Required practicals practiceFoundation and HigherNot yet teacher-reviewed

Required practicals practice (methods, variables, graphs, evaluation)

Sixty original marks on the practical skills examiners love: apparatus choices, variables, graphs and evaluation across the specific-heat-capacity, resistance, density, elasticity, acceleration, wave, light and infrared practicals.

In the style of The required practical / core practical skills examined across the GCSE Physics specifications. These are original QuizQuip questions written against the DfE GCSE subject content — not AQA, Pearson Edexcel or OCR past-paper questions, and QuizQuip is not affiliated with any of the boards.

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Total marks
60
Time
1 h 10 min
Format
15 structured questions
Covers
The shared GCSE Physics practicals: specific heat capacity, thermal insulation, resistance of a wire, current–voltage characteristics, density, force and extension, acceleration, waves, light, and infrared radiation — methods, variables, graphs and evaluation

Set

The paper and mark scheme

Question paper

Required practicals practice paper

60 marks · 1 h 10 min · 8 pages

10 multiple-choice questions and structured questions with answer lines. The shared GCSE Physics practicals: specific heat capacity, thermal insulation, resistance of a wire, current–voltage characteristics, density, force and extension, acceleration, waves, light, and infrared radiation — methods, variables, graphs and evaluation.

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Mark scheme

PRO

Required practicals practice paper — mark scheme

Answers · Marking points · 4 pages

Model answers with a mark for each creditworthy point — for marking at home or in class.

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Coverage

Chapters in this paper

How to use

Work through it like the real exam

  1. 1Print the paper, or open the PDF and write your answers on paper.
  2. 2Set a timer and work without notes — the real thing is timed and closed-book.
  3. 3Mark your work with the mark scheme, one marking point at a time, including M marks for method.
  4. 4Redo every question you lost marks on, then revise that chapter.

Preview

The opening questions

Section A: Multiple-choice questions[10 marks]

Choose one answer for each question. Each question is worth 1 mark.

  1. 1

    In the specific-heat-capacity practical, a joulemeter measures

    1. Athe current only
    2. Bthe temperature
    3. Cthe energy supplied
    4. Dthe resistance
    ( )
  2. 2

    In the thermal-insulation practical, the best insulator is the material giving

    1. Athe largest temperature drop
    2. Bthe smallest temperature drop
    3. Cthe highest starting temperature
    4. Dthe thickest wrapping
    ( )
  3. 3

    For the resistance-of-a-wire practical you should plot

    1. Aresistance against length
    2. Blength against resistance
    3. Cvoltage against current for a lamp
    4. Dcurrent against time
    ( )
  4. 4

    The current–voltage graph of a filament lamp

    1. Ais a straight line through the origin
    2. Bsteepens as voltage rises
    3. Clevels off as the gradient falls at higher voltage
    4. Dis a horizontal line
    ( )
Open the full paper

Revision

Before you sit the paper

  • Revise every chapter this paper covers, using the free notes pages.
  • Do the quick quiz on each chapter and note where you lose marks.
  • Practise the topical questions with the mark schemes.
  • Calculators are allowed on every physics paper, and the equation sheet is printed (AQA) — learn the equations you must recall, such as ΔE = mcΔθ, v = fλ, F = ma and density = mass ÷ volume.

Tips

Exam tips

Method marks are real marks

  • Write the equation first, then substitute — method marks are awarded for correct steps even with a slip in the arithmetic.
  • Convert before you calculate: cm to m, kJ to J, minutes to seconds.
  • Quote a sensible unit with every final answer, and give answers the accuracy asked for, typically 2 or 3 significant figures.
  • In explain questions, name the physics (store, pathway, force, equation) before describing the outcome.

Questions

About the Required practicals practice

Which practicals does this set cover?

The shared GCSE Physics practical skills: specific heat capacity, thermal insulation, resistance of a wire, current–voltage characteristics, density, force and extension, acceleration, waves in a ripple tank, light (reflection and refraction) and infrared radiation — the methods, variables, graphs and evaluation questions that appear on every paper.

How should I mark my answers?

One credit per marking point. For method questions, award a point only if the step is actually stated — "measure the temperature" earns nothing unless the starting temperature (or the rise) is specified.

Is this a real exam paper?

No. It is original QuizQuip practice material in the style of the required-practical questions — not an AQA, Pearson Edexcel or OCR past paper or practical-handbook extract, with no affiliation to any awarding body.