Switching to AQA: AS and A-level Physics from OCR Physics A
At A-level, 60% of the subject content is prescribed by the Department for Education (DfE) subject content. This allows for some differences in the content covered in specifications written by different exam boards. The assessment principles are the same to ensure the standard between exam boards is maintained. Each exam board will have interpreted these slightly differently, so the structure of the papers and the frequency of question types used may vary.
Assessment of practical skills
For all A-levels, regardless of exam board, the assessment of practical skills has been divided into those skills that can be assessed in written exams (indirect assessment) and those that can only be directly assessed whilst students are carrying out experiments (practical endorsement). There is no practical endorsement for AS.
Indirect assessment in written exams (minimum 15% of total marks):
- independent thinking skills
- use and application of scientific methods and practices
- numeracy and the application of mathematical concepts in a practical context
- instruments and equipment
Direct assessment through practical endorsement:
- 12 Apparatus and Techniques (ATa–ATl), which are common to all exam boards
- series of practicals that students carry out to enable them to use the ATs, packaged slightly differently by each exam board
Comparison of AQA with OCR – practical endorsement
Same:
- Students engage with and become competent in the use of the ATs (ATa–ATl), as they carry out a minimum of 12 pieces of practical work.
- Students are assessed against the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC) through a minimum of 12 pieces of practical work.
Different:
- The AQA specification lists 12 Required practicals that centres can use to cover both the ATs and the CPAC criteria.
- OCR practical work is packaged into 12 Practical Activity Groups (PAGs), each of which has 3-4 suggested practical activities. The PAGs provide opportunities to demonstrate competence in all required practical skills the ATs and CPAC criteria.
- Exemplar tracking documentation to capture progress towards the practical endorsement is specific to the exam board’s materials.
The monitoring arrangements and standard applied for the assessment practical skills through the practical endorsement are common to all exam boards.
Comparison of AQA Required practicals and OCR PAGs
OCR PAG | AQA Required practical |
|---|---|
5. Investigating waves | 1. Investigation into the variation of the frequency of stationary waves on a string with length, tension and mass per unit length of the string |
5. Investigating waves 6. Investigating quantum effects | 2. Investigation of interference effects to include the Young’s slit experiment and interference by a diffraction grating |
1. Investigating motion | 3. Determination of g by a free-fall method |
2. Investigating properties of materials | 4. Determination of the Young modulus by a simple method |
3. Investigating electrical properties | 5. Determination of resistivity of a wire using a micrometer, ammeter and voltmeter |
4. Investigating electrical circuits | 6. Investigation of the emf and internal resistance of electric cells and batteries by measuring the variation of the terminal pd of the cell with current in it |
10. Investigating simple harmonic motion | 7. Investigation into simple harmonic motion using a mass-spring system and a simple pendulum |
8. Investigating gases | 8. Investigation of Boyle’s (constant temperature) law and Charles’s (constant pressure) law for a gas |
9. Investigating capacitors | 9. Investigation of the charge and discharge of capacitors. Analysis techniques should include log-linear plotting to a determination of the time constant RC |
10. Investigate how the force on a wire varies with flux density, current and length of wire using a top pan balance | |
11. Investigate, using a search coil and oscilloscope, the effect on magnetic flux linkage of varying the angle between a search coil and magnetic field direction | |
7. Investigating ionising radiation | 12. Investigation into the inverse-square law for gamma radiation |
11. Investigation 12. Research skills | Integrated into the practical work and assessed through CPAC 5 |
Assessment structure: AS
AQA | OCR A | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paper 1 | Paper 2 | Breadth in physics | Depth in physics | |
What’s assessed | Sections 1–5 | Sections 1–5 | Modules 1–4 | Modules 1–4 |
Length and number of marks | Written exam 1 hour 30 minutes 70 marks | Written exam 1 hour 30 minutes 70 marks | Written exam 1 hour 30 minutes 70 marks | Written exam 1 hour 30 minutes 70 marks |
Question types | 70 marks of short and long answer questions split by topic | Section A 20 marks of short and long answer questions on practical skills and data analysis Section B 20 marks of short and long answer questions from across all areas of AS content Section C 30 marks of MCQs | Section A: 20 marks MCQs Section B: 50 marks short structured questions (problem solving, calculations, practical and theory) | Short structured questions (problem solving, calculations, practical and theory) and extended response questions |
Both components include synoptic assessment | ||||
Assessment structure: A-level
AQA | OCR A | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paper 1 | Paper 2 | Paper 3 | Modelling physics | Exploring physics | Unified physics | |
What's assessed | Sections 1–5 and 6.1 | Sections 6.2, 7 and 8 Assumed knowledge from sections 1 to 6.1 | Section A (compulsory): practical skills and data analysis Section B: one of optional sections 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 | Content from modules 1, 2, 3 and 5 | Content from modules 1, 2, 4 and 6 | Content from all modules 1–6 |
Length and number of marks | Written exam 2 hours 85 marks | Written exam 2 hours 85 marks | Written exam 2 hours 80 marks | Written exam 2 hours 15 minutes 100 marks | Written exam 2 hours 15 minutes 100 marks | Written exam 1 hour 30 minutes 70 marks |
Question types | 60 marks short and long answer questions 25 marks MCQs on content | 60 marks short and long answer questions 25 marks MCQs on content | 45 marks short and long questions on practical experiments and data analysis 35 marks short and long answer questions on option topic | Section A: 15 marks of MCQs Section B: 85 marks short answer (structured, problem solving, calculations, practical) and extended response questions | Section A: 15 marks of MCQs Section B: 85 marks short answer (structured, problem solving, calculations, practical) and extended response questions | Short answer (structured questions, problem solving, calculations, practical) and extended response questions. |
All components include synoptic assessment | ||||||
Map of content
AQA topics have been mapped against OCR modules. The majority of the content is similar. It is, however, important to read the statements for the differences in the detail as the AQA specification covers content that is not included in the OCR specification and vice versa.
AQA | OCR |
|---|---|
Practical skills development is embedded throughout the specification. The 12 required practicals are stated / listed in the specification at the appropriate point in the content where these practical skills can be learnt and developed. | Module 1 Development of practical skills in Physics |
3.1 Measurements and their errors 3.1.1 Use of SI units and their prefixes 3.1.2 Limitation of physical measurements 3.1.3 Estimation of physical quantities 3.4 Mechanics and materials 3.4.1 Force, energy and momentum | Module 2 Foundations of physics 2.1.1 Physical quantities 2.1.2 SI units 2.2.1 Measurements and uncertainties 2.3.1 Scalars and vectors |
3.4 Mechanics and materials 3.4.1 Force, energy and momentum 3.4.2 Materials 3.11 Engineering physics (A-level only: optional topic) 3.11.1 Rotational dynamics | Module 3 Forces and motion 3.1.1 Kinematics 3.1.2 Linear motion 3.1.3 Projectile motion 3.2.1 Dynamics 3.2.2 Motion with non-uniform acceleration 3.2.3 Equilibrium 3.2.4 Density and pressure 3.3.1 Work and conservation of energy 3.3.2 Kinetic and potential energies 3.3.3 Power 3.4.1 Springs 3.4.2 Mechanical properties of matter 3.5.1 Newton’s laws of motion 3.5.2 Collisions |
3.2 Particles and radiation 3.2.1 Particles 3.2.2 Electromagnetic radiation and quantum phenomena 3.3 Waves 3.3.1 Progressive and stationary waves 3.3.2 Refraction, diffraction and interference 3.5 Electricity 3.5.1 Current electricity 3.12 Turning points in physics (A-level only: optional topic) 3.12.2 Wave-particle duality | Module 4 Electrons, waves and photons 4.1.1 Charge 4.2.1 Circuit symbols 4.2.2 emf and pd 4.2.3 Resistance 4.2.4 Resistivity 4.2.5 Power 4.3.1 Series and parallel circuits 4.3.2 Internal resistance 4.3.3 Potential dividers 4.4.1 Wave motion 4.4.2 Electromagnetic waves 4.4.3 Superposition 4.4.4 Stationary waves 4.5.1 Photons 4.5.2 The photoelectric effect 4.5.3 Wave-particle duality |
3.6 Further mechanics and thermal physics (A-level only) 3.6.1 Periodic motion 3.6.2 Thermal physics 3.7 Fields and their consequences (A-level only) 3.7.1 Fields 3.7.2 Gravitational fields 3.9 Astrophysics (A-level only: optional topic) 3.9.2 Classification of stars 3.9.3 Cosmology | Module 5 Newtonian world and astrophysics (A-level only) 5.1.1 Temperature 5.1.2 Solid, liquid and gas 5.1.3 Thermal properties of materials 5.1.4 Ideal gases 5.2.1 Kinematics of circular motion 5.2.2 Centripetal force 5.3.1 Simple harmonic oscillations 5.3.2 Energy of a simple harmonic oscillator 5.3.3 Damping 5.4.1 Point and spherical masses 5.4.2 Newton’s law of gravitation 5.4.3 Planetary motion 5.4.4 Gravitational potential and energy 5.5.1 Stars 5.5.2 Electromagnetic radiation from stars 5.5.3 Cosmology |
3.2 Particles and radiation 3.2.1 Particles 3.7 Fields and their consequences (A-level only) 3.7.3 Electric fields 3.7.4 Capacitance 3.7.5 Magnetic fields 3.8 Nuclear physics (A-level only) 3.8.1 Radioactivity 3.10 Medical physics (A-level only: optional topic) 3.10.4 Non-ionising imaging 3.10.5 X-ray imaging 3.10.6 Radionuclide imaging and therapy | Module 6 Particles and medical physics (A-level only) 6.1.1 Capacitors 6.1.2 Energy 6.1.3 Charging and discharging capacitors 6.2.1 Point and spherical charges 6.2.2 Coulomb’s law 6.2.3 Uniform electric field 6.2.4 Electric potential and energy 6.3.1 Magnetic fields 6.3.2 Motion of charged particles 6.3.3 Electromagnetism 6.4.1 The nuclear atom 6.4.2 Fundamental particles 6.4.3 Radioactivity 6.4.4 Nuclear fission and fusion 6.5.1 Using X-rays 6.5.2 Diagnostic methods in medicine 6.5.3 Using ultrasound |
Option unit 3.9 Astrophysics (A-level only) 3.9.1 Telescopes 3.9.2 Classification of stars 3.9.3 Cosmology
| Module 5 Newtonian world and astrophysics 5.5.1 Stars 5.5.2 Electromagnetic radiation from stars 5.5.3 Cosmology |
Option unit 3.10 Medical physics (A-level only) 3.10.1 Physics of the eye 3.10.2 Physics of the ear 3.10.3 Biological measurement 3.10.4 Non-ionising imaging 3.10.5 X-ray imaging 3.10.6 Radionuclide imaging and therapy | Module 6 Particles and medical physics (A-level only) 6.5.1 Using X-rays 6.5.2 Diagnostic methods in medicine 6.5.3 Using ultrasound |
Option unit 3.11 Engineering physics (A-level only) 3.11.1 Rotational dynamics 3.11.2 Thermodynamics and engines | Module 3 Forces and motion 3.2.3 Equilibrium 3.3.2 Kinetic and potential energies
|
Option unit 3.12 Turning points in physics (A-level only) 3.12.1 The discovery of the electron 3.12.2 Wave-particle duality 3.12.3 Special relativity | Module 4 Electrons, waves and photons 4.5.2 The photelectric effect 4.5.3 Wave-particle duality |
Option unit 3.13 Electronics (A-level energy) 3.13.1 Discrete semiconductor devices 3.13.2 Analogue and digital signals 3.13.3 Analogue signal processing 3.13.4 Operational amplifier 3.13.5 Digital signal processing 3.13.6 Data communication systems |
|
Key differences
AQA | OCR |
|---|---|
Choice of five option units for students to specialise in: Astrophysics, Medical physics, Engineering physics, Turning points in physics and Electronics | No optional content: all content compulsory |
Twelve required practicals clearly outlined for teachers, ensuring students have opportunities to fully cover the CPAC | Twelve more open Practical Activity Groups (PAGs) that teachers use to devise their own practicals to cover the CPAC |
Required practicals integrated into the content | Separate practical module |
Appropriate opportunities for development of practical skills signposted throughout the specification |
Support from AQA
We offer a wide range of support for teachers. This includes:
- a dedicated science curriculum team, with teaching and assessment experience, available to answer your queries and support your delivery of our qualifications. You can contact us by email at Alevelscience@aqa.org.uk or by phone on 01483 477756
- extensive support materials on training and guidance for the Endorsement, monitoring and CPAC standards
- email support from laboratory technician available
- a wide range of support materials, including practical handbooks, mathematical skills guidance, delivery guides, candidate exemplar resources, and more
- termly online curriculum connect sessions, giving you the opportunity to meet with the science curriculum team
- CPD courses, including courses for teachers new to teaching our qualifications and courses on outcomes from previous examination series to help inform your teaching
- Exampro
- three approved publishers, which allows you choice in selecting the best textbooks and online teacher support materials for you and your students.
At AQA, we have developed a suite of specifications that we hope allow students enjoy and excel in their study of science, learning relevant and interesting content while developing a range of skills they will find useful now and in the future whether that be in further study or in their chosen career.