Revision and practice will contribute hugely to your success. If you work hard and work smart, focusing on your weaker areas and completing as many practice questions that you can get your hands on, the hard work will pay off.
It might seem a daunting amount of work that you have to do but remember to break it down into bite sized chunks and set yourself small goals and rewards along the way. The sooner you start revising the better off you will be and you can avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed at the end of the course.
Here are some suggestions of what to do:
1) Use the whole course summary sheet and tick off each topic as you revise it:
2) Complete as many past papers as you can.
This allows you to get inside the examiners head. You can get used to the style in which they ask questions and if you study the mark schemes too, you can get used to the type of response they want and see the working that will score you marks.
You need to get used to working quickly and efficiently - you only have between approximately 1 minute 20 seconds per mark. (This varies slightly according to the paper but isn't long for a multiple choice question)
We are doing Physics A, H556. You can access past papers (2016-2019 for AS and 2017 - 2019 for A2) You can also access specimen and practise papers on this link as well:
https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/past-paper-finder/
3) Practice your multiple choice questions. A good website is examsmasher:
Or you can try the MC questions attached here:
4) Don't forget the orange revision guides. They are really useful revision guides and workbook practice. They are available to purchase from the physics dept. so ask your teacher for more information.
5.) Complete all of the end of chapter questions in your text book, the solutions to the book questions are on this website on the year 12 and year 13 page.
6.) Practise some 6 mark questions. Here are some good and bad examples from the exam board of what to do and what not to do!.
7) Get virtual. There are so many online resources out there to help you. Here are some of our favourites:
http://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/physics-revision/a-level-ocr-a/
https://www.alevelphysicsonline.com/
8) Use the subscription to A level physics online.
The school pays for you to have full access to this site. There are many excellent features and resources. As well as a 100 day revision challenge. Click here to access the site.
Username: physics@churstongrammar.com
Password: churston
9) Know your practicals and the associated skills. Link here
Practice the skills using this workbook:
10) Still want more?
Try some questions from the old spec (sightly easier in my opinion but still useful)
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-a-level-gce-physics-a-h158-h558/
Watch this video to learn what not to do in the exam.....
The good news about A level physics is that there are hardly any equations to remember, compared to what you had to recall at GCSE. The equation booklet (link below) contains almost all of the equations that you will use.
HOWEVER - it is important that you understand the equations from first principles and know where they come from. You will learn how to derive many of these equations during the course. If you understand where the equations come from and how they 'work' you are more likely to remember them anyway.
You should see the equation booklet as a memory prompt rather than something to rely on completely. If you have to look up every physics equation during your exam you will definitely run out of time!
The A level course uses lots of specific language which has distinct meaning in physics. You may be asked to define some of these terms in your exams. Have a look at the document below for a topic by topic definition list. Please note this is still a work in progress and there may be additional terms which you come across which are not on the list!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YHZlc4uuwJ3PVv1_Qy24V9PPXZSKJqtN/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gbPzMp_a4LHqN7fzgCzr76VJ947JjYxR/view?usp=sharing