QCE Physics 2021

What this paper assessed

This paper assessed motion, fields, electromagnetism, and a contemporary topic from the option unit. Many items required students to extract data from a graph, apply a relationship, then comment on the limitations of the model. The extended response rewarded structured reasoning over volume of writing. The 2021 paper sat in a year of COVID disruption, so pacing under exam conditions was a known stress point.

Strategy

List the formula, the substituted values, and the answer with units on three separate lines. For graph-based questions, mark gradient and intercept directly on the page before stating the physical meaning. In conceptual items, name the law being applied before describing the effect.

Common errors students made

Common errors included missing units, mixing scalar and vector quantities, and treating projectile motion as one-dimensional. Students often forgot that induced EMF depends on rate of change of flux rather than flux itself.

Linked resources

For full questions and the official marking report, see the QCE authority page linked in the frontmatter above.