Cambridge A Level Physics 9702 Past Papers 2026
Download free Cambridge AS & A Level Physics 9702 past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports & grade thresholds. 60 exam sessions from 2002–2026.
2026 March
Latest Session
60
Sessions
2002–2026
696
Question Papers
678
Mark Schemes
97% coverage
55
Examiner Reports
92% of sessions
50
Grade Thresholds
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute shows how fast you have to work — the higher the number, the tighter the time pressure in that paper.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Multiple Choice (AS) | 40 | 1h 15m | 0.53 | Steady |
| Paper 2 | AS Structured Questions | 60 | 1h 15m | 0.80 | Moderate |
| Paper 3 | Advanced Practical Skills | 40 | 2h | 0.33 | Steady |
| Paper 4 | A Level Structured Questions | 100 | 2h | 0.83 | Moderate |
| Paper 5 | Planning, Analysis & Evaluation | 30 | 1h 15m | 0.40 | Steady |
Component structure extracted from 5 official Cambridge documents (2023–2025). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
Topical Past Papers
Questions organized by syllabus topic — perfect for targeted revision. 1 topics available.
How is Cambridge AS & A Level Physics 9702 examined?
Cambridge AS & A Level Physics is examined through 5 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1
40 marksMultiple Choice (AS)
Duration: 1h 15m
Paper 2
60 marksAS Structured Questions
Duration: 1h 15m
Paper 3
40 marksAdvanced Practical Skills
Duration: 2h
Paper 4
100 marksA Level Structured Questions
Duration: 2h
Paper 5
30 marksPlanning, Analysis & Evaluation
Duration: 1h 15m
What Cambridge examiners say about Physics
Verbatim quotes from 5 official Cambridge examiner reports (2023–2025). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things Cambridge markers flag year after year.
Unit conversion errors
There was a significant number of candidates that made errors converting the mass in grams into kilograms and the length from centimetres into metres.
Missing key words in definitions
A significant number gave 'mass times acceleration' which is a valid way to calculate force, but is not the definition of force required by the syllabus.
Swapping sine and cosine when resolving vectors
Candidates had particular difficulty resolving vectors into perpendicular components. Candidates should be able to select the correct trigonometric function for each problem.
Most Common Mistakes — Physics (9702)
Based on analysis of 5 official Cambridge examiner reports (2023, 2025). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Unit conversion errors — powers of ten wrong when converting cm, mm, km
Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 4 · The single most repeated error across all papers and sessions (2023–2025)
Missing key words in definitions — 'resultant', 'per unit', 'moving'
Paper 2, Paper 4 · Every Paper 2 and Paper 4 report
Swapping sine and cosine when resolving vectors
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Every session, Paper 1 and Paper 2
Using ½m(v−u)² instead of ½mv²−½mu² for kinetic energy change
Paper 1, Paper 2 · Multiple sessions, Papers 1 and 2
Confusing number density with total number of charge carriers
Paper 2 · Every session where I = nAvq is tested
Topics Students Struggle With Most
Unit conversions — cm² to m², mm to m, km h⁻¹ to m s⁻¹
The single most common error across all papers. 'Candidates frequently made a power-of-ten error when converting cm³ into m³.' Area and volume conversions are worst.
Paper 1, Paper 2
Projectile motion — 2D velocity and KE at highest point
'All 4 options selected roughly equally indicating that the variation of speed in two dimensions without air resistance is not well understood by most candidates.'
Paper 1
Stationary waves vs interference — node/antinode spacing
'A common misconception was that the distance between P and Q was equal to half a wavelength' when it should be a quarter wavelength (node to antinode).
Paper 2
Potential divider circuits
'Many candidates found it difficult to apply their understanding to an electric circuit. The relationship between the potential difference across each resistor and its value of resistance was not well understood.'
Paper 2
Internal resistance and terminal p.d.
'Candidates found this question challenging, with many confusing the concept of terminal p.d. and e.m.f.' Terminal p.d. = E − Ir, which decreases as current increases.
Paper 1, Paper 2
First law of thermodynamics — application to cycles
'Only the strongest candidates appreciated that the work done by the gas in stage CD is greater than the work done on the gas in stage AB.' Confusion between internal energy and change in internal energy.
Paper 4
Gravitational/electric field definitions
'Only a minority of candidates knew that gravitational field is defined as force per unit mass.' The phrase 'per unit' is essential for all field definitions.
Paper 4
Electromagnetic spectrum — typical wavelengths
'Fewer than half of candidates could recall the approximate wavelength of infrared radiation.' Factual recall of wavelength ranges is a syllabus requirement.
Paper 1
Physics (9702) — Cambridge AS & A Level Full Archive 2002–2026
This page contains all 1682 available papers for Cambridge A Level Physics (9702) — 60 exam sessions from 2002 to 2026. Each session includes question papers, mark schemes, and where available, examiner reports and grade threshold documents. All files are free to download as PDF — no account required.
Cambridge A Level Physics (9702) is examined through multiple paper components. Question papers are available in two or three variants per session (v1, v2, v3) — each variant is sat in a different time zone but covers the same syllabus content and is equivalent in difficulty. The paper number in the filename indicates which component: for example, 9702_qp_12 is Paper 1, Variant 2.
Mark schemes for 9702 show the exact marking points accepted by Cambridge examiners. Many questions have multiple acceptable phrasings — look for 'accept', 'allow', and 'credit' in the mark scheme to understand the full range of valid responses. Examiner reports (where available) reveal the most common errors made by the cohort and what top-band answers looked like, making them essential reading before the actual exam.
The most effective way to use this archive is to attempt past papers under timed exam conditions, then analyse your mark scheme results by component. Track which paper components and question types you score lowest on — this tells you exactly where to focus revision. Grade threshold documents show the minimum mark needed for each grade in that specific session, which helps calibrate how your practice scores translate to actual grades.
Physics 9702 at other levels
Questions, answered.
You can download all Cambridge Physics 9702 past papers right here on PapersDaddy. We have 60 exam sessions from 2002–2026 — including question papers, mark schemes, examiner reports, and grade thresholds for 9702. Click any session below to view and download PDFs.
Yes! Every Cambridge AS & A Level Physics (9702) exam session includes the corresponding mark scheme alongside the question paper. Mark schemes show exactly how marks are allocated, helping you understand what examiners look for in top-scoring answers.
Start with recent 9702 papers (2025–2023) to understand current trends. Practice under timed conditions, then mark yourself using the mark scheme. Read examiner reports to learn common mistakes. For targeted revision, use Physics 9702 topical past papers to focus on specific topics.
We have Cambridge AS & A Level Physics (9702) papers from May/June, October/November, and March sessions (where applicable), covering 2002–2026. That's 60 exam sessions in total.