Edexcel GCSE Physics Paper 1

Mock test. 1 hour and 45 minutes. 100 marks available.

Good Luck!

Is this higher or foundation?

This is a combined paper for higher and foundation students. You can achieve grades 1 – 9 on this paper, so it is suitable for all. Grades are moderated against the average result to give the most accurate indication of your performance. You can look at – How is this paper marked? for more information.

How is this paper marked?

This paper is automatically marked to determine which questions were answered correctly.

Your grade is determined using a Z-Score moderation system. Your GCSE exams are also moderated comparably so that the difficulty of papers is taken into account.

Roughly, this works by calculating your overall percentage and comparing it to the average percentage and the standard deviation. This means that for harder papers you need fewer points to get the same grade as you would for an easier paper.

As more students attempt the paper, the average score and standard deviation more accurately represent the difficulty of the paper and the grades become more accurate.

Making these papers and the marking system took considerable effort so if you found them helpful for your revision, please show your appreciation by rating the page. 

Edxcel Physics Paper 1

The first physics paper covers the introductory material and has a lot of common topics with Edexcel Combined Science Paper 5: Physics 1. This begins with motion and forces, including the basic metrics of acceleration, mass, weight etc. as well as Newton’s Laws and more. Physics paper 1 aims to equip students with the knowledge to support them through A level and also help them to succeed in other mathematics heavy subjects or careers. 

SP3 looks over the points of energy storage, transferring energy and how efficient these processes are. Additionally, the application, as well as the pros and cons of renewable and non-renewable energy resources, are addressed. SP4 and SP5 tests for students’ learnings on waves (including the electromagnetic spectrum), their characteristics and their uses and dangers. Radioactivity is covered in SP6 which is a large topic covering the basics of atoms with a heavy crossover with chemistry topics. After these crossovers, it looks at the basics of radioactivity, its various functions in society and how it can be a source of energy in the Universe. SP7 (Astronomy) is unique to the Physics course and does not appear in Edexcel Combined Science. The astronomy course addresses the basic features of the universe and various processes and how we have come to understand them. The Solar System, Gravity and Orbits, and the Origin of the Universe are a few of the topics students learn about in SP7. 

If you want to try another related mock test, try out Edexcel GCSE Physics Paper 2.