AS Level Physics (9702): Notes, Past Papers & Online Classes
Everything you need for AS Physics — free topic notes, a paper-bypaper strategy for Papers 1, 2 and 3, past-paper technique and structured online classes taught by Sir Mahad Amer.
What this page covers
What is AS Level Physics?
AS Level Physics is the first year of Cambridge International A Level
Physics, syllabus code 9702. It establishes the foundations that the entire
qualification rests on: measurement and uncertainty, kinematics,
dynamics, energy, materials, waves, superposition, electricity and particle
physics.
AS matters more than most students realise. Your AS result contributes to
the final A Level grade, and — just as importantly — every A2 topic
assumes AS content is completely secure. Students who genuinely
understand AS find A2 manageable. Students who memorise their way
through AS almost always struggle in the second year.
AS Physics 9702 at a glance
- Syllabus code: 9702 (Cambridge International A Level Physics)
- Papers sat in AS: Paper 1 (multiple choice), Paper 2 (structured), Paper 3 (practical)
- Topics: 12 chapters from physical quantities to particle physics
- Counts towards: the final A Level grade
- Exam sessions: May/June and October/November
Full AS Level Physics topic list
Here is the complete AS content of the 9702 syllabus, with what each chapter is really assessing. Free notes for every topic are on our AS Level Physics notes page.
| Topic | What it actually tests |
|---|---|
| Physical Quantities & Units | SI base units, homogeneity of equations, prefixes, and expressing derived units correctly. |
| Errors & Uncertainties | The difference between precision and accuracy, and combining absolute and percentage uncertainties. |
| Scalars & Vectors | Resolving vectors into components and adding them — the skill that underpins all of mechanics. |
| Kinematics | Motion graphs, the equations of motion, and projectile motion treated as two independent components. |
| Dynamics | Newton's three laws, momentum conservation, and elastic vs inelastic collisions. |
| Forces, Density & Pressure | Moments, equilibrium of coplanar forces, upthrust and Archimedes' principle. |
| Work, Energy & Power | Energy conservation, efficiency, and work done as force times distance in the direction of the force. |
| Deformation of Solids | Hooke's law, stress, strain, the Young modulus, and reading force–extension graphs. |
| Waves | Wave properties, the wave equation, intensity, polarisation and the Doppler effect. |
| Superposition | Interference, path difference, the double-slit experiment, diffraction gratings and stationary waves. |
| Electricity | Current as rate of flow of charge, potential difference, resistance and resistivity. |
| D.C. Circuits | Kirchhoff's laws, series and parallel combinations, potential dividers and internal resistance. |
| Particle Physics | Atomic structure, the nucleus, fundamental particles and quark composition. |
AS papers explained: Paper 1, 2 and 3
| Paper | Format | What it rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Multiple choice on the AS syllabus. | Speed with precision. Most losses come from unit slips and sign errors, not difficult physics. |
| Paper 2 | Structured written questions. | Word-perfect definitions, visible working, and correct units carried through every step. |
| Paper 3 | Advanced practical skills, sat in a laboratory. | Careful measurement, sensible tables, well-plotted graphs and honest evaluation of the method. |
Underrated fact: Paper 3 is a practical skills paper, which means it rewards technique you can rehearse — reading instruments correctly, recording to consistent significant figures, drawing large clear graphs and identifying genuine sources of error. Students who practise these mechanics deliberately usually outperform students who simply know more theory
Why AS feels like a jump from O Level and IGCSE
Almost every student notices the step up. It is worth understanding exactly what changes, because the transition is manageable once you know what is being asked of you.
- Precision replaces approximation. — At O Level, a roughly correct explaination often earns the mark. At AS, Cambridge expects the exact defining statement.
- Uncertainty becomes examinable — Errors and uncertainties are a syllabus topic in their own right, not just good laboratory practice.
- The mathematics is heavier—Vector resolution, trigonometry and graph gradients appear constantly.
- Multi-step problems — specific to the experiment, not generic statements.
- Identifying genuine sources of error — specific to the experiment, not generic statements.
- Suggesting realistic improvements — “repeat and average” alone rarely earns full credit.
The AS topics students struggle with most
1. Errors and uncertainties
Rarely taught thoroughly, frequently examined. The rules are simple — add absolute uncertainties when adding or subtracting quantities, add percentage uncertainties when multiplying or dividing — but they must be applied automatically
2. Projectile motion
The whole topic collapses into one idea: horizontal and vertical motion are independent, connected only by time. Students who internalise this stop finding projectiles difficult.
3. Superposition and path difference
Interference questions are usually about geometry rather than physics. Once you can identify path difference confidently, constructive and destructive interference follow immediately.
4. Potential dividers and internal resistance
These questions look intimidating because the circuit changes as a component varies. Redrawing the circuit for each state, rather than trying to reason about it abstractly, resolves most of the difficulty.
Where AS Physics students actually lose marks
Across years of marking student work, the same avoidable losses appear:
- Definitions written approximately rather than in the exact syllabus wording.
- Missing units, or units omitted from graph axes and table headings.
- Rounding intermediate values, then losing the final accuracy mark.
- Answering “explain” questions with a calculation instead of reasoning.
- Graphs drawn too small — Cambridge expects plotted points to fill more than half the grid.
- Ignoring the mark allocation: a 4-mark question needs four distinct scoring points.
How to score an A in AS Physics
- 1
Make definitions automatic
Keep one page of every definition in the syllabus. Write them from memory weekly and check against the official wording until they are exact.
- 2
Do topical past papers immediately
Finish a chapter, then do past-paper questions on that chapter the same week. Waiting until the end of the year is the most common revision mistake
- 3
Practise Paper 3 mechanics deliberately
Table layout, significant figures, large graphs, gradient calculations shown clearly. These are habits, and habits are built by repetition.
- 4
Keep an honest error log
Record every mistake with its cause. Re-attempt those questions a week later. This single habit separates students who plateau from students who keep improving.
A term-by-term AS Physics study plan
| Stage | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units, uncertainties, vectors, kinematics, dynamics | Topical questions after each chapter; build the definitions page. |
| Term 2 | Forces, energy, materials, waves, superposition | Topical questions + first full Paper 1 attempts |
| Term 3 | Electricity, D.C. circuits, particle physics | Mixed-topic questions; begin timed Paper 2s |
| Term 4 | Weak topics from your error log; Paper 3 technique | One full Paper 1 and one Paper 2 weekly, self-marked |
AS Physics classes with Sir Mahad Amer
Our AS courses cover the complete 9702 AS syllabus with recorded lectures, topic notes, past-paper solutions and doubt-solving support — including the practical skills needed for Paper 3. Classes are online, so students join from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and across Pakistan, as well as from overseas.
AS Level
Related pages
From classroom learning to exam success
A structured system built around concept clarity and past-paper mastery
◆ Strong Concept Clarity
Every topic broken down from first principles so the ideas actually stick.
◆ Past-Paper Mastery
Structured past-paper drills that build real exam confidence and speed.
◆ Comprehensive Notes
Topic-wise notes and summaries aligned to the Cambridge syllabus.
