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Faculty: Science
Subject: Physics A-Level
Staff and Responsibility: Mr Hopkins and Mr Timney
Exam Board: OCR
ASSESSMENT FORMAT OCR Physics A (H556) – The course will be examined in May/June of Year 13 through two 2 exams of 2 hour 15-minute duration and a one final paper of 1 hour 30 minutes, covering both subject knowledge and practical skills. Papers include a mixture of short answer, extended writing, and multiple-choice questions. There is no coursework at A-Level. Practical and experimental skills are assessed through the final exams and through a separate pass/fail practical endorsement which is assessed throughout the course as students complete practical work.
Entry requirements are two Science GCSEs at grade 6 or above (including Physics if triple science has been taken) and Maths at minimum grade 6 in the higher tier paper.
SUBJECT OVERVIEW
The course builds on topics studied at GCSE but introduces many new concepts. To gain a full A-Level, students study six modules. Modules 1 & 2 provide the basic mathematical and experimental skills that students will then continue to use and develop further throughout the course. Through Module 3, students learn the key aspects of forces and motion. Module 4 deals with the physics of electrons and photons, including electricity and wave motion. Module 5 focuses on the Newtonian world of gravity and astrophysics. Finally, in Module 6 you will study nuclear & particle physics before looking into aspects of medical physics. Practical skills are studied and developed throughout the course through the completion of series of required practical experiments. Knowledge and understanding of these experiments is also assessed through the final examinations.
POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS
This qualification will provide transferable knowledge that will prepare learners for progression to university including Engineering, Finance, Research Scientist & careers within the NHS.
