270
Weighting	37% / 37% / 26%	41% / 37% / 22%

What is on each paper

	AQA	Edexcel
Paper 1	Sections 1 to 5, and periodic motion	Advanced Physics I
Paper 2	Thermal physics, fields and nuclear	Advanced Physics II
Paper 3	Practical skills, plus the optional topic	General and Practical Principles in Physics

	OCR A — Physics A	OCR B — Physics B (Advancing Physics)
Paper 1	Modelling physics	Fundamentals of physics
Paper 2	Exploring physics	Scientific literacy in physics
Paper 3	Unified physics	Practical skills in physics

AQA does not give its papers names. What each paper covers is shown instead.

In the exam

	AQA	Edexcel
Data or formulae sheet	Not stated in the specification	Not stated in the specification
Required practicals	12	16
Practical endorsement	Separate, does not affect the grade	Separate, does not affect the grade

	OCR A — Physics A	OCR B — Physics B (Advancing Physics)
Data or formulae sheet	Provided	Provided
Required practicals	12	12
Practical endorsement	Separate, does not affect the grade	Separate, does not affect the grade

Every board sets a number of compulsory practicals, but they do not count them the same way, so the figures are not directly comparable: AQA lists required practicals, Edexcel core practicals, and OCR groups its into Practical Activity Groups. The practical endorsement is reported separately and does not contribute to the A level grade, but a student must complete it to be awarded the qualification.

How the marks are awarded

Whichever board your child sits, the exam rewards the same kinds of thinking in almost the same proportions. About a third of the marks are for straightforward recall (knowing the facts). A little over 40% are for applying that knowledge to a new question. The remaining quarter or so is for analysing, interpreting and evaluating (the harder skills).

Every board also sets a minimum for mathematical content: 40% of the marks in A Level physics are for maths at GCSE higher tier standard or above.

Codes, if you need to check with the school

	AQA	Edexcel
Specification code	7408	9PH0
Ofqual number	601/4747/7	601/4848/2
Checked against	version 1.4, July 2026	Issue 3, November 2018

	OCR A — Physics A	OCR B — Physics B (Advancing Physics)
Specification code	H556	H557
Ofqual number	601/4743/X	601/4745/3
Checked against	version 3.0, March 2026	version 2.9, March 2026

Every figure above was read from the board’s own specification on the date shown. Specifications change; if you are making a decision on one of these, confirm it with the school.