A Level Physics (9702) covers many of the same ideas as IGCSE Physics (0625) but treats them in more depth and with much more maths. The biggest changes are algebra, longer multi-step questions, explanations that must be precise, and practical skills that go as far as planning experiments and handling uncertainties. It is a real step up, and a manageable one if you expect it.
The topics overlap more than you expect
Forces, energy, waves, electricity and radioactivity appear at both levels. The 9702 syllabus itself says that an understanding of forces, energy and colour from IGCSE or O Level Physics is assumed in several sections, so you are not starting from nothing. What changes is how far each idea is taken.
| Topic | IGCSE approach | A Level (9702) approach |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | Speed, simple graphs, basic equations | Uniformly accelerated motion in full, including motion in two perpendicular directions |
| Forces | Balanced and unbalanced forces, F = ma | Momentum, moments, equilibrium, resolving vectors |
| Electricity | Current, voltage, resistance | Internal resistance of a source, potential dividers, Kirchhoff's laws |
| Waves | Reflection, refraction and basic properties | Superposition, interference and diffraction gratings |
| Radioactivity | Types of radiation, half-life | Exponential decay and the decay constant |
You revisit familiar ground with sharper tools.
The maths is the real jump
At IGCSE, much of the maths is substituting numbers into a formula. At A Level you are expected to do more:
- Rearrange equations before substituting numbers.
- Handle standard form and unit prefixes confidently.
- Use trigonometry to resolve vectors.
- Read gradients and areas under graphs as physical quantities.
- Work with exponential relationships, for example in radioactive decay.
If you are also taking A Level Maths, most of this arrives in time. If not, practise rearranging equations and resolving vectors early, because the physics topics lean on those skills straight away.
Questions get longer and more layered
A typical IGCSE calculation may be one step: substitute into v = u + at and solve. A Level questions often chain ideas. You might resolve a force, apply Newton's second law, then use the result in an energy calculation. Marks are spread along the chain, so you need to carry a value from one step to the next cleanly, with sensible significant figures.
Explanations carry more weight too. A Level mark schemes reward precise physics reasoning, so a vague answer that picked up a mark at IGCSE may earn nothing now. How to answer explain questions in 9702 is a good place to start on that.
How the assessment is organised
Both qualifications use several papers rather than one exam. These are the structures published in the syllabuses:
| IGCSE Physics (0625) | AS & A Level Physics (9702) | |
|---|---|---|
| Written papers | Multiple choice and theory, with Core or Extended versions | Paper 1 multiple choice, Paper 2 AS structured questions, Paper 4 A Level structured questions |
| Practical assessment | One practical paper chosen from two: Practical Test or Alternative to Practical | Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills and Paper 5 Planning, Analysis and Evaluation |
| Exam sheets | Check the front pages of your syllabus | A data and formulae list is provided in the exam |
For the number of papers you sit, their lengths and their weightings, check the assessment overview in your syllabus, since it depends on whether you are taking AS or the full A Level.
Practical work becomes a skill in its own right
IGCSE students do experiments and sit a practical paper. At 9702 the practical skills are assessed in two dedicated papers. One is lab-based. The other is a written paper on planning, analysis and evaluation. You are expected to:
- Identify independent, dependent and control variables.
- Plot graphs with sensible scales and lines of best fit.
- Find gradients and intercepts and link them to a physics equation.
- Estimate and combine uncertainties, and quote answers to a sensible number of significant figures.
Uncertainty analysis in particular is new for most students and feels awkward at first. It becomes routine with practice.
A realistic first term
Expect the first weeks of A Level to feel fast. Topics you met at IGCSE are revisited quickly, then pushed further than you expect, and homework questions often arrive with several parts that depend on each other. Students who struggle early usually are not missing intelligence. They are missing practice at rearranging equations, keeping units straight and writing explanations in full. It helps to keep a short list of every mark you lose in the first term and why, because the same few habits tend to repeat.
What does not change
Some habits carry straight across. Read the command word, give a unit with every numerical answer, show your working so method marks can be given, and check that your answer is the right size. A Level simply penalises sloppiness in those habits more heavily.
Making the transition smoother
- Fix the maths gaps early. Rearranging, trigonometry and graphs first.
- Learn the command words. State, describe, explain and suggest ask for different things. Cambridge command words explained covers them.
- Show full working. Method marks are everywhere.
- Start practical skills early. Practise tables, graphs and uncertainties before your first practical assessment.
- Do timed papers. Longer questions mean pacing matters more. How to manage time in Cambridge exams has a plan.
The bottom line
A Level Physics is not a new subject. It is the same subject taken more seriously, with more maths, more reasoning and more rigour in practical work, all rising together. Students who expect the jump and build their maths early tend to settle quickly.
Moving up with real papers
If you have just finished IGCSE, try some IGCSE Physics past papers to check your foundations, then move on to the A Level Physics past papers. Write your answers by hand and have them marked against the official mark scheme so you can see where the A Level standard asks for more. Reading and downloading papers is free, and a free account adds AI marking. The 2023 and 2024 papers are marked first, with earlier years being added.
Frequently asked questions
- Is A-Level Physics much harder than IGCSE?
- It is a real step up, but mostly in depth and maths rather than in brand new topics. A Level takes familiar ideas such as forces and electricity and treats them with more algebra, more multi-step reasoning and more precise explanations.
- Do I need A-Level Maths to do A-Level Physics?
- Cambridge recommends previous study of Physics or Co-ordinated Science at IGCSE or O Level level, and the physics course uses algebra, trigonometry, graphs and exponential relationships. Taking Maths alongside makes that easier, so ask your school what they require.
- What is the biggest jump from IGCSE to A-Level Physics?
- For most students it is the maths and the reasoning. Many IGCSE calculations are one step, while A Level questions often combine several ideas, expect you to rearrange equations before substituting and reward precise explanations.
- Does IGCSE Physics have a practical paper?
- Yes. IGCSE Physics 0625 candidates take either a practical test or an alternative to practical paper as part of the assessment. At A Level the practical side is assessed in more depth, including planning, analysis and evaluation.