AQAA-Level256 resources

AQA A-Level Physics Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download free AQA A-Level Physics (7408) past papers & mark schemes. All 5 Paper 3 options: Astrophysics, Medical, Engineering, Turning Points, Electronics. 210 resources.

📅June 2017 – June 2024📄256 resources available✅Free to download

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June 2023

5 files

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option B Medical physics – June 2023

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option E Electronics – June 2023

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option A Astrophysics – June 2023

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option D Turning points in physics – June 2023

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section A – June 2023

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June 2022

5 files

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option B Medical physics – June 2022

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option E Electronics – June 2022

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option C Engineering physics – June 2022

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option D Turning points in physics – June 2022

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section A – June 2022

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November 2021

4 files

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option D Turning points in physics – November 2021

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option B Medical physics – November 2021

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option A Astrophysics – November 2021

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A3 36pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option D Turning points in physics – November 2021

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November 2020

4 files

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option B Medical physics – November 2020

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option E Electronics – November 2020

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option A Astrophysics – November 2020

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option D Turning points in physics – November 2020

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June 2019

5 files

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option B Medical physics – June 2019

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option E Electronics – June 2019

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option C Engineering physics – June 2019

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option D Turning points in physics – June 2019

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section A – June 2019

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June 2018

2 files

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option C Engineering physics – June 2018

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A-level Physics – Question paper (Modified A4 18pt) (A-level) : Paper 3 Section B Option B Medical physics – June 2018

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Core Physics, Five Optional Pathways, and the Practical Dimension

AQA A-Level Physics (specification code 7408) combines a large compulsory core with one of five specialist optional topics, all assessed through three written papers. Data and formulae booklets and diagram booklets are provided for every paper, fundamentally changing what students need to memorise versus understand. Paper 1 (2 hours, 85 marks) examines Measurements and their errors, Particles and radiation (quarks, leptons, the standard model, photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality), Waves (progressive waves, superposition, standing waves, diffraction, refraction), Mechanics and materials (moments, projectile motion, Newton's laws, stress, strain, Young's modulus), and Electricity (current, potential difference, resistance, circuit analysis, and the internal resistance of cells). Twenty marks come from multiple-choice questions. Paper 2 (2 hours, 85 marks) covers Further mechanics and thermal physics (circular motion, simple harmonic motion, thermal energy, ideal gas laws), Fields and their consequences (gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields, electromagnetic induction, transformers), and Nuclear physics (radioactive decay, nuclear instability, mass defect and binding energy, nuclear reactors and radiation safety). Again, 20 marks are multiple-choice. Paper 3 (2 hours, 80 marks) is split into two sections. Section A (45 marks) is compulsory for all students and assesses practical skills: an extended experimental task, data analysis, and an unseen passage on experimental physics. Section B (35 marks) is your school's chosen optional topic — Astrophysics, Medical Physics, Engineering Physics, Turning Points in Physics, or Electronics. Each option integrates directly with the core content of Papers 1 and 2, so the optional topic rarely appears in isolation from core ideas. A Practical Endorsement (CPAC) requires students to demonstrate competency in 12 required practicals. These are assessed separately from the exams and do not affect grades, but practical skills questions across all three papers — particularly in Paper 3 Section A — are directly informed by this practical experience.

Exam Paper Structure

Paper 1Calculator ✓

Particles, Waves, Mechanics and Electricity

⏱ 2 hours🎯 85 marks📊 34% of grade

Measurements and their errorsParticles and radiation (quarks, photoelectric effect)Waves (superposition, diffraction, refraction)Mechanics and materials (moments, Newton's laws, Young's modulus)Electricity (circuit analysis, internal resistance)

Paper 2Calculator ✓

Further Mechanics, Fields and Nuclear

⏱ 2 hours🎯 85 marks📊 34% of grade

Further mechanics (circular motion, SHM, thermal physics, ideal gases)Fields (gravitational, electric, magnetic, electromagnetic induction)Nuclear physics (radioactive decay, mass defect, binding energy, nuclear reactors)

Paper 3Calculator ✓

Practical Skills + Optional Topic

⏱ 2 hours🎯 80 marks📊 32% of grade

Section A: Practical skills (compulsory — experimental design, data analysis)Section B: One optional topic (Astrophysics, Medical Physics, Engineering Physics, Turning Points, or Electronics)

Key Information

Exam Board	AQA
Specification Code	7408
Qualification	A-Level
Grading Scale	A*–E
Assessment Type	3 written papers + Practical Endorsement (CPAC)
Number Of Papers	3
Exam Duration	2 hours per paper
Total Marks	250 (85 + 85 + 80)
Data Booklet	Data and formulae booklet provided in all papers
Optional Topics	Astrophysics, Medical Physics, Engineering Physics, Turning Points, Electronics
Required Practicals	12 required practicals (CPAC endorsed separately)
Calculator Status	Calculator allowed
Available Sessions	June 2017 – June 2024
Total Resources	210

Key Topics in Physics

Topics you need to know

Mechanics (Newton's laws, projectile motion, momentum, energy)Waves (superposition, diffraction, interference, standing waves)Electricity (circuit analysis, potential dividers, internal resistance)Fields (gravitational, electric, and magnetic field behaviour)Nuclear physics (radioactive decay laws, mass-energy equivalence)Simple harmonic motion and resonanceQuantum physics (photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality)Optional topic (Astrophysics / Medical / Engineering / Turning Points / Electronics)

Exam Command Words

Command word	What the examiner expects
Calculate	Work out the numerical value, showing formula, substitution, and units
Sketch	Draw a graph with correctly labelled axes and the right general shape — exact values not required
Describe	Give a clear factual account of a phenomenon, process, or observation
Explain	Give the physical reasoning behind an observation — include relevant equations where appropriate
Show that	Provide a complete derivation or calculation that leads to the given value
State	Give a concise, direct answer — no justification needed
Suggest	Apply physical reasoning to an unfamiliar or open-ended situation

Typical Grade Boundaries

Grade	Approximate mark needed
A*	72–83%
A	62–71%
B	52–61%
C	43–51%
D	34–42%
E	25–33%

⚠️ Typical boundaries across three papers (250 total marks: 85 + 85 + 80). Actual boundaries vary by series — check AQA's website.

Units, Multiple Choice, and Extended Writing: A Systematic Approach to AQA Physics

Dimensional analysis is the most underused tool in Physics revision. Before substituting numbers into any equation, verify that the units on both sides of the equation are consistent. If they are not, you have the wrong formula or the wrong rearrangement. This check takes seconds and catches the majority of equation-selection errors before they propagate into wrong answers. The data booklet provides all standard equations — but students who understand the physics behind an equation use it more reliably than those who merely recognise it. The 20 multiple-choice questions in Papers 1 and 2 deserve dedicated preparation as a separate skill. Each MCQ distractor is designed around a specific misconception — the most common are confusing the magnitude of a vector with its component, misapplying the right-hand rule, or confusing peak and RMS values for alternating current. Work through past MCQ sections timed at one minute per question; do not allow yourself to spend three minutes on one MCQ at the expense of others. Paper 3 Section A includes extended response questions assessed partly on the quality of written communication. These questions require continuous prose explanations of physical phenomena — not bullet points and not just an equation. Practise writing short, coherent physical explanations: describe what is happening physically first (in everyday terms if helpful), then introduce the relevant equations and quantities, then reach a conclusion. Examiners award marks for a clear logical chain from cause to effect. For your optional topic in Paper 3 Section B, past papers may be limited for some options — particularly for Turning Points in Physics and Electronics. Supplement with AQA's sample assessment materials and any teacher-prepared resources. Exam questions on optional topics routinely connect back to core content: Astrophysics questions draw on orbital mechanics, radiation laws, and nuclear physics; Medical Physics connects to wave behaviour, radiation, and electric fields.

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AQA A-Level Physics Past Papers & Mark Schemes

Download Past Papers

June 2023

June 2022

November 2021

November 2020

June 2019

June 2018

Core Physics, Five Optional Pathways, and the Practical Dimension

Exam Paper Structure

Key Information

Key Topics in Physics

Exam Command Words

Typical Grade Boundaries

Units, Multiple Choice, and Extended Writing: A Systematic Approach to AQA Physics

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