How to Revise for GCSE Physics

Revising for GCSE Physics can feel daunting at first - but it doesn’t have to. With the right strategies, you can build confidence, deepen your understanding, and achieve your goals. 

In my teaching career of almost 30 years, I've worked with many GCSE Physics students who begin feeling unsure about how to effectively revise. However, here's what I've learned: with good preparation, the vast majority of students finish with their target grades, and quite a few do even better than they expected.

In this guide, you'll discover exactly how to revise for GCSE Physics using proven strategies that work. Physics is actually a wonderfully logical subject – once you understand the key phenomena, you can apply this understanding to loads of different scenarios and questions. 

Let's explore the best ways to build your confidence and make those physics concepts crystal clear.

How to Start Revising for GCSE Physics

Starting to learn how to revise for GCSE Physics effectively begins with smart planning. As Head of Physics with experience of the curriculum and exam procedures, I can tell you that the students who plan well are the ones who feel most confident come exam time.

Understanding Your Exam Structure

Most exam boards (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC) have 2 written papers for both tiers. When revising, you can organise your work around this structure. The first paper typically covers topics from the first half of your course, while the second paper focuses on the second half. This can help you plan your revision timeline effectively, though remember that some topics may appear across both papers.

Create Your Revision Roadmap

Building a realistic revision timetable early gives you the best chance of success.

Here’s how to make revision work for you:

• Start your revision as early as possible – spreading it over several months helps information stick better.

• Allocate extra time for topics that feel more challenging.

• Build in regular breaks – your brain processes information better with rest!

• Set small, achievable daily goals rather than massive weekly ones. For example: “Today I’ll complete three practice questions on forces” rather than “This week I’ll master all of mechanics.”

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Before diving into revision, it's really helpful to understand where you stand with different topics. Here's a smart approach:

Use your GCSE physics exam board specification as your checklist. Print out a copy or view it digitally, then go through each topic and honestly assess yourself. You could use a simple system like:

• Green tick for topics you feel confident about

• Orange for topics you partially understand

• Red cross for topics that need significant work

Many exam boards (like AQA, Edexcel, and OCR) provide student checklists alongside their specifications – ask your teacher about these as they're brilliant for tracking your progress.

You could also try a few practice questions from different topics to see where you feel most comfortable. These areas where you're less confident become your revision priorities – give them extra time and attention.

Get Your Resources Organised

Having everything in one place helps you focus on learning rather than searching. Consider gathering:

• Your class notes and revision notes

• Past papers and mark schemes

• Formula sheets (though remember, these are provided in exams)

• Flashcards for key concepts and definitions

• Writing materials that work for you – whether that's simple pens, coloured ones, or highlighters

Choose whatever organisational system suits your learning style. Some students love colour-coding everything, while others prefer straightforward notes. The key is having a system that makes sense to you.

Effective Revision Techniques for GCSE Physics

Now for the good stuff – the revision methods that actually work for physics!

Master the Physics Formulas

Let’s be honest – physics has a lot of formulas. But here’s the thing: you don’t need to fear them, you need to befriend them.

Good news: You don’t need to memorise formulas anymore – they’re provided in the exam. That means you can focus on understanding when and how to use them.

Here’s how to make formulas work for you:

• Create flashcards with the formula on one side and practice questions on the other.

• Focus on applying formulas in different scenarios – this is where real learning happens.

• Understand the story behind each formula. For example, F = ma shows how force, mass, and acceleration relate. If you flick two paper cups – one empty and one full of coins – the lighter one accelerates more. That’s because mass resists acceleration, and more force is needed to move heavier objects.

• Make it visual: draw diagrams showing what each symbol represents and when you’d use that formula.

Top Tip: In my experience, students who understand how formulas connect concepts are the ones who thrive. Recognising which formula fits which type of question is your real superpower.

Practice Past Papers and Exam-Style Questions

This is one of the most effective ways to revise. Students who regularly practise past papers consistently perform better.

How to use past papers like a pro:

• Start with older papers for practice; save recent ones for final revision.

• Time yourself – aim for 1 to 1.5 minutes per mark.

• Use mark schemes to understand what examiners want.

• Spot patterns in frequently asked topics – these are your exam essentials.

• Read examiner reports for insights into common mistakes.

Remember: Mistakes are valuable. They show you exactly what to work on next.

Use Diagrams and Visual Aids

Physics loves pictures! From circuit diagrams to wave patterns, visual learning is your best friend.

Make physics visual:

• Sketch simple diagrams – clarity matters more than artistic skill.

• Label thoroughly and explain what’s happening.

• Create mind maps to link related concepts.

• Use colour, symbols, or checkmarks to track progress.

Visual learning isn’t just about drawing. Organising information spatially helps you understand and remember it better.

Tackle Common Misconceptions in Physics

Every physics student falls into the same traps – but knowing about them helps you avoid them. Here are a few I’ve seen repeatedly in my classroom:

• Forces: Constant velocity means zero resultant force (Newton’s 1st law). Action-reaction pairs act on different objects (Newton’s 3rd law).

• Energy: Use “energy stores” and “transfers” instead of outdated “forms” and “transformations”.

• Electricity: Voltage drives current; power is the rate of energy transfer.

• Magnetism: Only ferromagnetic materials (iron, steel, cobalt, nickel) are magnetic. Like poles repel; unlike poles attract.

• Waves: Waves transfer energy, not matter. Think of “the wave” at a football match – the pattern moves, but each person stays in place.

Beat the misconceptions: When you get a question wrong, ask yourself, “What was I thinking?” Then write it out like this:

Many people believe…
However…
The correct physics is…

This strategy helps you separate incorrect ideas from accurate understanding.

For example:

Many people believe that if an object is moving, there must be a force acting on it.
However, if the object is moving at a constant speed in a straight line, the resultant force is actually zero.
The correct physics is that forces are only needed to change motion, not to maintain it. This is Newton’s First Law of Motion.

Revise Practical Skills

Here’s something I always tell my students: practical work matters. You’ll definitely be asked about experiments in your exam.

How practical work is assessed:

• All exam boards assess practical skills through written papers.

• Around 15% of marks are allocated to “Working Scientifically” – so it’s worth preparing well.

Master the required practicals: For each one, make sure you know:

• Method: What steps did you follow and why?

• Equipment: What did you use and how did it work?

• Variables: Independent (what you changed), dependent (what you measured), control (what you kept the same)

• Safety: What could go wrong and how to prevent it?

• Sources of error: What might affect accuracy?

• Improvements: How could the experiment be more reliable?

Use the acronym MEVASI to structure 5-6 -mark answers:

• Method

• Equipment

• Variables

• Accuracy

• Safety

• Improvements

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the Best Way to Memorise Physics Formulas?

Here’s some great news: you don’t actually need to memorise physics formulas anymore! All the major exam boards (AQA, Edexcel, and OCR) now provide complete formula sheets during your GCSE Physics exams.

This means you can focus on what’s really important: understanding when and how to use each formula. Practice recognising which formula fits which type of question – that’s your real superpower for exam success.

That said, some students still find it helpful to learn a few key formulas to speed up their thinking during exams. If you want to try mnemonics for any formulas, make them silly and memorable! For example, for the wave equation v = fλ (velocity = frequency × wavelength), you could use:

• “Very Fast Llamas”

• Or a story like “Velociraptors Frequently Love λamb chops!”

The more ridiculous, the more memorable!

How Much Should I Practise Past Papers?

Aim to complete at least 3-4 full past papers for each exam you’re taking, plus extra questions on your weaker topics.

Start practising individual questions early in your revision, then build up to full timed papers closer to the exam. Quality beats quantity – it’s better to do fewer papers and really learn from your mistakes than to rush through loads without reflecting on what went wrong.

How Can I Improve My Physics Exam Technique?

• Read questions carefully and look for key command words like explain, calculate, or compare.

• Show all your working in calculations – even if your final answer is wrong, you can still get method marks.

• Use proper scientific terminology and be specific in your explanations.

• For longer answers, structure your response with clear points.

• Practise under timed conditions so you can manage your time effectively in the real exam.

Final Thoughts

After nearly three decades of teaching GCSE Physics, I’ve seen that success isn’t about being naturally brilliant – it’s about being consistent, strategic, and believing in yourself.

Physics is logical. Once you understand the principles, you can apply them to new scenarios with confidence. Many of my students who once felt unsure have gone on to achieve excellent grades – and some even chose physics at A-level.

So take a deep breath, make a plan, and start revising. You’ve got this!

And remember…

Revising for GCSE Physics doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Save My Exams helps you to make a clear plan, tackle topics in small steps, and focus on the areas you find trickiest. 

It also gives you tips on using past papers, flashcards, and revision notes, so you can build confidence and really see your progress. If you want extra support and resources designed to help you get exam-ready, explore our GCSE Physics resources.