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1 AS AND A-LEVELPHYSICSAS (7407) A-level (7408)SpecificationsFor teaching from September 2015 onwardsFor AS exams in May/June 2016 onwardsFor A-level exams in May/June 2017 onwardsVersion June 2017 Copyright 2015 AQA and its licensors. All rights retains the copyright on all its publications, including the specifications. However, schools and colleges registered with AQA are permitted to copy material from these specifications for their own internal Education (AQA) is a registered charity (number 1073334) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number 3644723). Our registered address is AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 help and supportVisit our website for information, guidance, support and resources at can talk directly to the Science subject teamE: 01483 477 756 3AS physics (7407) and A-level physics (7408). AS exams May/June 2016 onwards. A-level exams May/June 2017 onwards.

2 Version for the most up-to-date specifications, resources, support and administrationContents1 Introduction Why choose AQA for AS and A-level physics support and resources to help you teach 62 Specification at a glance Subject content AS A-level 93 Subject content Measurements and their errors Particles and radiation Waves Mechanics and materials Electricity Further mechanics and thermal physics (A-level only) Fields and their consequences (A-level only) Nuclear physics (A-level only) Astrophysics (A-level only) Medical physics (A-level only) Engineering physics (A-level only) Turning points in physics (A-level only) Electronics (A-level only) 624 Scheme of assessment Aims Assessment objectives Assessment weightings 705 General administration Entries and codes Overlaps with other qualifications Awarding grades and reporting results Re-sits and shelf life Previous learning and prerequisites Access to assessment: diversity and inclusion Working with AQA for the first time Private candidates 734 Visit for the most up-to-date specifications, resources, support and administrationAre you using the latest version of these specifications?

3 You will always find the most up-to-date version of these specifications on our website at We will write to you if there are significant changes to these Mathematical requirements and exemplifications Arithmetic and numerical computation Handling data Algebra Graphs Geometry and trigonometry 797 AS practical assessment Use of apparatus and techniques AS required practical activities Practical skills to be assessed in written papers 818 A-level practical assessment Use of apparatus and techniques A-level required practical activities Practical skills to be assessed in written papers A-level practical skills to be assessed via endorsement 865AS physics (7407) and A-level physics (7408). AS exams May/June 2016 onwards. A-level exams May/June 2017 onwards. Version for the most up-to-date specifications, resources, support and administration1 Why choose AQA for AS and A-level PhysicsRelevant in the classroom and the real worldWe involved over a thousand teachers in developing these specifications, to ensure that the subject content is relevant to real world experiences and is interesting to teach and learn.

4 We ve also presented it in a straightforward way, giving you the freedom to teach in the way that works for your physics specifications are a stepping stone to future study, which is why we also consulted universities, to ensure these specifications allow students to develop the skills that they want to approach has led to specifications that will support you to inspire students, nurture a passion for physics and lay the groundwork for further study in science or way you teach your choiceOur specifications have been written in a context-free style. This means that you can select the contexts and applications that you feel bring the subject alive. We have also produced a range of excellent teaching resources that you can use alongside your own AS and A-level courses allow for a choice of starting points. You can choose a familiar starting point for students, such as mechanics, or begin with fresh topics to create interest and a new dimension to their knowledge, such as particle ve provided five optional topics as part of the full A-level course so students can focus on their areas of interest: Astrophysics Medical physics Turning points in physics Engineering physics (re-branded Applied physics ) at the heart of scienceLike you, we believe that physics is fundamentally an experimental subject.

5 These specifications provide numerous opportunities to use practical experiences to link theory to reality, and equip students with the essential practical skills they AS and A-level togetherWe ve ensured that the AS and A-level are fully co-teachable. The AS exams include similar questions to those in the A-level, with less ve created our A-level content with our GCSE in mind to make sure that there is a seamless progression between qualifications. We ve also followed ASE guidance on use of scientific terminology across our science for the most up-to-date specifications, resources, support and administrationAssessment successWe ve tested our specimen question papers with students, making sure they re interesting, straightforward and clear and hold no hidden surprises. To ensure that your students are rewarded for the physics skills and knowledge they ve developed, our exams include: specified content tested in each of the first two papers at A-level to help students prepare for their exams a variety of assessment styles within each paper so students can confidently engage with the questions multiple choice questions are included to allow for a wide breadth of physics from the specifications to be us, your students will get the results they deserve, from the exam board you can find out about all our science qualifications at support and resources to help you teachWe know that support and resources are vital for your teaching and that you have limited time to find or develop good quality materials.

6 So we ve worked with experienced teachers to provide you with a range of resources that will help you confidently plan, teach and prepare for resourcesWe have too many physics resources to list here so visit to see them all. They include: additional practice papers to help students prepare for exams guidance on how to plan both the AS and A-level courses with supporting schemes of work for co-teaching several AQA-approved student textbooks reviewed by experienced senior examiners guidance on maths skills requirements with additional support via Exampro resources to support key topics (including the optional topics), with detailed lesson plans written by experienced teachers training courses to help you deliver AQA physics qualifications subject expertise courses for all teachers, from newly-qualified teachers who are just getting started to experienced teachers looking for fresh for examsVisit for everything you need to prepare for our exams, including: past papers, mark schemes and examiners reports specimen papers and mark schemes for new courses Exampro.

7 A searchable bank of past AQA exam questions exemplar student answers with examiner physics (7407) and A-level physics (7408). AS exams May/June 2016 onwards. A-level exams May/June 2017 onwards. Version for the most up-to-date specifications, resources, support and administrationAnalyse your students' results with Enhanced Results Analysis (ERA)Find out which questions were the most challenging, how the results compare to previous years and where your students need to improve. ERA, our free online results analysis tool, will help you see where to focus your teaching. Register at information about results, including maintaining standards over time, grade boundaries and our post-results services, visit your skills up to date with professional developmentWherever you are in your career, there s always something new to learn. As well as subject-specific training, we offer a range of courses to help boost your skills.

8 Improve your teaching skills in areas including differentiation, teaching literacy and meeting Ofsted requirements. Prepare for a new role with our leadership and management can attend a course at venues around the country, in your school or online whatever suits your needs and availability. Find out more at help and supportVisit our website for information, guidance, support and resources at You can talk directly to the physics subject teamE: 01483 477 7568 Visit for the most up-to-date specifications, resources, support and administration2 Specification at a glanceThese qualifications are linear. Linear means that students will sit all the AS exams at the end of their AS course and all the A-level exams at the end of their A-level Subject contentCore content1 Measurements and their errors (page 10)2 Particles and radiation (page 12)3 Waves (page 17)4 Mechanics and materials (page 21)5 Electricity (page 27)6 Further mechanics and thermal physics (A-level only) (page 30)7 Fields and their consequences (A-level only) (page 34)8 Nuclear physics (A-level only) (page 41)Options9 Astrophysics (A-level only) (page 45)10 Medical physics (A-level only) (page 49)11 Engineering physics (A-level only) (page 54)12 Turning points in physics (A-level only) (page 58)13 Electronics (A-level only) (page 62) ASAssessmentsPaper 1 What's assessedSections 1 5 Assessed written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes 70 marks 50% of ASQuestions70 marks of short and long answer questions split by topic.

9 Paper 2 What's assessedSections 1 5 Assessed written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes 70 marks 50% of ASQuestionsSection A: 20 marks of short and long answer questions on practical skills and data analysisSection B: 20 marks of short and long answer questions from across all areas of AS contentSection C: 30 multiple choice questions+9AS physics (7407) and A-level physics (7408). AS exams May/June 2016 onwards. A-level exams May/June 2017 onwards. Version for the most up-to-date specifications, resources, support and A-levelAssessmentsPaper 1 What's assessedSections 1 5 and (Periodic motion)Assessed written exam: 2 hours 85 marks 34% of A-levelQuestions60 marks of short and long answer questions and 25 multiple choice questions on content. Paper 2 What's assessedSections (Thermal physics ), 7 and 8 Assumed knowledge from sections 1 to written exam: 2 hours 85 marks 34% of A-levelQuestions60 marks of short and long answer questions and 25 multiple choice questions on content.

10 Paper 3 What's assessedSection A: Compulsory section: Practical skills and data analysisSection B: Students enter for one of sections 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 Assessed written exam: 2 hours 80 marks 32% of A-levelQuestions45 marks of short and long answer questions on practical experiments and data marks of short and long answer questions on optional topic.++10 Visit for the most up-to-date specifications, resources, support and administration3 Subject contentSections to are designed to be covered in the first year of the A-level and are also the AS subject content. So you can teach AS and A-level specifications are presented in a two column format. The left hand column contains the specification content that all students must cover, and that can be assessed in the written papers. The right hand column exemplifies the opportunities for skills to be developed throughout the course. As such knowledge of individual experiments on the right hand side is not assumed knowledge for the assessment.