.jpg)
IGCSE Physics is considered one of the hardest subjects by students, and only 7% of students secure a top grade 9. So, getting the highest marks in this subject is considered a notable achievement.
If you are struggling in this subject, you need to do more than just memorize formulas and equations. As important as they are, physics requires in-depth conceptual knowledge and understanding of certain concepts.
So, no need to worry about the vast syllabus. We have got you covered by providing some proven preparation tips and a detailed 7-week revision plan to kickstart your preparation for IGCSE Physics.
Grab a pen and make notes!
IGCSE Physics contains a broad range of topics designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of this subject. The curriculum is structured in such a way that students will gradually move forward with the concepts without feeling overwhelmed by the difficulty of each topic.
Forces and Motion: The laws of motion, forces, work, energy, and power.
Electricity and Magnetism: Electrical circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetism.
Waves and Light: Properties of waves, sound, and light.
Heat and Energy: Thermal physics, energy transfers, and resources.
Nuclear Physics: The structure of atoms and radioactivity.
The IGCSE Physics exam is set up to test how well students understand the subject. It includes both theory and practical parts to check different skills, from solving problems to using physics ideas in real-life situations.
The exam entails:
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): Test the basic knowledge and memorization of physics concepts.
Structured Questions: Tests in-depth answering of questions and detailed analysis of concepts.
Practical Exams: Tests the ability to conduct experiments and interpret results.
Note: Calculators are allowed in all IGCSE Physics examinations.
Getting a grade 9 in IGCSE Physics is simple after you strategically practice and make a study timetable. With hard work, you can achieve almost anything.
These tips will help you improve your revision plan by providing some insights on which areas to focus and which do not.
There are many numbers and formulas that you need to learn for your IGCSE physics exam. Organizing these multiple formulas will help you remember them; otherwise, you will be overwhelmed after looking at their number. It's a good idea to place formulas with terms that explain their units and factors so that everything is organized.
If you want, you can even draw the force lines or related diagrams that the formula describes. In the same way, take notes on every topic that is covered in the module.
Pay attention to themes and ideas, and make as many pictures, graphs, tables, etc. as you can. It will require fewer words, but you will understand these things more when you’re revising your notes.
It's important to read the questions very carefully and make sure you know EXACTLY what the question is asking. The best way to do this is to understand your command terms well.
Here is a list of command words from the Cambridge IGCSE Physics course for 2023–2025:
Calculate: Figure something out from facts, figures, or knowledge you're given.
Comment: Share your well-thought-out view.
Compare: To find and talk about parallels and/or differences.
Deduce: Conclude from the facts you have.
Definition: To give a clear meaning of the term.
Describe: List the main points of a subject; give characteristics and importance.
Determine: Come up with an answer using the knowledge you have.
Explain: Give reasons or purposes/ make connections between things clear/ say why and/or how, and back up your answer with proof.
Give: Get an answer from a certain source or remember something.
Justify: Back up a claim with proof or an argument.
Predict: Say what you think might happen based on the knowledge you have.
Sketch: Draw a simple picture by hand of the most important parts, making sure to pay attention to the measurements.
State: Make your point clear.
Suggest: Use what you know and understand in cases where there are several good answers to make suggestions or raise issues.
Lastly, read the question carefully to determine how in-depth your answer needs to be. For instance, the question is worth two points. That means you need to give a short answer that counts for two points to get full marks.
Are you a visual learner? Do you remember things best when you make notes or take quizzes?
YouTube is a great place for physics students who want to learn more and explore their course topics in detail. Besides movies about experiments, there are also a lot of educational videos that break down difficult ideas in fun and easy-to-understand ways.
You can also take online physics tests and utilize some learning tools. These tools make you use different parts of your brain, which makes learning much easier.
At this point, the most important thing is that you should have found the best ways for you to learn. If you’re into the theoretical side more then revise your notes time and again.
No matter how you like to learn, it's often helpful to work with a friend.
It's more fun to do anything with other people, and Physics is no different. You can try to teach a friend who is having trouble keeping up. This isn't completely selfless since going over the same things over and over again is also good for you.
Anyhow, you can try several different ways to explain things until you find the simplest and most helpful one. Tell your friend to ask questions; it might help you figure out what you don't know.
Have a friend who is just as good at physics, if not better? It’s great that you can learn from each other. You will benefit from getting to know your study buddy because they may be able to help you readily understand difficult ideas.
This is not where you should start from, but it is important once you’re done with your preparation.
Do you want to know what kinds of questions will be on your test? This kind of information can be found in past papers.
Papers have different questions every year, but at their core, they stay the same. Using these questions to practice is like taking a real test, especially if you simulate the exam conditions properly. For instance, allot the same period, choose a silent environment, and don’t cheat.
Equations make up almost 80% of physics. You cannot understand physics unless you learn equations by heart.
Make a habit of learning equations with every chapter you are working on. For this purpose, you require mathematical knowledge and a basic understanding of maths to solve word problems that involve equations. Even though you think your results are always wrong, keep practicing. Eventually, you will get it right.
Finally, check your work for silly mistakes when you're done. Does the answer make sense when you look at it from a different angle? This will often help you find small mistakes in your work.
Make sure you can draw, plot, and read line graphs as you move forward with physics. You may have to draw and analyze the results of graphs on your exam.
For graph work, you should always use a sharp pencil so that you can be exact and make sure that you write each point correctly. Take a look at the list below and make sure you practice these things:
Exam boards publish a report every year showing how well students did on their IGCSE physics. These studies show the most common mistakes students made in the past and explain why those mistakes were made along with statistical analysis.
The strong prospects and best answers are also discussed. These reports discuss what the test-takers want to see on the papers. Use this knowledge to give them answers that meet their needs.
There are many ways to get extra help, such as from a smart classmate, your physics teacher, online groups, or educational platforms. You could also get extra help from a certified online physics teacher.
An online teacher will always have time to answer your queries and offer help whenever needed. They also pay more attention to your weaknesses and are usually easier to talk to rather than your school teachers.
Read more: 15 Killer Strategies to Study Physics
If you struggle with organizing your study schedule a few weeks before the exam, then no need to worry. We have mapped out a proper 7-week plan for you, which you can follow and start working today!
Day 1: Introduction to Newton’s First Law of Motion. Review inertia and equilibrium. Read textbook chapters, watch related videos, and take notes.
Day 2: Start with Newton’s Second Law of Motion. Solve numerical problems given at the end of each chapter, and practice word problems online that include all the relevant formulas, i.e., F=ma. Don’t forget to review common examples.
Day 3: Study Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Work on problems that illustrate action and reaction pairs. Revise the previous days’ work.
Day 4: Explore concepts of work and energy. Review the work-energy theorem and practice calculations from practice books and the internet.
Day 5: Memorize kinetic and potential energy formulas and solve problems involving energy conservation.
Day 6: Move on to power and efficiency. Review formulas for power and solve related problems.
Day 7: Take a practice test on Forces and Motion. Review mistakes and understand why errors were made.
Day 1: Review basic electrical circuit components (resistors, capacitors, inductors). Study Ohm’s Law and solve basic circuit problems.
Day 2: Explore series and parallel circuits. Solve problems and conduct simple experiments to see the differences (you can also watch YouTube videos for practical demonstration of these topics).
Day 3: Study electrical power and energy consumption. Practice problems on calculating power and energy. Don’t forget to review the work from the previous days.
Day 4: Review magnetic fields and their properties, and watch videos on magnetic field lines and field strength.
Day 5: Study electromagnetism and the relationship between electricity and magnetism. Conduct experiments with electromagnets.
Day 6: Explore Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s Law. Solve problems related to electromagnetic induction.
Day 7: Review practical exam techniques. Practice setting up circuits and using measurement tools accurately.
Day 1: Study the properties of waves, including wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and speed. Practice calculations involving the wave equation.
Day 2: Explore the nature of sound waves. Conduct experiments to measure the speed of sound in different media.
Day 3: Start the electromagnetic spectrum and understand the properties of different types of waves (radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays).
Day 4-6: Review reflection and refraction of light. Solve problems involving Snell’s Law. Explore lenses and optical instruments. Conduct experiments to understand image formation using lenses (with the help of videos or practice in class). Study the Doppler Effect and its applications. Practice word problems given at the end of lessons involving frequency shifts.
Day 7: Solve past paper questions on waves and light. Review and understand any mistakes.
Day 1: Review the concepts of temperature, heat, and internal energy. Understand the differences between them.
Day 2: Study methods of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduct simple experiments to illustrate these methods.
Day 3: Explore specific heat capacity and latent heat. Solve problems involving heat transfer and phase changes.
Day 4: Study thermal expansion and its applications. Practice practicals to observe expansion in solids, liquids, and gases.
Day 5: Review energy resources and their uses and compare renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
Day 6: Understand the principles of energy conservation and efficiency an practice problems on energy efficiency calculations.
Day 7: Take a timed quiz on heat and energy. Review results and clarify any misunderstandings.
Day 1: Study the structure of the atom, including protons, neutrons, and electrons. Review atomic number and mass number.
Day 2: Explore isotopes and their applications. Understand how isotopes differ and what their uses are in various fields.
Day 3: Review radioactivity and types of radioactive decay (alpha, beta, gamma). Solve problems involving decay equations.
Day 4: Study half-life and its applications. Solve problems in calculating half-lives and understanding decay curves.
Day 5: Explore the uses and dangers of radioactivity. Review safety measures for handling radioactive materials.
Day 6: Conduct simulated experiments on radioactive decay. Understand how to measure and interpret decay data.
Day 7: Complete and review a past paper on atomic physics. Focus on understanding mistakes and improving answering techniques.
The last week is to review the material and practice as much as one can.
Day 1-2: Review all notes and key concepts from the first two chapters. Concisely summarize each topic.
Day 3-4: Review the third and fourth chapters and focus on difficult concepts and practice problems.
Day 5-6: Go over the fifth and sixth chapters and revisit any challenging areas and solve additional problems. Conduct a quick review of all key concepts and formulas.
Day 7-8: Take two full-length practice exams under timed conditions. Focus on exam technique and time management.
Day 9: Review the practice exams. Analyze your mistakes and clarify any remaining doubts.
Day 10: Conduct a final review session. Focus on weaker areas based on the results of your practice exams.
Day 11: Download additional structured questions and MCQs and go over past paper questions to understand the exam structure better and focus on exam-favorite topics.
Day 12: Take another full-length practice exam, review it, and analyze your mistakes. After that, go through your notes for the last time.
Getting a 9 or an A* in IGCSE Physics is easy once you complete your preparation on time and practice the timetable provided. In seven weeks, you will be one step closer to your goal. Hire an online physics teacher to help you in this regard.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)