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AQA A-Level Physics (7408): complete guide to the eight sections and the exams

A complete guide to AQA A-Level Physics (specification 7408). Covers the eight compulsory sections (3.1 to 3.8), the optional section, how the three written papers are structured and marked, the 12 required practicals, the heavy maths demand, and how to study each section for top grades.

Browse guides β†’Syllabus dot points (57)

AQA A-Level Physics (specification 7408) is a two-year linear course assessed by three written papers at the end of Year 13. There is no coursework grade; practical work is reported separately as the Practical Endorsement. This page is the index: below is a map of the eight compulsory sections, the optional section, the exam structure, and how to study each one.

The eight compulsory AQA Physics sections (3.1-3.8)

The specification has eight sections everyone studies. The first five are the AS content and first year; the last three are second-year A-level content.

3.1 Measurements and their errors
SI units and prefixes, uncertainty and error, and estimating physical quantities. The measurement skills underpin every other section and Paper 3.
3.2 Particles and radiation
The constituents of the atom, antiparticles and photons, the four fundamental interactions, classification of particles, quarks, the photoelectric effect, atomic energy levels, and wave-particle duality.
3.3 Waves
Progressive and stationary waves, superposition and interference (including Young's double slit), diffraction, and refraction.
3.4 Mechanics and materials
Scalars and vectors, moments, kinematics and projectiles, Newton's laws, momentum, work, energy and power, and the properties of materials including the Young modulus.
3.5 Electricity
Current, potential difference and resistance, I-V characteristics, resistivity, series and parallel circuits, the potential divider, and EMF and internal resistance.
3.6 Further mechanics and thermal physics
Circular motion, simple harmonic motion, resonance, thermal energy transfer, the ideal gas, and the molecular kinetic theory model.
3.7 Fields and their consequences
Gravitational, electric and magnetic fields treated together, including potentials, orbits, capacitance and capacitor discharge, electromagnetic induction, and transformers.
3.8 Nuclear physics
Rutherford scattering, radioactivity and decay, nuclear instability and radius, mass-energy equivalence and binding energy, fission and nuclear reactors.

The optional section (3.9-3.13)

Every student also studies one optional section, examined in Section B of Paper 3: astrophysics, medical physics, engineering physics, turning points in physics, or electronics.

Exam structure

AQA A-Level Physics is assessed by three written papers, all sat at the end of the course. A calculator and the AQA data and formulae booklet are provided in every paper.

  • Paper 1 - sections 3.1-3.5 and periodic motion. 2 hours, 85 marks, 34%. 60 marks of short and long questions plus 25 marks of multiple choice.
  • Paper 2 - the rest of 3.6, plus 3.7 and 3.8 (assuming earlier content). 2 hours, 85 marks, 34%. Same style as Paper 1.
  • Paper 3 - 2 hours, 80 marks, 32%. Section A is practical skills and data analysis (45 marks); Section B is your optional topic (35 marks).

At least 40% of marks assess maths skills, and around 15% assess practical skills from the 12 required practicals.

How to study AQA Physics

Physics rewards confident calculation, precise definitions, and clear diagrams.

  1. Work from the specification statements. Each numbered point (e.g. 3.4.5 Newton's laws) is a checklist; questions are written from them.
  2. Drill the maths. With 40% of marks mathematical, rearranging equations, logs and exponentials, and uncertainty work must be automatic.
  3. Learn definitions and derivations. Mark schemes reward precise wording and standard derivations (e.g. the kinetic theory equation).
  4. Master the required practicals. The 12 practicals and uncertainty analysis recur across all three papers and are central to Paper 3 Section A.
  5. Practise multiple choice and unfamiliar contexts. Papers 1 and 2 include multiple choice; drill past papers from the start of Year 13.

The eight sections, dot point by dot point

Each section has specification-statement-level answer pages with worked exam questions and cross-links. Browse the full set at /a-level-aqa/physics/syllabus.

For the official specification

AQA publishes the full specification (7408), past papers, mark schemes and the required-practical handbook at aqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and AQA's own past papers, because question style and the optional-topic format are board-specific.

Physics guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Physics practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The A-LEVEL-AQA system, explained

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Common questions about Physics

How is AQA A-Level Physics (7408) structured?
AQA A-Level Physics is a two-year linear course assessed by three written exams at the end of Year 13. The subject content has eight compulsory sections (3.1 to 3.8) plus one optional section chosen from five (astrophysics, medical physics, engineering physics, turning points in physics, or electronics). Sections 3.1 to 3.5 are the AS content and the first year; 3.6 to 3.8 are second-year A-level content. There are 12 required practicals and a strong mathematical demand. There is no coursework grade, but practical competence is reported separately as the Practical Endorsement (pass or not classified).
What are the three AQA A-Level Physics exam papers?
Paper 1 covers sections 3.1 to 3.5 and periodic motion from 3.6, is worth 85 marks in 2 hours (34% of the A-level) and includes 25 marks of multiple choice. Paper 2 covers the rest of further mechanics and thermal physics, fields (3.7) and nuclear physics (3.8), assumes the Paper 1 content, and is also 85 marks in 2 hours (34%) with 25 marks of multiple choice. Paper 3 is 80 marks in 2 hours (32%), with a 45-mark section on practical skills and data analysis and a 35-mark section on whichever optional topic you studied.
How much maths is in AQA A-Level Physics?
At least 40% of the marks assess mathematical skills, the highest proportion of the three sciences. Expect algebra and rearranging equations, trigonometry, logarithms and exponentials (for capacitor discharge and radioactive decay), working with standard form and SI prefixes, gradients and areas under graphs, and uncertainty and error calculations. A calculator is allowed in every paper and AQA provides a data and formulae booklet.
What are the required practicals and the Practical Endorsement?
There are 12 required practicals (for example investigating simple harmonic motion, determining the Young modulus, measuring resistivity, charging and discharging a capacitor, and using a stationary-wave apparatus). They are not assessed in a lab exam, but around 15% of written-exam marks test practical skills and these methods, and Paper 3 has a dedicated practical-skills section. Separately, your teacher assesses hands-on competence against the Common Practical Assessment Criteria; passing earns the Practical Endorsement reported alongside your grade.
How should I structure my AQA A-Level Physics revision?
Work section by section against the numbered specification statements (3.1.1, 3.1.2, and so on), because questions are written directly from them. Physics rewards fluent calculation, so drill problems until the method is automatic, and learn every definition and standard derivation precisely. Practise the required-practical methods and uncertainty analysis for Paper 3, and rehearse multiple-choice technique. Apply concepts to unfamiliar contexts from the start of Year 13.
How does AQA A-Level Physics compare to other exam boards?
All A-Level Physics specifications (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, Eduqas) cover the same core regulated content, so mechanics, fields and nuclear physics are broadly the same everywhere. AQA's distinctive features are the eight-section structure with a chosen optional topic, the multiple-choice questions in Papers 1 and 2, and its specific list of 12 required practicals. Always revise from the current AQA specification and AQA past papers, because question style and the optional-topic format are board-specific.
How do I approach projectile motion problems?
Split the motion into horizontal (constant velocity) and vertical (constant acceleration due to gravity). Use t as the shared variable across both axes.
What's the difference between work and power?
Work (J) is energy transferred by a force over a distance. Power (W) is the rate of doing work β€” work divided by time.
When is momentum conserved?
In any collision (elastic or inelastic) where no external net force acts on the system. Kinetic energy is only conserved in elastic collisions.
What's the photoelectric effect?
Light shone on a metal can eject electrons, but only if the photon energy (hf) exceeds the work function. The kinetic energy of the ejected electron is hf - W. Evidence that light behaves as discrete quanta (photons).
How do magnetic forces on current-carrying wires work?
F = BIL sin ΞΈ for a wire in a uniform field B with current I and length L. Direction comes from the right-hand rule. Underpins motors, generators, and ammeters.