AS and A level physics

Your guide to our new qualifications
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ASandAlevel f f f




Physics
from2015 f

, Hello and welcome f f




WithfourfnewfASfandfAflevelfPhysicsfqualifications,fwe’vefcreatedfcoursesfthatfwillfengagef
andfinspirefthefscientistsfofftheffuture.fWe’vefworkedfwithfallfpartsfoffthefsciencefeducationfco
mmunityfandfusedfthefopportunityfoffcurriculumfchangeftofdesignfcoursesfthatfwillf encouragef st
udentsf tof developf asf scientists,f andf givef themf thef skillsf tof succeedf inf theirfchosenfpathway.fYo
ufcanfteachfthisfqualificationfusingfafconcept-ledfapproach,forfafcontext-
ledfapproachfusingfthefSaltersfHornersf(SHAP)fmaterials.

Thisf guidef givesf youf anf overviewf off ourf newf ASf andf Af levelf Physicsf qualifications.f Youf canfalso
learnfmorefaboutfthefcomprehensivefhelpfandfsupportfwefarefplanningfforfyou.
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Takefaflookfthroughfourfspecificationfguideftoffindfoutfmorefabout:

OurfnewfEdexcelfASfandfAflevelfPhysics ......................................................... 3

ThefkeyffeaturesfoffEdexcelfASfandfAflevelfPhysics ......................................... 4–5

HowfassessmentfwillfworkfforfASfandfAflevel ................................................... 6

ASfassessmentfat-a-glance ............................................................................ 7

Aflevelfassessmentfat-a-glance ...................................................................... 8–9

SamplefAssessmentfMaterials........................................................................ 10–15

Whatfyoufcanfexpectffromfus ........................................................................... 16–18

Publishedfresources .......................................................................................18–19

Getfinftouch! ................................................................................................... 20


We’ref heref tof helpf youf understandf thef changesf tof ASf andf Af levelf Physicsf sof you’ref readyf tofteachf
thefnewfspecificationsffromfSeptemberf2015.fWhetherfitfisfonfthefphone,fbyfemail,forfinfpersonfatf
aftrainingfevent,fwe’llfsupportfyoufasfyoufplanfandfteachfthefnewfqualifications.

Wef lookf forwardf tof meetingf youf atf ourf launchf eventsf andf Gettingf Readyf tof Teachf eventsf andfansw
eringfanyfquestionsfyoufmightfhavefaboutfourfnewfspecifications.




PeterfCanning Kathrynf Booth DamianfRiddle RosemaryfGlave StephenfNugus


ThefSciencefTeam




2

, OurnewEdexcelASand f f f f




A level Physics: what shouldyou e
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xpect?
Whilst much will seem familiar to you, there are some changesand
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new additions to our AS and A level Physics from September 2015.
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ASfandf AflevelfPhysicsf areflinearfqualifications;fassessmentsf forfeachf qualificationfwillf
fff

nowftakefplacefatfthefendfoffeachfcourse.

fff ASfwillfbefafstand-
alonefqualification,fmeaningfitfwillfnotfformfpartfoffstudents’fAf levelf grades.f Howeve
r,f thef contentf off thef ASf isf includedf inf thef Af levelf content,ftofallowftheftwofqualification
sftofbefco-taught.


fff Questionsfassessingfstudents’fusefoffmathematicalfskillsfwillfmakefupf40%foffth
ef examf papers.f Thisf isf aboutf thef samef proportionf allocatedf inf ourf currentf examfpaper
s,fbutfyoufmayfnoticefthatfquestionsfnowftestfafwiderfrangefoffmathsfskills,fandftofafsli
ghtlyfgreaterfdepth.


Therefwillf bef nofcourseworkfelementsfinf ASf andf Af levelf Physics.fInstead,fstudentsf
fff

willf bef requiredf tof completef af numberf off coref practicalsf whichf coverfspecificfskillsfa
ndftechniques.

Practicalf skillsf willf nowf bef assessedf inf twof ways:


fff investigativefskills,fandfknowledgefandfunderstandingfoffsomefcorefpracticalsfwil
lfbefassessedfinfASfandfAflevelfexamsfandfcontributeftofstudents’foverallfgrades.


fff teacherfassessmentfoffstudents’fcompetencyfwhenfcompletingfpracticalfwo
rkf willf countf towardsf thef separatef Practicalf Endorsementf atf Af levelf (seefpagef9f
forfmorefdetails).


fff We’veftakenfthefopportunityftofupdatefourfspecificationsfandfhavefreplacedfsome
felementsf withf newf contentf tof strengthenf theirf focusf onf thef keyf principlesfoffphysics
.


Somefoffyourfstudentsfwillfbefhopingftofstudyfphysicsforfafrelatedfsubjectfatfuniversi
fff

ty.f Wishingf tof encouragef this,f we’vef workedf withf Higherf Educationfinstitutionsf tof e
nsuref thatf ourf qualificationsf providef thef rightf preparationf forffurtherfstudy.