OCR A Level Physics B (Advancing Physics) (H557)
Exam structure at a glance for OCR A Level Physics B (Advancing Physics): every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus the facts and links you need.
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- Board
- OCR
- Specification code
- H557
- 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component 01: Fundamentals of physics | 2 h 15 min | 110 | 41% | Written paper across the course. |
| Component 02: Scientific literacy in physics | 2 h 15 min | 100 | 37% | Written paper including questions on a pre-release Advance Notice article. |
| Component 03: Practical skills in physics | 1 h 30 min | 60 | 22% | Written paper on practical skills. |
| Component 04: Practical Endorsement Endorsement | not stated | – | Reported separately | Teacher-assessed practical skills (at least 12 practical activities across PAG1-PAG12); reported separately as Pass/Not Classified. |
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: Teacher-assessed Practical Endorsement: at least 12 practical activities (PAG1-PAG12).
- Pre-release material: Advance Notice article for component 02 (spec section 5f).
- Data booklet: Data, Formulae and Relationships booklet (spec section 5c) available in the exams.
- Calculators: Scientific or graphical calculator in components 01, 02 and 03 (JCQ rules).
- Pre-release material: Advance Notice article for component 02 (spec section 5f).
- Status: OCR is withdrawing Physics B: final first teaching September 2026, final A level assessment June 2028, final AS June 2027 (no resit).
- Practical endorsement: reported separately as Pass or Not Classified; it does not count towards the A level grade.
- AS level: H157 (AS marks do not count towards the A level)
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
- OCR: Specification at a glance (board website)
- OCR: Specification (PDF, board website)
- OCR: Past papers and mark schemes (board website)
- OCR: Grade boundaries (board website)
Facts checked against: ocr.org.uk, ocr.org.uk, ocr.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 OCR A Level Physics B (Advancing Physics) exams?
Component 01: 2 h 15 min; Component 02: 2 h 15 min; Component 03: 1 h 30 min.