COURSE OVERVIEW
A Level Physics goes into much more depth and breadth than GCSE. It covers from quantum physics and the tiny world of quarks up to the incredibly massive Universe itself. Motion, forces, energy, matter and materials are all studied and their application to many different areas are explored.
The Physics A Level course is split into six modules. Modules 1 and 2 are the basic skills that are required and are transferrable across the entire curriculum:
(1) Development of Practical Skills in Physics and,
(2) Foundations of Physics Modules 3 to 6 focus on the subject in specific detail:
(3) Forces and Motion
(4) Electrons, Waves and Photons
(5) Newtonian World and Astrophysics
(6) Particles and Medical Physics
ASSESSMENT
The A Level Physics course will be assessed via three exams at the end of Year 13:
Paper 1 - Modelling Physics (Modules 1, 2, 3, 5) Written Exam (2 hours 15 minutes)
Multiple choice and short answer questions.
Paper 2 - Exploring Physics (Modules 1, 2, 4, 6) Written Exam (2 hours 15 minutes) Multiple choice and short answer questions.
Paper 3 - Unified Physics (Modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Written Exam (1 hour 30 minutes) Short and long answer questions.
WHERE CAN IT LEAD?
Studying Physics at A Level and beyond leads to many different exciting career options, which directly include (alphabetically): Armed forces and defence solutions, Astronomy, Education, Engineering (aerospace, automotive, chemical, civil, mechanical, mining, structural), Medicine, Meteorology and climate change, Nanotechnology, Oil and gas, Renewable energy, Scientific research, Space exploration industries and Telecommunications. Follow the link to the careers section on the Institute of Physics website for further detail - http://www.iop.org/careers/index.html