AQA Physics Paper 1 and Paper 2 (GCSE): 2027 dates, marks and how to prepare

Key takeaways

• →AQA GCSE Physics (8463) has two papers. Each lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, carries 100 marks and counts for 50% of the GCSE.
• →Paper 1 covers Energy, Electricity, Particle model of matter and Atomic structure. Paper 2 covers Forces, Waves, Magnetism and electromagnetism, and Space physics.
• →In 2027, Paper 1 is on Tuesday 25 May and Paper 2 on Friday 18 June, both in the morning. Students get an equation sheet as an insert with each paper.
• →Practise with AQA past papers and mark schemes. Show every step of a calculation, convert units first, and learn how six-mark answers are marked.

1. The two papers at a glance

AQA GCSE Physics (8463) is assessed by two written papers. The course is linear, which means students sit all their exams at the end.^[1]

The papers are the same size. Each lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, carries 100 marks and counts for 50% of the GCSE.^[1]

Added together, that makes 200 marks. AQA sets grade boundaries against that total.^[3]

2. What each paper covers

AQA numbers the content as topics 1 to 8. Paper 1 takes the first four and Paper 2 the last four.^[2]

Paper 2 is not a clean break. AQA says its questions may draw on energy changes and transfers due to heating, and on energy conservation, so keep revising Energy and Electricity.^[1]

Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) is a different qualification, with its own physics papers. AQA’s 2027 timetable lists them at 1 hour 15 minutes each.^[8]

3. Foundation and Higher tiers

Each paper comes in Foundation and Higher versions. Foundation goes up to grade 5. Higher covers grades 9 to 4, with a grade 3 allowed as a safety net.^[7]

AQA says a student’s teacher is the best judge of which tier suits them, so ask.^[7]

AQA says Foundation papers are mostly low and standard demand questions. Higher papers include standard, standard to high and high demand questions, with more marks for open and extended response.^[6]

4. Question types and what they reward

AQA says both papers use four kinds of question: multiple choice, structured, closed short answer and open response.^[1]

Every mark rewards one of three skills, called assessment objectives (AOs). AO1 and AO2 are each worth 40% of the qualification and AO3 is worth 20%.^[3]

5. Required practicals and maths skills

AQA lists ten required practical activities for GCSE Physics. Questions on practicals count for at least 15% of the overall marks.^[4]

AQA says a minimum of 30% of the marks in physics test mathematical skills.^[6]

On Foundation papers the maths will not be lower than Key Stage 3 level. On Higher papers it will not be lower than Foundation tier GCSE maths.^[5]

6. When the papers are in 2027

AQA’s timetable for May and June 2027 puts Paper 1 on Tuesday 25 May 2027 and Paper 2 on Friday 18 June 2027. Both are morning papers of 1 hour 45 minutes, for Foundation and Higher.^[8]

The timetable also names Wednesday 23 June 2027 as a contingency day. Students must stay available until then in case a board has to use its backup plan.^[8]

AQA announced on 22 September 2026 that, from summer 2027, question papers in every subject except modern foreign languages will use one tick-box format for all multiple-choice questions and a single left-aligned column for source texts.^[9]

7. The equation sheet in 2027

AQA says the 2027 Physics Equations Sheet will be an insert with Papers 1 and 2, with the same content as 2026. Students do not need to memorise the usual formulae for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027.^[10]

The sheet does not do the work for you. Students still need to know which equation to use, how to rearrange it and which units to give. Our GCSE physics equation sheet guide shows what is on it.

8. How to revise for Papers 1 and 2

Use AQA’s eight topics as a checklist. Rate each red, amber or green and spend most time on the reds. Our GCSE Physics guide covers the whole course, so use it alongside the list.

Learn each required practical: the method, the apparatus, what you change, measure and keep the same, and how to draw a graph and conclusion.

AQA’s June 2022 report on Paper 1 Higher says students who had done the density practical had an advantage on the related question.^[13]

Its Paper 2 Foundation report reminds students that lines of best fit are not always straight.^[14]

9. Calculations, units and working

AQA’s mark scheme marks each stage of a calculation separately, but says a correct final answer from incorrect working does not get full marks.^[12]

The front cover of a Paper 1 Higher paper tells students to show clearly how they work out calculations. It lists a scientific calculator among the materials.^[11]

AQA’s June 2022 report on Paper 1 Higher describes marks lost through wrong rearranging, unconverted units such as heights not in metres, powers of ten and significant figures.^[13]

Write the equation, rearrange it, convert units, put in the numbers, then give the answer with its unit. Ask whether the answer is sensible.

Show your working: Write every step, even when you are sure. A slip in the last line can still earn method marks.

10. Past papers and mark schemes

AQA publishes past question papers, mark schemes and reports on the exam for 8463. We opened the June 2022 and June 2023 ones.^[11]

AQA’s news item of 9 October 2026 says question papers are now on Centre Services the day after the exam, so ask your child’s teacher for the newest ones.^[15]

Sit a whole paper in 1 hour 45 minutes, which is just over a minute a mark. Mark it with the mark scheme, list the topics that lost the most marks, then practise them.

11. Six-mark questions

AQA describes an extended response as a 4 to 6 mark answer written in prose. It is marked with levels of response, unless it is a multi-step calculation.^[6]

In AQA’s June 2023 Paper 2 Higher mark scheme, each level has a descriptor and two marks. Examiners find the best-fit level, then choose the mark within it.^[12]

The indicative content is a guide, not a full list. Other valid points get credit, but a wrong statement that contradicts a correct one stops full marks.^[12]

So aim for a clear, linked explanation with correct science, not a list of facts. Our six-mark questions lesson, “How to answer six-mark questions”, shows how.

12. Grade boundaries

AQA publishes grade boundaries at 8.00am on results days. They show the minimum marks needed for each grade.^[16]

Boundaries are for the whole subject, not each paper. AQA says notional boundaries for single papers are for illustration only. Boundaries are set after marking, so they can change between series.^[16]

In June 2026, grade 5 needed 141 of 200 marks on Foundation but 87 on Higher, so marks on the two tiers cannot be compared.^[17]

You can also check our grade boundaries page.

13. How Brainhub can help

Our GCSE students typically improve by 2 grades over 12 weeks of weekly lessons (Brainhub student records, 2021–2026). That figure is our own data, not independent research.

We teach one-to-one, live online across the UK, with online GCSE lessons from £30 an hour. Every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment, so we can see which physics topics, calculations or exam skills need the most work first.

1. 1. How long is each AQA GCSE Physics paper, and how many marks is it worth?

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2. 2. Which topics are on AQA Physics Paper 2?

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3. 3. When are AQA Physics Paper 1 and Paper 2 in 2027?

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Your next steps

• Print a past AQA Paper 1 and its mark scheme, and sit it in 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Mark it, list the topics that lost the most marks, and practise those before the next paper.
• Book a free 45-minute assessment to see which topics and skills to work on first.

Subject guides to go with this

Want one-to-one help? See how our online lessons work.