GCSE Physics past papers
Every GCSE Physics exam board publishes its past papers free, with mark schemes and examiner reports. Separate (triple) Physics is two papers of 1 hour 45 minutes at Foundation or Higher tier, and you get an equation sheet in the 2025, 2026 and 2027 exams. Pick your board below to preview, open or download its papers.
Choose your exam board
- AQA GCSE Physics past papersGCSE Physics (8463): every public paper to preview or download
- Edexcel GCSE Physics past papersGCSE Physics (1PH0): where to find every paper, and how they work
- OCR GCSE Physics past papersGateway Physics A (J249): every public paper to preview or download
How the boards compare
| Board | Papers | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQA (8463) | 2 papers | 100 marks each | 1 hour 45 minutes each |
| Edexcel (1PH0) | 2 papers | 100 marks each | 1 hour 45 minutes each |
| OCR Gateway A (J249) | 2 papers: 1 and 2 (Foundation) or 3 and 4 (Higher) | 90 marks each | 1 hour 45 minutes each |
How to use past papers
- Learn the content first. Use topic questions while you are still learning; save full papers for when you have covered most of the course.
- Do full papers under exam conditions: timed, no notes, with the formula sheet or booklet you will have on the day.
- Mark strictly with the mark scheme, including method marks, and add up your score.
- Read the examiner report for the questions you lost marks on: it explains the common mistakes and what full marks looked like.
- Keep an error log of every lost mark and its topic, then revise those topics before your next paper.
- Save the newest papers for your final mocks in the last few weeks.
Free GCSE Physics practice questions
Ten original questions written by our tutors in the style of the exam. Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.
Answered 0 of 10 · 0 correct
1. A car travels 120 m in 8 s. What is its average speed?
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B. Speed = distance ÷ time = 120 ÷ 8 = 15 m/s.
2. A 2 kg object accelerates at 3 m/s². What is the resultant force on it?
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C. F = ma = 2 × 3 = 6 N.
3. What is the kinetic energy of a 4 kg ball moving at 5 m/s?
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C. Eₖ = ½mv² = ½ × 4 × 25 = 50 J.
4. A 12 V supply drives a current of 3 A through a resistor. What is its resistance?
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B. R = V ÷ I = 12 ÷ 3 = 4 Ω.
5. A wave has frequency 50 Hz and wavelength 4 m. What is its speed?
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C. v = fλ = 50 × 4 = 200 m/s.
6. A block has mass 600 g and volume 200 cm³. What is its density?
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B. Density = mass ÷ volume = 600 ÷ 200 = 3 g/cm³.
7. A sample has a half-life of 2 hours. What fraction remains after 6 hours?
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C. 6 hours is 3 half-lives: ½ × ½ × ½ = 1/8.
8. A 1500 W kettle runs for 120 s. How much energy does it transfer?
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C. E = Pt = 1500 × 120 = 180 000 J.
9. A 5 kg box is lifted 2 m. How much gravitational potential energy does it gain? (g = 9.8 N/kg)
Show answer
C. Eₚ = mgh = 5 × 9.8 × 2 = 98 J.
10. Which of these is a vector quantity?
Show answer
C. Velocity has a size and a direction; the others have size only.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to memorise the GCSE Physics equations?
For the 2025, 2026 and 2027 exams, every student gets a physics equation sheet in the exam, so you do not have to memorise the equations. What earns the marks is choosing the right equation, rearranging it and using the correct units.
Are these papers for Combined Science too?
These pages cover separate (triple) GCSE Physics. Combined Science has its own papers, but the physics questions test much of the same content, so these are useful practice.
Which board am I doing?
Ask your teacher or check an old mock: the cover shows the board and a code such as 8463 (AQA), 1PH0 (Edexcel) or J249 (OCR).
How should I use GCSE Physics past papers?
Learn each topic first, then do full papers under timed conditions, mark them strictly with the mark scheme and read the examiner report for every question you lost marks on.