Physics

Assessment

Whilst the entrance examination consists of some short-answer questions designed to test basic knowledge and recall, the emphasis is on testing a candidate’s ability to encounter a new idea and run with it quickly. The exam combines a variety of questions, some for which pupils are expected to perform calculations – for example, a question might require a candidate to calculate the acceleration of a rocket of a certain mass, with a certain combination of forces on it. Other questions may introduce an area of physics they have not seen before and ask them to think critically about it – for example, a question might give some information about a recent experiment they will not have come across, perhaps at CERN or NASA, and the candidate will have to demonstrate that they can analyse what the data are showing. The exam is not based on any particular (I)GCSE course and, as such, no particular knowledge is assumed beyond Key Stage 3 (i.e. Year 9). Extensive revision is not required but problem solving is a skill that requires practice; Isaac Physics or Intermediate Olympiad style questions might be a useful resource for a pupil to decide if Physics is right for them.