01-VIC · Physics

Victorian Certificate of Education · VCAA· 2026

VCE Physics: complete 2026 guide to Units 1, 2, 3 and 4 (2023-2027 study design)

A complete 2026 guide to VCE Physics Units 1, 2, 3 and 4 under the 2023-2027 VCAA study design. The four units, the areas of study, the SAC and exam structure, scaling, and links to every dot-point answer we have for VCE Physics.

Browse guides Syllabus dot points (43)ATAR calculator

VCE Physics covers four units across Years 11 and 12, sat under the VCAA 2023-2027 study design. Units 1 and 2 set up thermodynamics, electricity, nuclear physics and motion in one dimension. Units 3 and 4 (the Year 12 sequence) build the fields framework, electromagnetic induction, waves, light and special relativity, and produce a VCE study score.

This page is the index. Below you will find every dot-point answer we have for VCE Physics in 2026, organised by unit and area of study, alongside the structural notes you need to plan study.

The four VCE Physics units in 2026

Unit 1: How is energy useful to society: Thermodynamics, heat transfer and climate; electric circuits (Ohm's law, series and parallel, power, household electricity); nuclear physics and radioactivity. Assessed at S/N level only.
Unit 2: How does physics help us to understand the world: Motion in one dimension (kinematics, Newton's laws, momentum, energy) plus a student-chosen option topic (for example astrophysics, sound, sport science). Assessed at S/N level only.
Unit 3: How do fields explain motion and electricity: Newtonian motion in two dimensions (projectiles, circular motion, momentum and impulse); gravitational, electric and magnetic fields; DC motors, electromagnetic induction, AC and DC generators, transformers and power transmission. Two SACs and exam.

Unit 4: How have creative ideas and investigation revolutionised thinking in physics? Mechanical and electromagnetic waves, interference and diffraction; the photoelectric effect and the wave-particle nature of light; Einstein's special relativity (time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy equivalence); and the Unit 4 student-designed scientific investigation.

Unit 3 dot-point guides

Unit 3 is one of the two assessed Year 12 units. It deepens into motion in two dimensions and the field models that explain non-contact forces and electromagnetic induction.

Area of Study 1: How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?

Area of Study 2: How do things move without contact?

Area of Study 3: How are fields used in electricity generation?

Unit 4 dot-point guides

Unit 4 covers wave behaviour, light as a wave and as a particle, atomic spectra, matter waves, and the student-designed investigation.

Area of Study 1: How has understanding about the physical world changed? Wave behaviour of light, photons and the photoelectric effect, atomic spectra, matter waves and wave-particle duality.

Area of Study 2: How is scientific inquiry used to investigate fields, motion or light? Electromagnetic spectrum context and the student-designed scientific investigation.

Exam structure (Units 3 and 4)

The VCE Physics exam is a single paper.

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes plus 15 minutes reading time.
Total marks: 130.
Section A: about 20 multiple-choice questions for 20 marks.
Section B: short-answer and extended-response questions for about 110 marks, including data analysis, graph sketching and several extended-response items worth 6 to 10 marks each.

Both Units 3 and 4 are examined. About half the marks test Unit 3 content (fields, motion in two dimensions, electromagnetic induction) and half test Unit 4 content (waves, light, special relativity), with some questions integrating across units.

How VCE Physics scales

VCE Physics typically scales up by 3 to 4 points. A study score of 30 commonly scales to around 33-34; a study score of 40 to around 43-44; a study score of 45 to around 48. Physics scales above Biology because of its smaller, more mathematical cohort. For ATAR planning, run scenarios in the VCE ATAR calculator.

Calculators and tools for Physics

Use these calculators alongside the Unit 3 dot-point pages. They are written against the same equations and units VCAA uses.

Projectile motion calculator for AoS 1 trajectory questions.
Centripetal force calculator for circular motion problems.
Banking angle calculator for banked-track questions.
Universal gravitation calculator and Kepler third-law calculator for AoS 2 gravitational-field problems.
Electric field calculator for Coulomb's law and parallel plates.
Lorentz force calculator for charges moving in magnetic fields.
DC motor torque calculator for AoS 3 motor questions.
Induced EMF calculator for Faraday's law.
Transformer calculator for turns ratios and power transmission losses.

Study strategy by unit

Units 1 and 2: Build your equation-handling base. Aim for one summary sheet per area of study with the equations, the units, and one fully worked numerical example. SACs reward careful unit conversion and explicit working.
Unit 3: This is the equation-heavy unit. Build a single A3 sheet of the field equations ( $F = GMm/r^2$ , $E = kQ/r^2$ , $F = qvB$ , $F = nBIL$ , $\varepsilon = -N \frac{d\Phi_B}{dt}$ ) and drill them across past papers. Use our Unit 3 dot-point pages as your active recall checklist.
Unit 4: This is more conceptual. Waves and the photoelectric effect reward clean graphs and explicit links between gradient or intercept and physical quantities. Special relativity rewards careful frame-of-reference language and unit-by-unit substitution into the time-dilation and length-contraction equations.

The system around VCE Physics

VCE Physics sits inside the wider VCE system. Related explainers:

How the VCE ATAR is calculated covers VTAC's aggregate and scaling mechanics.
How VCE study scores work explains the 0-50 scale and per-subject scaling offsets.
SACs and SATs explained covers internal assessment and moderation.
VCE exam day: what to actually expect covers logistics and timing.

How to use this hub

If you are starting Unit 3: work through AoS 1 in study-design order (Newton's laws and momentum first, then projectiles, then circular motion and banking). Move to AoS 2 once you can resolve forces and apply $F = ma$ cleanly. AoS 3 builds on AoS 2 and needs Faraday's law to be second nature.

If you are sitting the exam in three weeks: drill multiple choice from the last five years of past papers, write one full timed extended response per area of study, and re-read our VCE exam day guide. Polish what you have; do not start new content.

For the official VCAA Physics Study Design 2023-2027 and current past papers, refer to vcaa.vic.edu.au.

02-Guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

See all →

VCE Physics electromagnetism deep dive: fields, induction and transformersA complete walk-through of VCE Physics Unit 3 electromagnetism. Magnetic fields and forces, the DC motor, electromagnetic induction (Faraday and Lenz), generators (AC and DC), transformers and power transmission. Worked examples and the marker-pleasing answer pattern.19 min read VCE Physics practical investigation structure: the 2026 guideA complete guide to the VCE Physics Unit 4 student-designed practical investigation. The poster structure, marking criteria, uncertainty handling, and the routine that produces top-band reports.16 min read VCE Physics Unit 4 light and matter overview: photons, matter waves and special relativityAn overview of VCE Physics Unit 4 content: the wave model of light (interference, polarisation, refraction), the photon model (photoelectric effect, atomic spectra), matter waves and de Broglie, and Einstein's special relativity (time dilation, length contraction, mass-energy).19 min read VCE Physics Units 3 and 4 exam structure, scaling and study plan: the 2026 guideHow VCE Physics Units 3 and 4 are assessed by VCAA. SAC weightings, end-of-year exam structure (Section A and B), scaling history, the equipment and formula sheet, and a week-by-week study plan that produces top-band study scores.18 min read VCE Physics worked exam problems by Area of Study: the 2026 guideA complete guide to VCE Physics Unit 3-4 worked exam problems. Sample questions and step-by-step solutions for each Area of Study, organised by typical problem type.16 min read

03-Practice quizzes

VCE Physics practical investigation structure10 questions VCE Physics worked exam problems by Area of Study10 questions

04-The VCE system

general10 hardest VCE subjects in 2026 (and what hard actually means)A ranked list of the 10 hardest VCE subjects in 2026, based on cohort strength, content difficulty, time commitment and scaling. With the honest reasons each subject earns its place.scaling10 highest scaling VCE subjects in 2026 (with VTAC data)The 10 highest-scaling VCE subjects in 2026, ranked using the most recent publicly-released VTAC scaling means. Plus what scaling actually does to your ATAR and when high scaling is worth chasing.generalAI and academic integrity in 2026: what you can and cannot doAn honest 2026 guide to how Year 12 students can use AI tools well and where the line is. NESA, VCAA, and QCAA rules, what AI is actually good at, what it is bad at, and how to think about it without panicking.wellbeingExam stress, anxiety, and looking after yourselfAn honest guide to exam stress and mental health in Year 12. What is normal, what is not, when to ask for help, and what to do if it gets really hard. With the numbers you can call.uni pathwaysGap year or uni straight after school?A clear-eyed comparison of going straight to uni versus taking a gap year. Who benefits from each, how to actually defer your offer, common gap-year traps, and how to make either path work for you.

05-Common questions

How is VCE Physics structured in 2026?

VCE Physics runs across four units. Unit 1 (How is energy useful to society?) covers thermodynamics, electricity and nuclear physics. Unit 2 (How does physics help us to understand the world?) covers motion in one dimension plus an option topic. Unit 3 (How do fields explain motion and electricity?) covers Newtonian mechanics in two dimensions, gravitational, electric and magnetic fields, and electromagnetic induction including generators and transformers. Unit 4 (How have creative ideas and investigation revolutionised thinking in physics?) covers waves, the photoelectric effect, special relativity and the student investigation. Units 3 and 4 are the Year 12 sequence and produce a study score.

When is the VCE Physics exam in 2026?

The VCE Physics exam is sat in November as part of the VCAA written exam timetable. It is a single 2.5-hour paper plus 15 minutes reading time covering Units 3 and 4. Section A is about 20 multiple-choice questions (20 marks) and Section B is short-answer and extended-response questions for about 110 marks, including data analysis. Check the current VCAA exam timetable for the exact date.

How are VCE Physics study scores calculated?

Your VCE Physics study score is calibrated to a mean of 30 and SD of 7. Around 40 percent comes from your two Unit 3-4 School-Assessed Coursework (SAC) tasks and around 60 percent from the end-of-year exam. SACs are statistically moderated against your school's exam performance. Units 1 and 2 are satisfactory or non-satisfactory only and do not directly contribute to the study score, but they build the mechanics and electricity foundations for Units 3 and 4.

What changed in the 2023 VCE Physics study design?

The 2023-2027 study design (replacing the 2017-2022 design) restructured Unit 3 around fields. Newtonian motion in two dimensions (projectiles, circular motion, momentum and energy) was paired with gravitational, electric and magnetic fields and with electromagnetic induction. Unit 4 keeps waves, photoelectric effect and special relativity but reorganises the wave-particle nature of light content. Key science skills are now consistent across all four units, including a stronger role for the student-designed scientific investigation in Unit 4.

How does VCE Physics scale for ATAR?

VCE Physics typically scales up by a few points because the cohort is smaller and more mathematically prepared. A raw study score of 30 commonly scales to about 33-34, and a raw 40 to about 43-44. Physics is one of the better-scaling sciences, especially when taken with Specialist Mathematics. For exact scaling each year, check the VTAC scaling report.

What is the VCE Physics SAC structure?

In Units 3 and 4 you complete School-Assessed Coursework (SAC) tasks for each area of study. SAC formats include practical investigation reports, data analysis tasks, structured questions and modelling tasks. The Unit 4 student-designed scientific investigation (AoS 3) is a major SAC, often presented as a scientific poster. SACs are designed by your school but moderated against the exam.

How do I approach projectile motion problems?

Split the motion into horizontal (constant velocity) and vertical (constant acceleration due to gravity). Use t as the shared variable across both axes.

What's the difference between work and power?

Work (J) is energy transferred by a force over a distance. Power (W) is the rate of doing work — work divided by time.

When is momentum conserved?

In any collision (elastic or inelastic) where no external net force acts on the system. Kinetic energy is only conserved in elastic collisions.

What's the photoelectric effect?

Light shone on a metal can eject electrons, but only if the photon energy (hf) exceeds the work function. The kinetic energy of the ejected electron is hf - W. Evidence that light behaves as discrete quanta (photons).

How do magnetic forces on current-carrying wires work?

F = BIL sin θ for a wire in a uniform field B with current I and length L. Direction comes from the right-hand rule. Underpins motors, generators, and ammeters.