GCSE Physics Week 3 Exam Preparation Tips

Hi there, Imogen here again.

I hope you are all keeping well in this stressful time of the year! Last week we discussed some important aspects of progress tracking and self-reflection. Well this week we are going to discuss some techniques for learning Physics equations, as well as understanding exam paper structure.

Equations

Now some of you will be lucky enough to have equation sheets in the exam hall with you, but others will not (BOO). If you fall into the second camp why not start increasing your exposure to the equations by having them dotted on post-it notes around your house? (I personally think the best spot is where you brush your teeth as let’s face it, what else are you doing for that 4 minutes a day. And if you’re enot brushing 4 minutes a day – go to the dentist.)

For both groups of students it’ll still be a good idea to get the sheet with all the equations on and annotate all the units off the top of your head for as many equation variables as you can. Highlight or make note of the ones you didn’t manage to get and add revising them to your to-do list for the week.

Quick equations test:

Write out the following equations and their units in full…

Work done = ? x ?

Density = ? / ?

Kinetic energy = ? x ? x ?

Acceleration = ? / ?

What are and when do you need SUVAT equations? (If relevant to your exam board)

Understanding the paper structure

A core thing for keeping your cool in the exam, rather than opening your paper and instantly bursting into tears, is getting us to the layout of the exam paper. You may be lucky with similar structures for all of your physics exams, but if not, it is important to know the differences. Let’s follow the below checklist for understanding any paper:

1. How long do you get to complete the paper?

2. How many different sections/ questions are there typically?

For example, are there any multiple-choice questions? If so, how many and where are they positioned in the paper? Is there a section specifically dedicated to class experiments? How many long answer questions are there typically?

3. How are the marks distributed throughout the paper?

4. Do you prefer working through the paper in chronological order or maybe doing all the longer questions first? (It’s totally up to what works best for you!)

Time trials

Choose a paper with content you feel least confident with and let’s complete a past paper. Have a stopwatch running try not to look at it. Make sure not to rush the questions, answer them fully and take as long as you need.

How long did it take? Without self-judgement make a note of the stopwatch time and compare it to the time you are allowed in the exam hall.

Are you working at an appropriate pace to get everything done and be able to check? Don’t worry if not, that’s what we’re here to work on.

Now (after a few days) let’s try another past paper with a timer ticking visibly. Try to complete the exam as if it was the real thing. As I am sure you have heard many times before… aim for completing a mark a minute. This doesn’t mean rush as fast as you can but instead try to maximise your marks and also play to your strengths i.e. don’t fret on a tricky 2 marker you know you are not answering well, meaning you lose out on a future 6 marks which you could have answered with ease.

Working out the balance between skipping a question to return to at the end and just getting it done so you don’t run out of time before coming back to it, is a very tricky skill to acquire. Mostly it’s intuition, which unsurprisingly comes from practice. Ultimately, the purpose of this exercise is to get used to roughly the pace that works best for you. But this is quite intense work so make sure to take breaks and even give yourself a little reward after each exam paper.

What mindset should I have for Physics this week AND EVERY WEEK?

A growth mindset. This is always the best tool to have up your sleeve, but I think especially this week when you’re doing hard and scary exam practise in a realistic manner. This can be quite intense but if you try not to see failure as a way to describe yourself but instead as a springboard for growth and developing your abilities then you cannot lose; you’re quite literally invincible!

Best of luck getting used to more rigorous practise papers in exam conditions. Don’t forget to keep mulling over your flashcards, posters, notes and other revision materials, maintaining the necessary exposure to Physics content, as well as keeping up your progress tracker table we made in week 2 as you complete practice papers.

Have any questions about how to prepare for your A-Level exams? Having problems with any hard to understand content or tricky past exam questions? Then ask Imogen. Imogen will be hosting a series of Q&A webinars in the 2 weeks before final exams. Post your questions here, and Imogen will answer them in these sessions.