AQA GCSE Physics (8463) Past Papers 2026

Paper 1 — Energy, Electricity, Particle model, Atomic structure (Foundation 1F or Higher 1H)

Duration: 1h 45m

Paper 2 — Forces, Waves, Magnetism & electromagnetism, Space physics (Higher only) (Foundation 2F or Higher 2H)

Duration: 1h 45m

Motors, dynamos, generators and transformers (induced p.d.)

Only 2% of students gained 5 marks for this explanation. Many students confused the dynamo for a motor or wrote answers that combined elements of both motor and dynamo. Only a few could clearly describe the action of the commutator and brushes swapping the connections every half-turn.

8463/2H

Direct vs alternating potential difference (NOT current)

Very few correct answers, only 2% of students scored a mark on 1F and 11% on 1H. The specification does not mention alternating or direct current, only alternating or direct p.d. Saying p.d. 'flows in one direction' was insufficient.

8463/1F, 8463/1H

Particle model of pressure — microscopic vs macroscopic explanation

Only 10 % of students scored 3 or 4 marks. For the 2nd marking point students needed to refer to more collisions with the tyre 'per second'. For the 3rd marking point the force referred to is the individual force experienced by a particle.

8463/1H

Specific heat capacity / specific latent heat practical interpretation

Students struggled to read the temperature change from the graph, ignoring the times given in the question. 48% of students scored 0 marks on Q09.2. Many students used the final temperature in place of the temperature change.

8463/1F, 8463/1H

Required practical: density of irregular solids and Leslie cube IR

Few students scored 5 or 6 marks. Many students made incorrect statements like 'measure the weight on a balance', which prevented them moving into Level 3. Few students explained the need to compare the readings on infrared detectors.

8463/1F, 8463/1H, 8463/2H

Speed-time graph: area = distance, gradient = acceleration

34% scored zero because they had not appreciated that the area under the graph represented the distance travelled. A large number of students used distance = speed × time, not recognising that speed was not constant.

8463/2F, 8463/2H

Rutherford / nuclear model — alpha-scattering reasoning

Students who stated the alpha particle collided with the nucleus scored zero. A reference to the force or the field was needed to score the second marking point. Many students thought the Bohr model didn't have a nucleus.

8463/1H

Space physics — red shift, Big Bang and life cycle of stars (Higher only)

About half of the students scored zero — while they were often able to write about the Big Bang Theory they did not answer the question asked. Light moving to the red end of the light spectrum was insufficient. Only 21% identified two stages of the Sun's life cycle correctly.

8463/2F, 8463/2H