Physics is the science with the most maths and the shortest list of things to know. Nearly every question comes back to a small set of equations, a set of units and eight topics. That makes it the most revisable of the three sciences, provided the revision is practice rather than reading. This guide covers the 2027 equation sheet rules, the paper split, a calculation method, units and the practicals, using the method in the revision hub.
Will my child get an equation sheet in the 2027 GCSE physics exam?
Yes. Ofqual requires exam boards to provide an equations sheet with GCSE physics and combined science papers in 2027, and has since confirmed the sheets will continue for the lifetime of the current specifications. The sheet removes the need to memorise the equations; it does not remove the need to practise them.
In November 2024 Ofqual decided to require exam boards to provide formulae and equations sheets for GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science in 2025, 2026 and 2027, with the 2027 sheets to be published by 1 September 2026 so students can get used to them. Ofqual’s September 2026 guide for schools preparing for the 2027 exams instead says boards will publish the 2027 sheets in December 2026, and that they will be the same as the sheets used in 2026, so the 2026 sheet is safe to practise with now. In May 2026 it confirmed that the sheets will continue for exams from 2028 onwards, for the remaining lifetime of the current specifications, that boards must publish each year’s sheet by 1 September the year before, and that boards must “not set questions that can be answered solely by transferring information from the formulae or equations sheets”. Ofqual describes the sheet’s content as equations students “are expected to be able to use and apply but are not required to memorise”.
Two things follow for revision. First, download the board’s published sheet and use that exact sheet for every practice calculation, so that finding the right line becomes automatic. Second, the specification underneath still sorts the equations into two groups: AQA lists 23 equations students “should be able to recall and apply” and a second group to “select and apply” from the Physics equation sheet. Knowing the recall list anyway should make a student quicker at picking the right equation, so it is still worth learning from flashcards; the sheet is the safety net, not the plan.
What topics are in GCSE physics paper 1 and paper 2?
GCSE physics paper 1 covers energy, electricity, the particle model and atomic structure; paper 2 covers forces, waves, magnetism and, for separate physics, space. On AQA each paper is 1 hour 45 minutes and 100 marks, and paper 2 can draw on energy and electricity from paper 1.
AQA’s GCSE Physics specification sets paper 1 as topics 1 to 4, Energy; Electricity; Particle model of matter; and Atomic structure, and paper 2 as topics 5 to 8, Forces; Waves; Magnetism and electromagnetism; and Space physics, adding that paper 2 “may draw on an understanding of energy changes and transfers” from the Energy and Electricity topics. Trilogy students sit topics 18 to 24, the same list without Space physics, in two 1 hour 15 minute, 70-mark papers.
| AQA GCSE Physics | Topics | Length | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Energy; Electricity; Particle model of matter; Atomic structure | 1 h 45 min | 100 |
| Paper 2 | Forces; Waves; Magnetism and electromagnetism; Space physics (separate physics only) | 1 h 45 min | 100 |
Start with Energy and Electricity. They carry a large share of the equations and they feed paper 2, so time spent on them in the autumn is never wasted.
How do you revise physics calculations for GCSE?
Revise physics calculations by writing every one in the same four lines: equation, substitution with units, rearrangement, answer with unit. GCSE physics students who follow a fixed routine stop making the small slips, a missed conversion or a wrong rearrangement, that cost marks on otherwise correct work.
The four lines:
- Equation. Write it in symbols, from memory or from the sheet: W = F s.
- Substitute, with units. W = 20 N × 3 m. Writing the units here is what catches the kilometre that should have been metres.
- Rearrange before putting numbers in, if the unknown is not already on its own. Rearranging in symbols first keeps the algebra simpler and makes slips easier to spot.
- Answer, with unit, to a sensible number of figures. W = 60 J.
Then the practice pattern: one calculation a day, five days a week, drawn from past papers and marked. Mix the topics so the student has to choose the equation, because choosing is the one step the equation sheet does not do for them. Ofqual’s rules require that at least 30 per cent of GCSE physics marks credit mathematical skills, the highest of the three sciences, and in combined science the maths marks split 1:2:3 across biology, chemistry and physics, so physics carries half of them.
Why do units matter in GCSE physics?
Units matter because the equations only work in standard SI units, so a value given in kilometres, minutes or grams has to be converted before it goes in. GCSE physics students who convert first, every time, avoid one of the most common calculation errors.
AQA’s specification requires students to recall and apply equations “using standard SI units”, and its equation lists give every quantity with its unit: metres, seconds, kilograms, newtons, joules, watts, amperes, volts, ohms, hertz. Make one flashcard set with the quantity on one side and the symbol and unit on the other, and a second set of conversions: kilo to base unit, centi to base unit, minutes and hours to seconds, grams to kilograms. Ten minutes on these a week from October removes a whole class of lost marks before it happens.
Which required practicals are in GCSE physics?
AQA’s GCSE Physics specification lists ten numbered required practical activities, two of them for separate physics only; Combined Science: Trilogy carries eight physics practicals. GCSE physics papers must give at least 15% of their marks to practical knowledge, so each practical needs a flashcard and a past-paper question.
The AQA GCSE Physics required practicals run from determining specific heat capacity, through resistance in circuits, I-V characteristics, density, force and extension of a spring, force and acceleration, and waves, to the infrared radiation emitted by different surfaces, with thermal insulation and the reflection of light for separate physics only. Trilogy’s list holds eight of these. Ofqual requires at least 15 per cent of marks in each science to assess practical knowledge.
For each, the flashcard: aim, independent and dependent variable, the measurement that is hard to take accurately, and how to reduce the error. The full AQA required practicals list has every title. Physics practical questions can give results and ask for a graph, a gradient or a conclusion, so the weekly practice question should include a graph.
What should a weekly physics revision plan look like?
A weekly physics plan is one topic, three short sessions, one calculation a day, always using the real equation sheet. GCSE physics students who keep that rhythm from October have time to cycle through all eight AQA topics twice before the summer.
Monday, blank-page recall: every equation, unit and key idea for the topic. Wednesday, fifteen minutes of exam questions on the topic, marked. Saturday, flashcards plus a mixed set of five calculations from any topic. Build the spacing in the revision timetable tool. The GCSE science guide shows how physics sits alongside biology and chemistry, where the same four-line calculation habit earns marks again.
If you want a qualified physics teacher to run this with your child before the mocks, book a free call.
