UniGeniusQCE Physics

QCE Physics

QCE Physics: the course and the exam

Five topics across Units 3 and 4, and an external examination worth 50% of the subject result: two papers, each with 5 minutes perusal and 90 minutes working, with the formula and data book provided.

Weeks before your physics exam
Hours a week for physics
Unit 3 Topic 1: Gravity and motion
Unit 3 Topic 2: Electromagnetism
Unit 4 Topic 1: Special relativity
Unit 4 Topic 2: Quantum theory
Unit 4 Topic 3: The Standard Model

26 weeks, 104 hours in all

Start with Unit 3 Topic 1

Gravity and motion: 24 of your hours. It is 5 of the 20 questions on our timed multiple-choice checks, 25%.

Hours per topic
TopicYour hoursShare of the checks
Unit 3 Topic 1: Gravity and motion2425%
Unit 3 Topic 2: Electromagnetism2425%
Unit 4 Topic 1: Special relativity19.220%
Unit 4 Topic 2: Quantum theory14.415%
Unit 4 Topic 3: The Standard Model14.415%

Week by week

  1. Week 1Unit 3 Topic 1: Gravity and motion
  2. Week 2Unit 3 Topic 1: Gravity and motion
  3. Week 3Unit 3 Topic 1: Gravity and motion
  4. Week 4Unit 3 Topic 1: Gravity and motion
  5. Week 5Unit 3 Topic 1: Gravity and motion
  6. Week 6Unit 3 Topic 1: Gravity and motion
  7. Week 7Unit 3 Topic 2: Electromagnetism
  8. Week 8Unit 3 Topic 2: Electromagnetism
  9. Week 9Unit 3 Topic 2: Electromagnetism
  10. Week 10Unit 3 Topic 2: Electromagnetism
  11. Week 11Unit 3 Topic 2: Electromagnetism
  12. Week 12Unit 3 Topic 2: Electromagnetism
  13. Week 13Unit 4 Topic 1: Special relativity
  14. Week 14Unit 4 Topic 1: Special relativity
  15. Week 15Unit 4 Topic 1: Special relativity
  16. Week 16Unit 4 Topic 1: Special relativity
  17. Week 17Unit 4 Topic 1: Special relativity, Unit 4 Topic 2: Quantum theory
  18. Week 18Unit 4 Topic 2: Quantum theory
  19. Week 19Unit 4 Topic 2: Quantum theory
  20. Week 20Unit 4 Topic 2: Quantum theory
  21. Week 21Unit 4 Topic 2: Quantum theory, Unit 4 Topic 3: The Standard Model
  22. Week 22Unit 4 Topic 3: The Standard Model
  23. Week 23Unit 4 Topic 3: The Standard Model
  24. Week 24Unit 4 Topic 3: The Standard Model
  25. Week 25A timed multiple-choice check and a set of short response questions, then review every lost mark
  26. Week 26A timed multiple-choice check and a set of short response questions, then review every lost mark

Check your topics with the free test

External examination50% of the subject result, on Units 3 and 4
PapersTwo, each 5 minutes perusal and 90 minutes working
Question typesMultiple choice, single words, sentences or paragraphs, calculations
ProvidedThe QCAA Physics formula and data book
CalculatorQCAA-approved graphics or scientific

The five topics

Unit 3 Topic 1 Gravity and motion and Unit 3 Topic 2 Electromagnetism; Unit 4 Topic 1 Special relativity, Unit 4 Topic 2 Quantum theory and Unit 4 Topic 3 The Standard Model. The syllabus gives them 22, 23, 16, 16 and 13 hours, and Units 1 and 2 are assumed knowledge.

The external examination

  • Two papers, each 5 minutes perusal and 90 minutes working, set and marked by the QCAA and sat by every school on the same day.
  • Each paper mixes question types on Units 3 and 4: multiple choice, single words, sentences or paragraphs, calculations, and unseen graphs, tables or diagrams.
  • A QCAA-approved graphics or scientific calculator is allowed, and the QCAA Physics formula and data book is provided.

The internal assessments

The other 50% is internal: a data test (10%), a student experiment (20%) and a research investigation (20%), set by your school.

Try 2 questions

Question 1
The graph shows the vertical velocity of a ball, taking up as positive, from the moment it is thrown until it returns to the height it was thrown from. Ignore air resistance. What is the greatest height the ball reaches above its starting point?
Question 2
The graph shows the Lorentz factor γ = 1/√(1 − v²/c²) against speed. A spacecraft passes Earth at 0.80c. A light on the spacecraft flashes every 6.0 s according to the crew. Reading from the graph, what is the time between flashes measured by an observer on Earth?

Next step

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Questions people ask

What is in the external examination?

Units 3 and 4: gravity and motion, electromagnetism, special relativity, quantum theory and the Standard Model.

Are Units 1 and 2 in the exam?

The exam is set on Units 3 and 4, and Units 1 and 2 are assumed knowledge, so motion, forces, energy, waves and circuits appear inside questions on Units 3 and 4.

Can I use a calculator?

Yes, a QCAA-approved graphics or scientific calculator, and the formula and data book is provided in both papers.