AQA A-level Physics (7408)
Exam structure at a glance for AQA A-level Physics: every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus the facts and links you need.
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- Board
- AQA
- Specification code
- 7408
- Level
- A level
- First teaching
- 2015
- First exams
- 2017
- Exam papers
- 3 · 6 h in total
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.
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Papers and weightings
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | What it is (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Sections 1-5 and 6.1 | 2 h | 85 | 34% | Measurements, particles and radiation, waves, mechanics and materials, electricity, periodic motion: 60 marks short/long answer plus 25 multiple choice. |
| Paper 2: Sections 6.2, 7 and 8 | 2 h | 85 | 34% | Thermal physics, fields and nuclear physics (assumes earlier sections): 60 marks short/long answer plus 25 multiple choice. |
| Paper 3: Practical skills and data analysis; option | 2 h | 80 | 32% | Section A (45 marks) on practical experiments and data analysis; Section B (35 marks) on one option: astrophysics, medical physics, engineering physics, turning points in physics or electronics. |
| Practical endorsement: Practical endorsement Endorsement | not stated | – | Reported separately | Teacher-assessed against the common practical assessment criteria; reported separately as Pass. |
Times are exam lengths; weightings are shares of the whole qualification. Summaries are in our own words.
Good to know
- Number of required practicals: 12
- Required practicals: 12 required practical activities (spec section 7.2); at least 15% of marks assess practical work.
- Maths skills: at least 40% of marks assess Level 2 (or higher) maths skills
- Practical endorsement: reported separately as Pass or Not Classified; it does not count towards the A level grade.
- AS level: 7407 – Separate AS qualification; components not stored yet. (AS marks do not count towards the A level)
Not yet confirmed by us: Data and formulae booklet not shown on the HTML pages read.. Check the official documents.
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- First exam (GCSE and A level): Mon, 10 May 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- Special consideration deadline: Wed, 30 June 2027
A levels are linear: all exams are sat at the end of the two-year course. Source: JCQ key dates June 2027. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates and results day.
Specification, past papers and grade boundaries
- AQA: Specification at a glance (board website)
- AQA: Specification (PDF, board website)
- AQA: Past papers and mark schemes (board website)
- AQA: Grade boundaries (board website)
Facts checked against: aqa.org.uk, aqa.org.uk, aqa.org.uk.
More packs
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, codes) are taken from each awarding body's own specification and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers, mark schemes or booklets are reproduced. Exam details checked against the board's specification on 2026-10-20. Always check the current specification on the board's website.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Ofqual and DfE pages on GOV.UK). Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education, Ofqual, JCQ, AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas.
Questions teachers ask
How long are the AQA A-level Physics exams?
Paper 1: 2 h; Paper 2: 2 h; Paper 3: 2 h.