GCSE physics equation sheet 2027: what is on it and what to learn

Key takeaways

• →Yes. Ofqual’s decision covers GCSE Physics and Combined Science exams in summer 2027, and students get a clean copy of the sheet with the paper.
• →The sheet lists the equations students would normally have to memorise. Students still need to know which equation to use, the units, and how to rearrange it.
• →The Combined Science sheet is shorter than the Physics sheet, and equations marked HT are for Higher tier only.
• →Practise with the official sheet for your child’s exam board from now on, so it feels familiar on the day.

1. Will there be an equation sheet in 2027?

Yes. Ofqual, the exams regulator, has decided that exam boards must give students an equations sheet in GCSE Physics and GCSE Combined Science. This is a printed list of equations to use in the exam. The decision covers summer exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027.^[1]

So summer 2027 is included. Exam boards had to publish their 2027 sheets by 1 September 2026, and they must give students a clean copy with each paper.^[1]

November is different. Ofqual’s November decision names GCSE Maths only, so for Physics and Combined Science it is the summer exams that are covered.^[1]

AQA says the 2027 Physics Equations Sheet will be an insert with Physics (8463) Papers 1 and 2 and with the physics papers in Combined Science: Trilogy (8464). It says the content is unchanged from 2026.^[5]

OCR’s page, dated 1 September 2026, says students will keep getting an equation sheet as an insert in the question paper.^[13]

Pearson Edexcel said in November 2024 that clean copies of its sheet will come with the papers in 2025, 2026 and 2027.^[10]

The sheet is not a one-off. In May 2026 Ofqual decided that sheets will carry on from 2028 for the life of the current GCSE courses, including resits.^[2]

AQA says this will change some standard-demand science questions that now ask students to “write down the equation that links”. It will share details later in the 2026/27 school year.^[5]

2. What changed: the recall list is now given

The Department for Education (DfE) sets the subject content for GCSE Physics. Its appendix on equations has two groups: equations students should recall and apply, and equations they should select from a list and apply. All use standard SI units.^[3]

Combined Science has the same two groups.^[4]

In a normal year, the first group has to be learned. Ofqual says the sheets set out the equations students must memorise in a normal year. Its decision follows the DfE’s position that students taking the 2025, 2026 and 2027 exams do not need to memorise all of the physics equations.^[1]

AQA says students will not need to memorise the physics equations for 2025, 2026 and 2027.^[5]

AQA’s specification appendix lists its equations in the same two groups.^[8]

You can see the change on AQA’s sheet. The June 2024 Physics Equations Sheet puts both groups together, with Higher tier only equations marked HT.^[6]

3. What is on the sheet

The table gives example equations from the AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR sheets we opened, which were the 2022 to 2026 versions. AQA says its 2027 sheet matches 2026. This is a sample, not the whole sheet.^[5]

Boards do not list exactly the same extras. AQA’s sheets include period = 1 ÷ frequency and magnification = image height ÷ object height. Check your own board’s sheet.^[6]

Reading the table: “HT” means Higher tier only. “No” means we did not find it on the Combined Science sheets we opened.

4. Physics or Combined Science, Higher or Foundation?

The Combined Science sheet is shorter. Pearson Edexcel prints one list for GCSE Physics (1PH0) and Combined Science (1SC0), with physics-only extras in a separate group, such as the moment of a force and the gas equation.^[11]

AQA’s June 2024 Trilogy sheet leaves out the moment of a force, pressure = force ÷ area, magnification, the gas equation and pressure in a column of liquid.^[7]

OCR has separate sheets for Physics A (J249) and Combined Science A (Physics) (J250).^[13]

On tiers, the sheets we opened use a key, not tier names: HT means Higher tier only. On AQA’s Physics sheet, HT marks momentum, force = change in momentum ÷ time taken, pressure in a column of liquid, the force on a conductor in a magnetic field and the two transformer equations.^[6]

OCR’s Combined Science sheet marks momentum and the force on a conductor as HT.^[17]

The boards’ 2027 pages do not spell out whether the science sheets differ by tier. Foundation students should ask their teacher which equations their paper expects.^[5]

5. Where to find your board’s official sheet

Always use the official copy for your child’s own board and qualification. The table shows where to look.

6. Units, symbols and rearranging

The sheets we opened print equations only, with no table of units.^[6]

The DfE expects students to use standard SI units, such as the newton, joule, watt and volt. It also expects them to convert between units, use prefixes and powers of ten (such as kilo and milli), and give a sensible number of significant figures.^[3]

Pearson’s sheet gives symbols as well as words, such as F = m × a. Know what each symbol stands for.^[11]

The sheets print each equation in one form, so students must be ready to rearrange it, for example to find wavelength from wave speed and frequency. The DfE lists changing the subject of an equation as a maths skill needed in physics.^[3]

The DfE’s practical skills list is about apparatus and techniques, such as measuring density, the extension of springs, and current, potential difference and resistance.^[3]

AQA lists ten required practicals for GCSE Physics, eight shared with Combined Science. Exam questions on them are worth at least 15% of the marks. Several use sheet equations, such as specific heat capacity and density.^[9]

7. How to revise with the sheet

Print the sheet for your child’s board and keep it beside every practice question. AQA says students can use its current sheets for revision and exam practice.^[5]

OCR suggests teachers use the sheets in lessons and mock exams so students get used to them.^[13]

Practise choosing the equation. Write down the quantities in the question, then find the equation that links them.

Still learn the short, common ones, such as speed, force and wave speed. It saves time and helps you spot what to use.

Do not lean on the sheet alone. From 2028, Ofqual says boards must not set questions that can be answered only by copying from the sheet.^[2]

Write every step: the equation, the numbers, then the answer with its unit. Convert units first, such as grams to kilograms. Practise rearranging too.

Our GCSE Physics guide shows what each paper covers and how to revise. Our six-mark questions lesson, “How to answer six-mark questions”, shows how to build clear written answers. Our GCSE maths formula sheet guide covers rearranging formulae.

Having the equation in front of you is only half the job. The other half is knowing when to use it.

8. 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 equations and topics your child needs to work on first.

1. 1. Will students get an equation sheet in GCSE Physics and Combined Science in summer 2027?

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2. 2. Does the Combined Science sheet have the same equations as the Physics sheet?

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3. 3. What does HT mean on an equation sheet?

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Your next steps

• Find out your child’s exam board and whether they take Physics or Combined Science, then print that official sheet.
• Practise a few questions each week with the sheet beside you, including units and rearranging.
• Book a free 45-minute assessment to see which topics to work on first.

Subject guides to go with this

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