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Cambridge 9702: papers 1–5 strategy

6 min readA-Level Physics

Cambridge International AS & A Level Physics (9702) is examined in five papers. Papers 1–3 cover the AS topics (1–11) and Papers 4–5 the A Level topics (12–25), with AS knowledge assumed. You can take everything in one series, or AS first and the A Level papers in a later series. Exams run in June and November, with a March series in India. Two of the five papers test practical skills directly, and they are the most coachable marks in the qualification.

The five papers

Paper	Time	Marks	AS weight	A Level weight	What it tests
1 Multiple Choice	1 h 15	40	31%	15.5%	40 four-option questions on AS content
2 AS Structured	1 h 15	60	46%	23%	definitions, calculations, explanations
3 Advanced Practical Skills	2 h	40	23%	11.5%	two lab experiments, 20 marks each
4 A Level Structured	2 h	100	–	38.5%	topics 12–25 with AS assumed
5 Planning, Analysis and Evaluation	1 h 15	30	–	11.5%	one plan and one data analysis, 15 marks each

Paper 4 is the single biggest paper, but Papers 3 and 5 together are worth 23% of the A Level and reward technique more than knowledge.

Paper 1: 40 questions in 75 minutes

That is 112 seconds per question on average. Many take 30–60 seconds, which leaves time for the multi-step items. Check the clock at Q10 (17 min), Q20 (35 min) and Q30 (53 min), and aim to finish by 70 minutes. Record each answer on the separate answer sheet in soft pencil as you go.

Paper 1 regularly tests topic 1 (units, estimates, uncertainties), so base-unit questions are free marks if you are fluent:

The Multiple-Choice Questions guide covers ratio methods, limiting cases and distractor patterns in detail.

Paper 2 and Paper 4: structured questions

Budget about 1.2 minutes per mark (Paper 2: 60 marks in 75 minutes; Paper 4: 100 marks in 120 minutes). Cambridge mark schemes are precise about definitions. Learn the key ones word for word in meaning:

Term	Definition that scores
Gravitational field strength	gravitational force per unit mass on a small test mass placed at that point
Gravitational potential	work done per unit mass in bringing a small test mass from infinity to the point
e.m.f.	energy transferred from other forms to electrical energy per unit charge
p.d.	energy transferred from electrical energy to other forms per unit charge
Coherent	having a constant phase difference
Simple harmonic motion	acceleration proportional to displacement from a fixed point and always directed towards that point
Decay constant	probability per unit time that a nucleus decays

Paper 4 also asks for derivations, such as $pV = \frac{1}{3}Nm\langle c^2 \rangle$ from kinetic theory, the Hall voltage, and orbital speed from . State each assumption and show every step. Watch Cambridge’s conventions: the first law is , where is the work done the gas; gravitational potentials are negative, with zero at infinity; SHM questions need radians.

Paper 3: the laboratory exam

Two experiments of about an hour each. Question 1 is graph-based: take six or more sets of readings, tabulate them, plot a graph, then find the gradient and intercept and use them. Question 2 usually has only two sets of readings: you calculate a constant $k$ from each, judge whether the data support a suggested relationship, and then identify four limitations and four improvements (8 marks).

Table and graph marks

Column headings: quantity / unit, for example $l\ /\ \text{cm}$ or $T^2\ /\ \text{s}^2$ .
Raw data: every value in a column to the same number of decimal places, matching the instrument’s resolution (a metre rule to the nearest mm, so 45.3 cm, not 45 cm).
Calculated values: the same number of significant figures as, or one more than, the raw data with the fewest.
Range: spread readings across the full range the apparatus allows.

The proportionality test in Question 2

Set a numerical criterion based on your uncertainty, then compare against it.

Limitations and improvements

Each limitation must name a specific difficulty, and each improvement must fix that difficulty. Generic answers (“human error”, “repeat readings”) score nothing.

Limitation	Matching improvement
Two readings are not enough to draw a conclusion	Take more readings and plot a graph
Short times give a large percentage uncertainty	Time many oscillations, or film with a timer and step through the frames
Hard to judge the exact moment of release or impact	Use light gates or video analysis
Difficult to measure the diameter or thickness precisely	Use a micrometer or vernier calipers
The rule is at a distance from the object (parallax)	Use a set square to transfer the level

Paper 5: planning, analysis and evaluation

Question 1 (planning, 15 marks) asks you to design an experiment to test a given relationship. Cover, in order:

Variables: independent, dependent and the key controlled variables.
Method: a labelled diagram and how each quantity is measured, with named instruments.
Analysis: which graph to plot, what shape confirms the relationship, and how a constant comes from the gradient or intercept.
Safety: a hazard specific to this apparatus, with its precaution.
Extra detail: techniques that improve reliability, such as checking for zero error or letting a temperature settle.

Question 2 (analysis, 15 marks) gives you data to linearise, often with logarithms. If $y = ax^n$ , plot $\lg y$ against $\lg x$ : the gradient is and the intercept is . Carry uncertainties through: for a natural log, . For example, gives . Add error bars, draw the best-fit line and the (the steepest or shallowest line through all the error bars). The uncertainty in the gradient is the difference between the two gradients. Carry that uncertainty into any constant you derive, then add the percentage uncertainties when you combine quantities.

A preparation plan

Paper 3: do at least six timed practice experiments in a lab before the exam. Nothing replaces taking real readings under time pressure.
Paper 5: write one plan and one analysis every week, and mark them against the five planning headings above.
Papers 1, 2 and 4: weekly timed sets in Courselo, plus the definitions table as daily flashcards.
Target: 80% or more across timed practice papers, which gives a secure A* with margin.

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\frac{GMm}{r^2} = \frac{mv^2}{r}

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