Programme of Study & Syllabus
Contents
The Syllabus, Examinations and Assessment
How Your Work is Assessed on the Course
The Transition from (I)GCSE to A Level - Some Tips
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Welcome to your Wolsey Hall Edexcel UK A Level Physics course. Please take the time to read carefully through this page as it explains how the course is structured, how to get the most from your studies and how your work will be assessed. At the end of this page, you will find details of the reading you will need to do from your textbook and also how each module links to the Edexcel syllabus and the final examinations.
This course will lead you step-by-step through the syllabus by way of video links, resources, assignments and, of course, the textbook, so that by the end, you will be confident and fully prepared for your final examinations.
‘Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.’ Stephen Hawking
Physics is vital in understanding the world around us, inside us, and beyond us. Physics challenges the imagination with concepts like relativity and string theory, and it leads to great discoveries, like computers and lasers, producing technologies which change our lives. A Level Physics gives you the opportunity to explore the phenomena of the universe, with theories that explain what is observed, and practical experiments to test those ideas. You will learn about everything from kinematics to cosmology, and many recent developments in fascinating topics, such as particle physics. If you are interested in the limits of space, the beginning of time and everything in between, this is the subject for you. Physics is more than a subject – it trains your brain to think beyond boundaries.
A Level Physics is a mixture of highly conceptual thinking and very practical applications. You need to be able to think about abstract ideas such as fields, but be able to apply those ideas to how, for instance, electric motors work. Getting accurate results from experiments requires competence in using equipment. Calculations are an important part of A Level Physics and you need to be comfortable with basic algebra. At the same time descriptive work requires you to communicate clearly in writing. Much of what you learn in Physics will complement A Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Physics is a highly respected A Level. A good grade in A Level Physics demonstrates to an employer that you have strong analytical and mathematical skills that you can apply to many real-life situations. There are many possible career paths that it will create for you, like Science (many branches), Engineering, Medicine, Forensics, Electronics, Computing and IT, Finance and many more.
The aims of this course are to enable students to develop:
- Essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of the subject and how they relate to each other.
- A deep appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of scientific methods.
- Competence and confidence in a variety of practical, mathematical and problem-solving skills.
- Their interest in and enthusiasm for the subject, including developing an interest in further study and careers associated with the subject.
- An understanding of how society makes decisions about scientific issues and how the sciences contribute to the success of the economy and society.
The Syllabus, Examinations and Assessment
This Wolsey Hall course is designed to prepare you for the Edexcel UK A Level Physics examinations which you will sit at an Edexcel exam centre. It is vitally important that you become familiar with the syllabus which can be found below.
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The examination code for the full UK A Level in Physics is: 9PH0
For the UK A Level in Physics you will sit the following three papers, plus the Science Practical Endorsement: They must all be completed in the same exam series.
- Paper 1: Advanced Physics I – This paper is worth 30% of your A Level grade. Length: 1 hour and 45 minutes. This paper carries 90 marks in total and may include multiple-choice, short-open, open-response, calculations and extended writing questions. Students will be expected to apply their knowledge and understanding to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
- Paper 2: Advanced Physics II – This paper is worth 30% of your A Level grade. Length: 1 hour and 45 minutes. This paper carries 90 marks in total and may include multiple-choice, short-open, open-response, calculations and extended writing questions. Students will be expected to apply their knowledge and understanding to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
- Paper 3: General and Practical Principles in Physics – This paper is worth 40% of your A Level grade. Length: 2 hours and 30 minutes. This paper carries 120 marks in total and may include short-open, open-response, calculations and extended writing questions. Some questions will assess conceptual and theoretical understanding of experimental methods. Students will be expected to apply their knowledge and understanding to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
- Science Practical Endorsement - The UK Physics A Level contains a separate Practical Endorsement, which is an assessment of students’ skills and competency when completing a minimum of sixteen A Level core practicals. The result (either ‘pass’ or ‘fail’) of the Practical Endorsement is reported separately on your A Level certificate, in addition to your overall grade for theory. You will need to arrange to take this component of the course at an examination centre which offers this option. The Wolsey Hall website contains a list of centres which can facilitate this.
All components are externally assessed. The syllabus is examined in the June examination series.
If you’ve already taken the AS exams, the marks you received will not count towards your full A Level grade and the two exams you’ve already done will become obsolete once you’ve completed the above.
Assessment Objectives
The assessment objectives (AOs) for UK A Level Physics are as follows:
AO1:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures.
AO2:
- Apply knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, processes, techniques and procedures:
- in a theoretical context
- in a practical context
- when handling qualitative data
- when handling quantitative data.
AO3:
- Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information, ideas and evidence, including in relation to issues, to:
- make judgements and reach conclusions
- develop and refine practical design and procedures.
Wolsey Hall offers a unique model of offline and online resources to our homeschooling students – a model which we have developed based on our many years’ experience of providing homeschooling courses to students.
Textbook
Each subject specialist team carefully selects the best textbook for you to use as you study. The textbooks for the A Level UK Physics course are:
Pearson Edexcel AS/A Level Physics Student Book 1, by Miles Hudson (Pearson, 2015); ISBN: 9781447991182
This textbook is used for Modules One to Ten of the course and it is referred to in the reading column of this POS as ‘Student Book 1’.
Pearson Edexcel A Level Physics Student Book 2 by Miles Hudson (Pearson, 2015); ISBN: 9781447991199
This textbook is used for Modules Eleven to Twenty of the course and it is referred to in the reading column of this POS as ‘Student Book 2’.
Throughout the course, we recommend that you complete all of the questions and exercises in the textbook – the table below will highlight which pages you should read for each module. The answers to the questions (both ‘in-text’ and exam-style) can be downloaded from the module section of Canvas or downloaded from the Pearson ActiveLearn site.
These textbooks come with three years’ access to ActiveBook, an online, digital version of your textbook. Follow the instructions printed on the inside front cover to start using your ActiveBook. More details of this resource and how to use it can be found on pages 6 to 7 of your textbook.
Resources
In addition to your textbook, we have sourced a range of additional resources to support your learning. The resources are clearly marked out in the module pages and you should make use of these alongside your textbook to ensure that you get the very best out of your course.
There are a lot of internet links. These are often associated with the practical experiments and will help you to understand these better. You will also find links to videos that tutor you through three exam papers. We recommend that you print off the relevant papers and work through them using the videos. You can also search for revision games (Gridlocks) on many Physics topics.
You will also find a range of key resources in the General Resources section of the course. These are items which relate to the course as a whole, rather than to specific modules, and as such, you should make regular use of them. For UK A Level Physics, these include:
- Overview of New A Level Physics Courses
- A Level Physics Student Mathematics Support (Edexcel)
- List of Data, Formulae and Relationships (Edexcel)
- Command Words (Edexcel)
- Mathematical Skills and Exemplifications (Edexcel)
- Textbook Answers (Pearson)
- Exemplar Work with Commentaries (Pearson)
- Preparing for your Physics Exams
- Practical Physics
- Safety Warning for Practical Work
- Planning and Conducting Experimental Investigations
- Fundamentals of Practical Physics
- Experimental Techniques and Apparatus
- Measurement Accuracy and Uncertainty
- Using Uncertainties
- Doing Experiments at Home
- Core Practical Investigations
- Typical School Practical Demonstrations
- School Practical Experiments
- Optional Further Reading List
- Useful Websites
- Useful Maths Resources
You should also make use of the exam preparation material at the end of the course to help you to prepare for your final examination.
Equipment
You will need a scientific calculator, a ruler and a protractor for the examination. You should equip yourself with a good scientific calculator and become familiar with its use. It must have logarithmic, trigonometrical and exponential functions. Memories/stores are useful for long calculations. Some calculators also do statistics and the more expensive ones will plot graphs on a very small screen. However, a graphical calculator is not essential and not especially useful. Explore all the key functions on your calculator and start learning short cuts in its use.
At A Level, there are three examination papers. The papers will contain multiple choice questions, along with a variety of short and long response questions. Some of the questions may require more extended responses and require students to follow a line of reasoning to complete an answer. Across the three papers, the minimum proportion of questions assessing mathematical skills will be 40%, (see Appendix 6: Mathematical skills and exemplifications in the syllabus on Canvas), however, these may not be evenly balanced across all papers.
The first two papers have a particular focus on certain topics from the syllabus, while Paper 3 focuses more on the practical skills learned across the whole A Level course.
Paper 1: Advanced Physics I (30% of A Level) – 1 hour 45 minutes; 90 marks
- Questions may be multiple-choice, short-open, open-response, calculations and extended writing questions.
- Students will be expected to apply their knowledge and understanding to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
- The topics assessed on paper 1 will be covered in Wolsey Hall modules 1 to 6, 11 and 13 to 15. These include:
- Working as a Physicist
- Mechanics
- Electric Circuits
- Further Mechanics
- Electric and Magnetic Fields
- Nuclear and Particle Physics
Paper 2: Advanced Physics II (30% of total A Level) – 1 hour 45 minutes; 90 marks
- Questions may be multiple-choice, short-open, open-response, calculations and extended writing questions.
- The paper will include questions that target the conceptual and theoretical understanding of experimental methods.
- The topics assessed on paper 2 will be covered in Wolsey Hall modules 1, 7 to 10, 12 and 16 to 20. These include:
- Working as a Physicist
- Materials
- Waves and Particle Nature of Light
- Thermodynamics
- Space
- Nuclear Radiation
- Gravitational Fields
- Oscillations
Paper 3: General and Practical Applications in Physics (40% of total A Level) – 2 hours 30 minutes; 120 marks
- Questions in this paper may draw on any of the topics in the syllabus.
- The paper will include synoptic questions that may draw on two or more different topics.
- The paper will include questions that assess conceptual and theoretical understanding of experimental methods (indirect practical skills) that will draw on students’ experiences of the core practicals.
- Questions may be short-open, open-response, calculations or extended-writing questions.
- Students will be expected to apply their knowledge and understanding to familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
- Practical skills are covered by Module 1 of this course. This paper also requires knowledge from Modules 2 to 20.
To complete the full UK A Level in Physics, you will need to complete the Practical Endorsement at an external examination centre. To achieve this, you will need to build on practical skills learned at IGCSE, becoming confident practical physicists, handling apparatus competently and safely. Using a variety of apparatus and techniques, you should be able to design and carry out both the core practical activities and your own investigations, collecting data which can be analysed and used to draw valid conclusions. These skills will be assessed by the external examination centre when you complete the Practical Endorsement.
In the course of your studies, you will be expected to develop a range of experimental and investigative skills. For distance learners however, there are considerable risks to health and safety presented by attempting to carry out unsupervised practical work at home and Wolsey Hall does not recommend this.
Questions on the written examination papers will aim to assess the knowledge and understanding that students gain while carrying out practical activities, within the context of the sixteen core practical activities. As it is not possible to perform these practical procedures in an unsupervised environment, this programme of study contains a wealth of virtual practical exercises that will help you understand the core practical exercises.
The virtual practical work is essential preparation for your examinations. Most of the virtual practical exercises have simulations and videos associated with them. Take time to watch these to consolidate your skills. Doing so will help you to learn the practical skills and the kinds of questions that you’re likely to get on Paper 3.
There are many resources to help you with practical work in General Resources.
There are some simple experiments which can be safely done at home if you plan them sensibly, BUT ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS:
- Never experiment with alternating currents, or with high voltages or currents.
- Avoid experiments with reactive or flammable substances.
- Don’t undertake experiments which involve high levels of energy of any kind: heat, kinetic, or any other form of energy.
- Always have a responsible person present to keep a watch for your safety.
- Always carefully assess what risks may be present, and make sure you have measures in place which reduce them to a low level (no higher than those from common cleaning or cooking activities, for example). Even basic things like scissors and knives sometimes prove fatal if used carelessly.
- If in doubt whether an activity is really safe, don’t do it!
In the Physics A Level exams, 40% of all marks will be awarded for mathematical skills, so you should make sure you have a good level of all the required mathematical skills. Check the ‘Maths needed for this module’ section which appears at the start of each Module and read the Edexcel Student Maths Support documents in General Resources on Canvas. If you need any further support with particular mathematical topics, contact your tutor.
All the files required for your course are uploaded onto our Learning Management System, Canvas. Once you have read through this page and downloaded the Programme of Study (POS) then you are ready to begin the course.
The course is divided into twenty-one modules: There are twenty theory modules and one revision module. These modules will help you to get the most out of your textbook. Each module is subdivided into topics so that you can study the course in manageable chunks. Each topic is set out as follows:
- Introduction – This section provides a brief synopsis of the topic.
- Reading – This section includes page references for the textbook.
- Tasks – Specific tasks that you must complete. These include reading, making notes, watching videos and completing activities.
- Extend - Here there are links to additional resources to supplement and increase your understanding of the topic.
- Practical Knowledge – Use the Core Practicals to develop your understanding of practical techniques.
- Top Tips – Handy tips to aid your understanding.
- Key Terms – Keep track of new terminology by adding it to your glossary.
- Consolidate – Here there are additional tasks and resources to embed understanding.
Once you have completed all the topics in each module and are fully prepared and feel confident with the material, you should be able to complete your assignment and move on to the next module.
How Your Work is Assessed on the Course
Your progress will be assessed by completing an assignment at the end of each module. We recommend that you do NOT look at the assignments until you've studied all the topics in the module. This will ensure that you focus on everything you need to know for the exam. If you focus only on what you need to know to do well in the assignment, you will miss important elements in each module that you need to know and understand.
The assignments have been designed to help you prepare for your final examination – many of the questions are based on past exam papers. Answering exam-style questions is crucial in developing your exam technique, understanding exactly what the examiner is looking for in each case and ensuring you are confident when you tackle the real exams. We do not expect you to complete your assignments without referring to your notes or textbook, however, we encourage you to rely less on these as you progress through the course. By your final assignment you should be able to work without reference to any additional notes.
The assignments allow you to think critically about what you have learned and will enable your tutor to see how well you are progressing. Your tutor will mark your assignments and provide you with detailed feedback. Once you have had your marked assignment returned, you will be able to access the mark scheme and/or a specimen answer (an A-grade piece of work). You should always reflect carefully on your tutor’s feedback and apply it in your future assignments.
You should read the assignment questions carefully and answer them to the best of your ability, providing relevant examples where necessary. If you don’t do well in your first assignment, don’t worry; your tutor is there to provide advice.
We ask that you do not submit multiple assignments at the same time. For you to see a steady improvement in your marks, it is very important that you reflect on your tutor’s feedback before beginning each new assignment, so that you can incorporate their tips for improvement into each new piece of work.
To get the best out of your course, before submitting each new assignment, you must:
- Complete all the reading, notes and activities in the preceding module;
- Read carefully through all of your tutor’s comments on your last assignment;
- Use the mark scheme and/or any exemplar or specimen answers provided to help you plan for the next assignment.
We cannot guarantee that tutors will be able to mark multiple assignments within the 3-5 working day window and your work may be returned to you to complete again in light of more recent feedback.
All assignments are submitted via Canvas – you should consult the Canvas Guide for more information.
Optional Mock Exam Service
At the end of the course, you will have the chance to use our Optional Mock Examination Service to complete a full set of A Level Physics (UK) exam papers. These must be completed under examination conditions and will be marked by your tutor. They provide a good opportunity for you to test your subject knowledge and exam technique so you are well prepared for the examinations.
The Transition from (I)GCSE to A Level - Some Tips
A Level is a step up from IGCSE and you must expect this to be a challenge, but if you have a good understanding of the key ideas of IGCSE you will find the transition much easier. Before you start this course, it is a good idea to review your IGCSE Physics notes and have your textbook at hand to act as a bridge.
Many of the ideas covered at IGCSE may have come quite easily to you and consequently you did not need to work hard at trying to understand them. At A Level, you may find more areas that challenge you, so be prepared to work harder at furthering your understanding. This will require patience, but will pay dividends when you crack it and your marks start improving. Making sure you go over concepts you’re not sure about, reworking notes or using other information sources are all activities that may help you understand these new ideas.
You may now find it more challenging to earn marks, examiners may be more particular and demand more detail, greater breadth and depth in your longer answers, and more specificity throughout. Don’t forget what you’ve learned at IGCSE, as much of it forms the basis for the new information you’ll be working on at A Level.
Some of the material should be familiar from IGCSE, but you will gain a deeper and fuller understanding of all of it at A Level. Whereas at IGCSE, topics tend to be compartmentalised, at A Level, and in the real world, they all interrelate. Gradually, you will gain the ability to apply your knowledge across topics. You will need to develop your language skills in explaining concepts and describing experiments. You will acquire a vocabulary of scientific words and expressions and you should always use the correct scientific word to make your language precise. Keep your English simple. You will need to develop skill at drawing and labelling graphs; the expression ‘practice makes perfect’ is very true. Numbers should always be given to the appropriate number of significant figures so that the quantity to which they refer is sensible. If uncertain about a topic at A Level, take the time to go over it again at IGCSE level. A secure foundation always makes progress easier.
Your skills in applying what you know to unfamiliar areas will be assessed in examinations. This is an area that many students find daunting at first. You may only have experienced examinations that test what you have been taught and know. However, as you progress through higher educational levels, examinations will begin to test your ability to apply your understanding of a theory or process to unfamiliar areas. You may find this difficult at the beginning, but as you practise questions you will find it becomes easier and your marks will improve. As with anything we’re unfamiliar with, patience and dedication help us get it right in the end!
You will need to apply A Level ideas and contexts covered in the first A Level module to other modules later in the course. So, try not to box things up and forget them, because you will need to revise all key areas before you sit the rest of your papers.
To succeed in your course, you need to organise your time well. For most people, more is accomplished by regular, quite frequent sessions of study rather than in fewer marathon sessions. You should aim to study in a quiet environment. Learning should be an active process. When you are asked to read selected pages of the textbook, do not just read passively. Read them once, then read them again whilst making your own brief notes. This is more effective than highlighting. Later, if you have time, try to make a summary in your own words.
We all have days in which we are busy at certain times and free at others. Whenever you are free, you must learn to work smart and make the most of your free time. If you make sure that it becomes a regular occurrence, i.e. a habit, you will develop a routine way of working. It is always easy to put off work - everybody does it! However, if you timetable your A Level Physics work, you will find it easier to stick to a plan that works and thus continues. For example, you may be free on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings from 7 to 9 o’clock, so you timetable the A Level Physics work you’ve been set for this free time. But if you have enough time you could also do extra work – the work that really makes a difference. Successful students are those who develop a work routine in their own time, so they are able to enhance their learning. This is independent learning.
You should be studying in the region of 10 to 12 hours a week to complete this course. Learn smart: create glossaries and revision cards for key definitions as you go. Sticking the most difficult facts, or groups of similar words (with their key differences highlighted!) on a poster or a post-it note can be really helpful because you’ll see it more often. Memories are strengthened by pulling them forward again and again into the front of your mind; if you just remind yourself of something, e.g. by glimpsing the words on your fridge door, you’ve automatically strengthened a memory.
There are many resources linked to this course. They have been checked carefully as there are also lots of resources available online which are unreliable, so it is better to ask your tutor for advice if you require help in a particular area.
You also need to remember that many of the skills taught during this course will take time and practice to embed. This is especially true of calculations. Keep going and ask for support if you need it.
When you study a Wolsey Hall course, you are never alone. There are lots of people who are willing to help you. Everyone is on your side!
- Tutors: At Wolsey Hall, all our tutors are friendly and knowledgeable. They are subject experts and you should not be shy about asking them questions about your course. You will meet your tutor at the start of your course and you should contact them via Canvas messaging if you have any questions.
- Student Progress Managers: You have already been assigned a Student Progress Manager who can help with your Assignment Schedule.
- Exams Officers: Wolsey Hall’s Exams Officers are here to help students with any queries regarding exam centres.
- Canvas Help Desk: Canvas is a great virtual learning environment, but we understand that sometimes, even the best things can go wrong! If you have any problems with Canvas (e.g. uploading assignments or unable to access resources) you should submit a Canvas Help Ticket.
For information about how to create and submit a Help Ticket, please refer to the Canvas Guide.
We hope you’ll enjoy your course and studying at Wolsey Hall. We wish you the best of luck in your studies and success in your examinations. Please do let us know how you get on when you receive your examination results!
The Wolsey Hall Team