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OCR A-Level Physics A (H556): complete guide to the modules and the exams

A complete guide to OCR A-Level Physics A (specification H556). Covers the six teaching modules from foundations to medical physics, how the three written papers are structured and marked, the 12 PAG practicals and the Practical Endorsement, the maths demand, and how to study each module for top grades.

Browse guides β†’Syllabus dot points (30)

OCR A-Level Physics A (specification H556) 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 six teaching modules, the exam structure, and how to study each one.

The OCR Physics A modules

The specification is organised into six teaching modules. Module 1 runs throughout the course as the practical skills strand; Modules 2 to 6 carry the examined physics content, building from foundations to the modern physics of particles and medical imaging.

Module 2: Foundations of physics
The toolkit for everything that follows: SI base and derived units, prefixes and standard form, scalars and vectors with resolution into components, and the treatment of measurement, accuracy, precision and uncertainty.
Module 3: Forces and motion
Describing motion with the suvat equations and projectiles, forces in action with moments, couples and equilibrium, work, energy and power, the mechanical properties of materials including the Young modulus, and Newton's laws with momentum and impulse.
Module 4: Electrons, waves and photons
Charge and current with drift velocity, energy, power and resistance with resistivity, electrical circuits with Kirchhoff's laws, internal resistance and potential dividers, wave behaviour including superposition, interference and refraction, and quantum physics with the photoelectric effect and wave-particle duality.
Module 5: Newtonian world and astrophysics
Thermal physics with specific heat capacity, latent heat and the ideal gas, circular motion, simple harmonic motion with damping and resonance, gravitational fields and orbits, and astrophysics and cosmology from stellar evolution to Hubble's law and the Big Bang.
Module 6: Particles and medical physics
Capacitors with exponential charge and discharge, electric fields and Coulomb's law, electromagnetism with the motor effect and induction, nuclear and particle physics with the quark model and radioactive decay, and medical imaging with X-rays, ultrasound and PET.

Exam structure

OCR Physics A is assessed by three written papers, all sat at the end of the course. A calculator and the OCR Data, Formulae and Relationships booklet are provided in every paper.

  • Paper 1 (Modelling physics, H556/01) covers Modules 1, 2, 3 and 5. 2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks, 37%.
  • Paper 2 (Exploring physics, H556/02) covers Modules 1, 2, 4 and 6. 2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks, 37%.
  • Paper 3 (Unified physics, H556/03) is synoptic across all six modules. 1 hour 30 minutes, 70 marks, 26%.

At least 40% of marks assess maths skills, and practical skills from the 12 PAGs are tested across all three papers.

How to study OCR Physics A

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

  1. Work from the specification statements. Each statement 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 such as the kinetic theory equation.
  4. Master the PAG practicals. The 12 practical activity groups and uncertainty analysis recur across all three papers and underpin the Practical Endorsement.
  5. Practise synoptic and unfamiliar contexts. The Unified physics paper spans the whole course; drill past papers from the start of Year 13.

The modules, dot point by dot point

Each module has specification-statement-level answer pages with worked exam questions and cross-links, plus an overview guide and a check-your-knowledge quiz. Browse the full set at /a-level-ocr/physics/syllabus.

For the official specification

OCR publishes the full specification (H556), past papers, mark schemes and the practical handbook at ocr.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and OCR's own past papers, because question style is 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-OCR system, explained

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Common questions about Physics

How is OCR A-Level Physics A (H556) structured?
OCR Physics A is a two-year linear course assessed entirely by three written exams at the end of Year 13. The content is organised into six teaching modules: Module 1 (development of practical skills), Module 2 (foundations of physics), Module 3 (forces and motion), Module 4 (electrons, waves and photons), Module 5 (Newtonian world and astrophysics) and Module 6 (particles and medical physics). There is no coursework grade, but practical competence is reported separately as a Pass or Not classified Practical Endorsement.
What are the three OCR Physics A exam papers?
Paper 1 (Modelling physics, H556/01) is 2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks and worth 37 per cent, covering Modules 1, 2, 3 and 5. Paper 2 (Exploring physics, H556/02) is also 2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks and 37 per cent, covering Modules 1, 2, 4 and 6. Paper 3 (Unified physics, H556/03) is 1 hour 30 minutes, 70 marks and worth 26 per cent, and is synoptic, drawing on all six modules. Each paper includes multiple-choice, short-answer and extended-response questions.
How much maths is in OCR Physics A?
At least 40 per cent of the marks assess mathematical skills, the highest proportion of the three sciences. Expect algebra and rearranging equations, trigonometry for resolving vectors, logarithms and exponentials for capacitor discharge and radioactive decay, standard form and SI prefixes, gradients and areas under graphs, and uncertainty and error analysis. A calculator is allowed in every paper and OCR provides a Data, Formulae and Relationships booklet.
What are the PAG practicals and the Practical Endorsement?
OCR groups the required practical work into 12 Practical Activity Groups (PAGs), for example investigating motion, the Young modulus, electrical resistivity, the behaviour of springs, capacitor charge and discharge, and simple harmonic motion. They are not assessed in a lab exam, but practical skills are tested across all three written papers. Separately, your teacher assesses hands-on competence against the Common Practical Assessment Criteria; passing earns the Practical Endorsement reported alongside your grade as Pass or Not classified.
How should I structure my OCR Physics A revision?
Work module by module against the specification statements, because questions are written directly from them. Build Module 3 (forces and motion) first because the suvat, force and energy methods underpin almost everything, then Module 4 (electrons, waves and photons), then the more advanced Modules 5 and 6. Physics rewards fluent calculation, so drill each equation type until automatic, learn definitions and derivations precisely, and practise the synoptic Unified physics paper from the start of Year 13.
How does OCR Physics A compare to other exam boards?
All A-Level Physics specifications (OCR, AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas) cover the same core regulated content, so mechanics, fields and nuclear physics are broadly the same everywhere. OCR Physics A's distinctive features are its module structure, the paper split into Modelling physics (Paper 1), Exploring physics (Paper 2) and the synoptic Unified physics (Paper 3), and its 12 PAG practicals. There is also a separate OCR Physics B (Advancing Physics, H557) with a context-led approach. Always revise from the current OCR Physics A specification and OCR past papers, because question style is 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.