A-Level Physics past papers: AQA, OCR and Edexcel papers, 2027 dates and a revision plan

Key takeaways

• →Get A-Level Physics past papers from your own board: AQA (7408), OCR Physics A (H556) or B (H557), or Pearson Edexcel (9PH0). The newest papers are held back for teachers, so summer 2026 is not public yet.
• →Every course has three written papers, but the marks differ. AQA is 85, 85 and 80. OCR A is 100, 100 and 70. OCR B is 110, 100 and 60. Pearson Edexcel is 90, 90 and 120.
• →In summer 2027 all four courses sit Paper 1 on Friday 21 May and Paper 3 on Tuesday 8 June, both in the morning. Paper 2 is on Thursday 27 May, in the afternoon. Stay free until Wednesday 23 June.
• →AQA Paper 3 has a compulsory practical section plus one option: astrophysics, medical physics, engineering physics, turning points in physics or electronics. Ask your teacher which one you take.

1. A-Level Physics past papers: get the real ones from your exam board

The best A-Level Physics past papers are the ones your exam board publishes, with mark schemes so you can mark your own work. Check that the code on the cover matches your course: 7408, H556, H557 or 9PH0.

AQA: use its finder. You choose a subject and a qualification, and it lists the papers and mark schemes.^[9]

OCR: use its past papers finder, which covers past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and practice materials.^[22]

Pearson Edexcel: use its Past papers page. You pick a qualification, a subject and an exam series, and it lists question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports.^[26]

The newest papers are held back for teachers. AQA lists the summer 2026 papers, mark schemes and reports for its public website on 9 July 2027. Most papers then stay online for three years.^[8]

OCR puts all the materials from a June series on its public website in early August of the following year.^[21]

Pearson’s publication policy (version 2.3, 21 August 2026) says recent papers are normally restricted for 12 months, then open to everyone.^[28]

Pearson’s student page says papers are released once they are more than nine months old. The two pages differ, so ask your teacher which applies.^[27]

So the summer 2026 papers are with teachers for now. Ask your school, and start with earlier years.

2. The A-Level Physics papers at a glance

Each course has three written papers. The table shows their lengths, marks and share of the A-Level.

The practical endorsement is a separate pass. Your teacher assesses your practical skills in lessons, and it is reported on its own. AQA says A-Level grades are based only on marks from written exams, and students must complete at least 12 practical activities.^[4]

OCR Physics A also says learners need at least 12 assessed practical activities, and that the result will not contribute to the overall qualification grade.^[10]

OCR Physics B shows the endorsement separately on the certificate, as a Pass or Not Classified.^[14]

Pearson says students must complete at least 12 practical activities, and the result is reported separately.^[23]

3. AQA A-Level Physics past papers (7408)

Paper 1 is a 2-hour written exam of 85 marks, worth 34% of the A-Level. It has 60 marks of short and long answer questions and 25 multiple choice questions.^[2]

It covers measurements and their errors, particles and radiation, waves, mechanics and materials, electricity, and periodic motion, which is the first part of further mechanics and thermal physics.^[5]

Paper 2 has the same shape: 2 hours, 85 marks, 34%, with 60 marks of short and long answers and 25 multiple choice questions.^[2]

Its new content is thermal physics, fields and their consequences, and nuclear physics.^[5]

It also assumes you know the content from Paper 1.^[1]

Paper 3 is 2 hours, 80 marks, worth 32%. Section A is compulsory: 45 marks of questions on practical experiments and data analysis. Section B is 35 marks on one optional topic.^[2]

The options are Astrophysics, Medical physics, Engineering physics, Turning points in physics and Electronics. Practise the papers for your option.^[2]

At least 15% of the whole A-Level assesses practical work, so practical questions are not only on Paper 3.^[3]

The June 2023 Paper 1 cover lists a scientific calculator, a ruler, a protractor and the Data and Formulae Booklet, a loose insert. Section A was 60 marks and Section B was 25 multiple choice questions.^[6]

4. OCR Physics A and B past papers (H556, H557)

OCR has two A-Level Physics courses, so check which one your school teaches. The papers are different.

Physics A (H556) Paper 1 is Modelling physics: 2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks, 37%. It assesses modules 1, 2, 3 and 5. Paper 2 is Exploring physics: 2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks, 37%, modules 1, 2, 4 and 6.^[11]

Paper 3 is Unified physics: 1 hour 30 minutes, 70 marks, 26%. It can ask about all six modules, so it draws topics together.^[11]

Module 3 is Forces and motion, 4 is Electrons, waves and photons, 5 is Newtonian world and astrophysics, and 6 is Particles and medical physics.^[10]

Papers 1 and 2 each start with 15 multiple-choice questions for 15 marks, then 85 marks of short and extended answers, including two 6-mark questions marked with an asterisk. Paper 3 has no multiple choice and has two 6-mark questions.^[12]

The sample Paper 1 cover asks for the Data, Formulae and Relationships Booklet and allows a scientific or graphical calculator.^[13]

Physics B (H557) has Paper 1 Fundamentals of physics (2 hours 15 minutes, 110 marks, 41%), Paper 2 Scientific literacy in physics (2 hours 15 minutes, 100 marks, 37%) and Paper 3 Practical skills in physics (1 hour 30 minutes, 60 marks, 22%).^[15]

All three papers assess content from all six modules, which include Physics in action, Understanding processes, and Field and particle.^[15]

The 2019 H557/01 paper has 30 multiple-choice questions for 30 marks in Section A, then shorter questions in Section B and longer structured ones in Section C. Its cover asks for the Data, Formulae and Relationships Booklet.^[16]

For H557/02 you get an advance notice article before the exam. In the sample paper, Section C is worth 25 of the 100 marks and is based on the article.^[17]

OCR lists an advance notice article for June 2026 on its H557 page. Ask your teacher about your own year’s.^[18]

H557/03 puts the emphasis on practical skills. OCR’s 2018 examiners’ report says it can include content from all modules, with structured questions, problem solving and calculations.^[19]

5. Pearson Edexcel A-Level Physics past papers (9PH0)

Paper 1 is Advanced Physics I: 1 hour 45 minutes, 90 marks, 30%. It covers Working as a Physicist, Mechanics, Electric Circuits, Further Mechanics, Electric and Magnetic Fields, and Nuclear and Particle Physics.^[23]

Paper 2 is Advanced Physics II: 1 hour 45 minutes, 90 marks, 30%. It covers Working as a Physicist, Materials, Waves and Particle Nature of Light, Thermodynamics, Space, Nuclear Radiation, Gravitational Fields and Oscillations.^[23]

Paper 3 is General and Practical Principles in Physics: 2 hours 30 minutes, 120 marks, 40%. It can ask about any topic, bring topics together, or test experimental methods and the core practicals.^[23]

Papers 1 and 2 can include multiple-choice, short open, open-response, calculation and extended-writing questions. Paper 3 lists no multiple choice.^[23]

Pearson lists each paper’s content for two courses, concept-led and Salters Horner, which use different unit names. Ask your teacher which course you follow.^[23]

The 24 May 2024 Paper 1 cover asks for a scientific calculator and a ruler, and the Data, Formulae and Relationships Booklet is enclosed. One question is marked with an asterisk, and its marks depend on how logically you structure your answer.^[24]

6. A-Level Physics dates: summer 2027

AQA’s timetable (version 1.2) lists 7408 Paper 1 and Paper 3 as morning papers and Paper 2 as an afternoon paper, each 2 hours.^[7]

OCR’s final timetable has H556 and H557 on the same dates, with Papers 1 and 3 in the morning and Paper 2 in the afternoon.^[20]

Pearson’s final timetable has 9PH0 on the same dates and sessions.^[25]

Wednesday 23 June 2027 is a contingency day. Students must stay available until then in case papers have to be moved.^[29]

AQA also lists 15 May 2027 as the date for schools to submit the practical endorsement. That is your teacher’s job.^[7]

Dates can move: We checked the boards’ timetables on 1 November 2026. Use your school’s personal timetable nearer the time.

7. How to use past papers for A-Level Physics

Start with topics, not whole papers. When you finish a topic in class, do exam questions on it and mark them with the official mark scheme.

Use your board’s data booklet from your first paper. The covers we checked ask for a data and formulae booklet. Our A-Level Physics formula sheet guide shows what each board gives you.

Do full papers later, to time. Sit the whole length, with the calculator and booklet you will have on the day.

Practise the question types your board sets. AQA Papers 1 and 2 each include 25 multiple-choice questions, OCR A Papers 1 and 2 start with 15, and OCR B Paper 1 starts with 30. OCR and Pearson also mark some extended answers for how well they are structured.

Pearson’s student page says past papers cannot predict which questions will come up, but they help you check what you have learnt and find gaps. It also says questions from older specifications can help if the topic is on the current course.^[27]

Use papers from the current course. Pearson says its Physics course was first certificated in 2017, so papers from 2017 onwards are the place to start.^[23]

Mark strictly, write down why you lost each mark, and redo those questions a few days later.

A past paper only helps if you mark it and learn from it.

Think in marks, not minutes: AQA Paper 1 is 120 minutes for 85 marks, about 1.4 minutes a mark. OCR H556/01 is 135 minutes for 100 marks, about 1.35. Pearson Paper 1 is 105 minutes for 90 marks, about 1.2. If a 4-mark question has taken far longer than that, move on and come back to it.

8. A revision plan to Paper 1

Work back from Paper 1 on Friday 21 May 2027. This plan is our suggestion, not a board rule. In Year 12 the same steps work, but stay on topic questions for longer. Ask your teacher which board and course you are sitting before you pick papers.

9. How Brainhub can help

A tutor can spot which topics keep costing you marks and set practice at the right level. Brainhub teaches one-to-one, live online across the UK. Online A-Level lessons start from £40 an hour, and a qualified teacher with a PGCE costs £10 an hour more. Every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment.

Students who join us by Year 12 most often finish with A*/A (Brainhub student records, 2021–2026). That figure is our own data, not independent research, and every student is different.

1. 1. How long are the A-Level Physics papers?

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2. 2. What is the optional part of AQA A-Level Physics Paper 3?

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3. 3. When are the summer 2027 A-Level Physics papers?

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Your next steps

• Check the paper code (7408, H556, H557 or 9PH0), then open your own board’s past papers page.
• Put 21 May, 27 May and 8 June 2027 in the calendar and work back from them.
• Book a free 45-minute assessment to see which topics to practise first.

Subject guides to go with this

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