9630 · Oxford AQA International A Level
9630/21
Paper 2
Physics · Winter 2025 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Oxford AQA
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.8 / 5
400
600 min
Interference, Wave Superposition, and Experimental Uncertainty Analysis
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
400
Duration
600 min
Session difficulty
3.8 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The January 2025 examination series presents a highly demanding challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Students are pushed beyond basic recall into complex mathematical modeling, vector mechanics, and robust graphical analyses across all five units.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Mathematical
Weight: 7100%Experimental
Weight: 686%Conceptual Understanding
Weight: 571%Plotting & G
Weight: 343%Scientific Communication
Weight: 229%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Level A*
Approx. 90% of maximum mark
Level A
Approx. 80% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 70% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 60% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 50% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 40% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
Match the expected response style for “Determine” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Show” questions.
Match the expected response style for “State” questions.
State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.
Identify similarities and differences explicitly — paired sentences or a table helps.
Match the expected response style for “Deduce” questions.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
No data available in official reports
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Interference (Oscillations and waves)
22 marks this session
Energy transfer by heating and doing work (Thermal physics)
21 marks this session
Capacitor charge and discharge (Exponential change)
21 marks this session
The Young modulus (Mechanics and materials)
20 marks this session
Circuits (Electricity)
19 marks this session
Limitation of physical measurements (Measurements and their errors)
19 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Limitation of physical measurements
Newton’s gravitational law
Electromagnetic induction
Newton’s laws of motion
Radioactivity
Interference (Oscillations and waves)
Induced fission
Ideal gases
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
PH01 Mechanics, materials and atoms: PH02 Electricity, waves and particles: PH03 Fields and their consequences: PH04 Energy and Energy resources: PH05 Physics in practice:
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Interference (Oscillations and waves)
22 marks this session
Practise in RevuiEnergy transfer by heating and doing work (Thermal physics)
21 marks this session
Practise in RevuiCapacitor charge and discharge (Exponential change)
21 marks this session
Practise in RevuiThe Young modulus (Mechanics and materials)
20 marks this session
Practise in RevuiCircuits (Electricity)
19 marks this session
Practise in RevuiLimitation of physical measurements (Measurements and their errors)
19 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The January 2025 examination series presents a highly demanding challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
- 2Message
Students are pushed beyond basic recall into complex mathematical modeling, vector mechanics, and robust graphical analyses across all five units.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
Winter 2025 2025
Physics
The January 2025 examination series presents a highly demanding challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Students are pushed beyond basic recall into complex mathematical modeling, vector mechanics, and robust graphical analyses across all five units.
The January 2025 examination series presents a highly demanding challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Students are pushed beyond basic recall into complex mathematical modeling, vector mechanics, and robust graphical analyses across all five units.
- Total marks
- 400
- Duration
- 600 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.8 / 5
Session analysis
The January 2025 examination series presents a highly demanding challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Students are pushed beyond basic recall into complex mathematical modeling, vector mechanics, and robust graphical analyses across all five units.
Updated Jun 12, 2026
Paper breakdown
PH01 Mechanics, materials and atoms: PH02 Electricity, waves and particles: PH03 Fields and their consequences: PH04 Energy and Energy resources: PH05 Physics in practice:
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
73% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Structured
258·32·65%
Practical
96·8·24%
Multiple Choice
46·46·12%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Magnetic Flux Linkage & Induction
95%95%
Radioactivity and Radioisotopes
90%90%
Simple Harmonic Motion & Resonance
85%85%
Difficulty Verdict
The January 2025 examination series presents a highly demanding challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Students are pushed beyond basic recall into complex mathematical modeling, vector mechanics, and robust graphical analyses across all five units.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Unit Conversion Errors: Many candidates dropped straightforward calculation marks by failing to convert units (such as THz to Hz, mA to A, or mm to m) before substituting values into formulae.
- Imprecise Graphical Skills: In the practical units (PH01, PH02, and PH05), candidates frequently lost marks due to inaccurate plotting, poorly drawn curves of best fit, or failing to construct large enough gradient triangles (which must span at least half the available grid space).
- Vague Explanations: Short-answer questions requiring physical reasoning (such as air resistance effects on falling objects or heat transfer mechanisms) often lacked the precision required by the marking schemes.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.