Quick answer: 9702 has five papers. Papers 1 and 2 test AS content, Paper 4 tests A Level content (and needs AS knowledge), Paper 3 is a lab practical, and Paper 5 is a written planning and analysis paper. The first year matters a lot, because Paper 4 is 38.5% of the A Level.
Who this is for: AS and A Level Physics students on the Cambridge route, and parents who want to understand how the course and exams fit together.
The structure below comes from the Cambridge syllabus for 2025 to 2027. The 2028 to 2030 syllabus says there are no significant changes that affect teaching. Check the current version with your school.
AS Level, A Level and the three routes
AS Level is the first half of the A Level course. There are three routes:
- AS Level only: all AS papers in the same exam series.
- A Level over two years: AS papers in Year 1, A Level papers in Year 2. The AS result is carried forward.
- A Level in one go: all five papers in the same series.
AS grades run from a to e. A Level grades run from A* to E. The school tells you which route your child follows. More on how we support each route is on our Cambridge A Level Physics 9702 page.
9702 papers: marks, timing and weighting
| Paper | Name | Time | Marks | Share of A Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple Choice (AS content) | 1 h 15 min | 40 | 15.5% |
| 2 | AS Level Structured Questions | 1 h 15 min | 60 | 23% |
| 3 | Advanced Practical Skills | 2 h | 40 | 11.5% |
| 4 | A Level Structured Questions | 2 h | 100 | 38.5% |
| 5 | Planning, Analysis and Evaluation | 1 h 15 min | 30 | 11.5% |
Papers 1 and 2 test AS content only. Paper 4 tests A Level content but expects AS knowledge too. In the theory papers, half the marks are for knowledge and understanding, and half for applying and evaluating information.
9702 syllabus topics: 1 to 25
AS Level (topics 1 to 11): Physical quantities and units; Kinematics; Dynamics; Forces, density and pressure; Work, energy and power; Deformation of solids; Waves; Superposition; Electricity; D.C. circuits; Particle physics.
A Level adds (topics 12 to 25): Motion in a circle; Gravitational fields; Temperature; Ideal gases; Thermodynamics; Oscillations; Electric fields; Capacitance; Magnetic fields; Alternating currents; Quantum physics; Nuclear physics; Medical physics; Astronomy and cosmology.
Coming from IGCSE? Waves and electricity sound familiar but go much deeper. Our Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 page shows what the earlier course covers.
Paper 3 vs Paper 5: what is lab work and what is on paper
Paper 3 is a timetabled practical exam in a laboratory. It has two questions, one hour and 20 marks each. In the first, students collect data, plot a graph and draw conclusions. In the second, the method is inaccurate, and students evaluate it and suggest improvements. Students do this practical work in their school lab. TutorDock teaches online and does not run lab practicals.
Paper 5 is written and needs no lab. It has two questions of 15 marks each. Question 1 is planning: a diagram plus extended writing. Question 2 is analysis: you get an equation and data, find a constant, and estimate its uncertainty.
Paper 5 is where online help works well. Variables, tables, graphs, gradients and evaluation can all be practised on paper.
Worked example: a Paper 5 style gradient question
Take the pendulum equation T = 2π√(L/g). Square both sides and you get T² = (4π²/g) × L. Plot T² (y-axis) against L (x-axis) and the gradient is 4π²/g.
Suppose the best-fit line gives a gradient of 4.0 s² m⁻¹, read from a large triangle drawn on the graph.
- g = 4π² ÷ gradient = 39.48 ÷ 4.0 = 9.87 m s⁻²
- The gradient has 2 significant figures, so give g as 9.9 m s⁻² (2 s.f.). The syllabus says n or n+1 significant figures are appropriate when the least precise value has n.
- Suppose the worst acceptable line has a gradient of 3.8 s² m⁻¹. The absolute uncertainty in the gradient is 4.0 − 3.8 = 0.2, which is 5%. That gives g = 9.9 ± 0.5 m s⁻².
State the value, the uncertainty and the unit together.
Worked example: a Paper 4 style calculation
A 0.50 kg mass moves in a horizontal circle of radius 0.80 m at a constant speed of 4.0 m s⁻¹. Find the force towards the centre.
F = mv²/r = 0.50 × 4.0² ÷ 0.80 = 0.50 × 16 ÷ 0.80 = 10 N (2 s.f.), directed towards the centre.
Usual slips: not squaring the speed, using the diameter as the radius, and writing “10” with no unit.
Common mistakes: command words, units, significant figures and graphs
Cambridge publishes its command words with meanings. Read them closely, because each one asks for a different kind of answer.
| Command word | What Cambridge says it means | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Explain | set out purposes or reasons / make the relationships between things evident | Give the reason, using the physics |
| Determine | establish an answer using the information available | Use the data given, and show the steps |
| Suggest | apply knowledge to situations with a range of valid responses | Link a sensible idea to the context. There may be more than one good answer |
Then check these before you leave a question:
- Units. Quote them for every calculated answer. In a table heading, write the quantity and unit like I / mA. A heading such as “I mA” is not acceptable.
- Significant figures. If your data has 2 s.f., giving 5 s.f. in the answer is not more accurate. It is a mistake.
- Raw data precision. If one length is to the nearest millimetre, every length in that column should be too.
- Graph axes. Label each axis with the quantity and unit, spread the points over at least half of the grid in both directions, and use scales such as 1, 2 or 5 units to a 2 cm square.
- Repeated readings. Absolute uncertainty can be half the range of the repeated readings. For readings of 1.82 s, 1.86 s and 1.84 s, that is (1.86 − 1.82) ÷ 2 = 0.02 s.
Which 9702 topics often need extra time?
Cambridge does not publish a list of “hardest” topics, so this is our own view, not an official ranking. Topics that combine several ideas need more practice than ones you can learn in one sitting: Motion in a circle, Oscillations, Electric fields, Capacitance, Magnetic fields and Quantum physics. Understand the idea behind the equation, not just the equation.
How to prepare for 9702
- Keep a mistake list. Note the topic where you lost marks in each test. After a few weeks it shows where to spend revision time.
- Start with topic questions, then move to full timed papers. Read the mark scheme afterwards to see how marks are earned.
- Know your data and formulae page. Papers 1, 2 and 4 include one. Learn what is given and what you must remember.
- Practise Paper 5 on paper. Plan an experiment, sketch the graph you expect, and say how you would find the gradient.
- Keep AS content fresh. It comes back in Paper 4.
FAQ: Cambridge A Level Physics 9702
What maths do I need for 9702?
The syllabus lists its maths requirements: algebra, trigonometry, vectors and graph skills such as gradients. Exponentials and logarithms are A Level only.
Can my child take AS Level only?
Yes. Check with the school, because it decides the entries.
Does TutorDock offer 9702 tutoring?
Yes. We offer one-to-one online lessons for Cambridge A Level Physics. See our A Level Physics tutoring page.
Does 9702 have a practical exam?
Yes. Paper 3 is a practical paper done in a school lab, and Paper 5 is a written planning, analysis and evaluation paper that needs no lab. TutorDock teaches online and does not run lab practicals. We help students with the written skills: planning, tables, graphs, uncertainties and evaluation.
Related guides
- Cambridge vs Edexcel IGCSE: differences and how to choose
- Cambridge A Level Chemistry 9701: papers, topics and how to prepare
- IGCSE Physics 0625 Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): how to answer it
Want help with 9702? Try a free class
If your child is starting AS Level, or is stuck on a topic like circular motion or electric fields, you can book a free trial class with TutorDock. Tell us the topic and the paper you are working on, and we will show you how one-to-one online teaching works. No obligation.
