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If you are sitting Cambridge International A Level Physics 9702 -- in the UK, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, the UAE, or anywhere else 9702 is examined -- this page covers every paper, current grade thresholds, and exactly how our workshops are mapped to your specification.
Cambridge 9702 mark schemes reward precise scientific communication, not just correct calculations. Students who understand the physics consistently lose marks on:
Cambridge examiner reports repeatedly note marks lost for answers given to the wrong number of significant figures or missing units -- even when the calculation method was entirely correct.
The Advanced Practical Skills and Planning, Analysis and Evaluation papers require specific language for uncertainty, error analysis, and experimental evaluation -- generic "improve the experiment" answers score poorly.
Paper 4 structured questions frequently mix command words within a single question -- students who explain when only a statement was required (or vice versa) lose time or marks.
Marks for graphs require correct axes, scales, and best-fit lines drawn to a specific standard -- a frequent source of lost marks even when the underlying physics is correct.
Our workshops are built from these patterns — not from the textbook.
Every workshop follows the same structure: the examiner's pattern for that paper is deconstructed first (Anatomy), then solved live with the mark scheme revealed at each stage (Drill), then you attempt it yourself with peer comparison (Close), then your own questions are answered (Open Forum). 87% of students report that seeing a peer's different approach revealed a method they had never considered.
Cambridge 9702 is assessed across five papers spanning AS and A Level. The AC combination (the standard A2 route building on AS) totals 260 marks. Our workshops are scheduled per paper, not per topic, so you train for the exam you will actually sit.
| Paper | Title | Duration | Marks | Weighting | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Multiple Choice (AS) | 1h 15m | 40 | 15% | AS Level physics -- MCQ technique, process of elimination, common traps |
| P2 | AS Level Structured Questions | 1h 15m | 60 | 23% | Kinematics, dynamics, work/energy, waves, electricity, atomic physics |
| P3 | Advanced Practical Skills | 2h | 40 | -- | Experimental design, uncertainty, data analysis, graph interpretation |
| P4 | A Level Structured Questions Most demanded | 2h | 100 | 38% | Circular motion, gravitational fields, oscillations, electromagnetism, nuclear, medical, astrophysics |
| P5 | Planning, Analysis and Evaluation | 1h 15m | 30 | -- | Planning experiments, identifying errors, statistical analysis, evaluating conclusions |
Grade thresholds vary by session based on paper difficulty and cohort performance -- Cambridge's grade protection system. The table below shows official thresholds for the AC combination (260 marks total).
| Session | A* | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 214 | 190 | 166 | 138 | 110 | 83 |
| Jun 2025 | 202 | 177 | 152 | 126 | 100 | 74 |
Out of 260 (AC combination -- Papers 1, 2, 4, 4, 5). Source: Cambridge International published grade threshold tables, Nov 2025 & Jun 2025. Always verify current thresholds at cambridgeinternational.org -- boundaries are set after each series and change every Masterclass.
An A* in Nov 2025 required 214/260 -- 82% of available marks. The November series ran noticeably higher than June -- a reminder that boundaries reflect paper difficulty that session, not a fixed standard.
Mark schemes attach specific meaning to command words. Misreading one of these costs marks the student's working had already earned.
| Command Word | What It Demands | Common Student Error | Workshop Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Determine | Calculate a numerical answer with method shown, to the correct number of significant figures with correct units | Correct method and value but wrong significant figures, or missing units -- both cost the final mark | Drill phase: every "Determine" answer checked against Cambridge's significant-figure and unit conventions |
| Explain | Give a reasoned account using physics principles -- not just a restatement of the observation | Describing what happens without explaining why it happens in terms of the underlying physics | Anatomy phase: "Explain" answers deconstructed against the mark scheme's required physics vocabulary |
| Suggest | Apply known physics to an unfamiliar context -- there may be more than one acceptable answer | Treating "Suggest" as requiring a single "correct" textbook answer, and second-guessing a valid response | Close phase: peer comparison of "Suggest" answers shows multiple mark-scheme-acceptable approaches |
| Estimate | Use a sensible assumption and simple calculation to arrive at an order-of-magnitude answer | Either refusing to make an assumption, or over-calculating with unnecessary precision | Open Forum: rapid "Estimate" drills building confidence in stating reasonable assumptions |
Facilitation is led by team members who have sat this exact specification — not generic A Level tutors working from a textbook.
Our facilitators are current and former exam board markers. Rather than displaying a generic pool, we match the right facilitator to your specific board, subject, year group, and cohort profile — after an introductory conversation. Start with a free trial →
Year 12 or Year 13, AS or A Level, any combination of papers — UK, Africa, the Gulf, or anywhere else this specification is examined.
You understand the content but want to close the gap between "knowing the subject" and "winning the marks."
Two scheduled sessions a week, paper-mapped, with Discord support between Masterclasses — not unstructured self-study.
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