When you receive your paper, spend a few minutes examining the content of the various questions and decide fairly quickly which ones you can do best.

Tips for the top

Answer those questions first but do not spend more than the recommended 20-minute time limit.

For each question you choose, take a minute or two in planning your answer (particularly for the descriptive questions) and jot down the main points which you think are required. Arrange them in some sort of logical sequence and when you are reasonably satisfied with that, start writing your answer.

Don't waste too much time trying to think of the answers that don't immediately come to mind. Leave spaces and come back to them later.

Remember to attempt all parts of each question. If you really haven't a clue about an answer, make an educated guess rather than leaving a blank. You won't lose marks for an incorrect answer and you just might pick up a few marks for the guess. It might even be totally correct!

The marks for each part of a question are given at the right hand side of the paper. Most marks are given in units of three, which means that if there are 12 marks for a part of a question, four pieces of information are required. Try and envisage what these four essential pieces of information would be.

Note the key words in questions - state, explain, describe, calculate, sketch, etc. Do not waste time, for example, on a long explanation if a question only asked you to state a law or principle.

Read the questions carefully, and make sure you are answering what is asked.

In describing apparatus, the first thought should be a clearly labelled diagram, even though one may not be specifically requested. It is much easier to do a diagram than to write an adequate description. For the text, do not write it in essay style. List only the essential steps (and number them if you find it helpful) which you carry out as you do whatever it is. This sort of answer is easier and quicker to write than an essay-type answer.

CALCULATIONS

For calculations, show the starting point (generally the relevant equation) and the various stages, so that the examiner can follow what you are doing. The great advantage to doing this is that if you make a small mathematical slip and end up with the wrong answer, you can still score almost full marks. If you do not show your approach and method and end up with the same wrong answer, you score no marks. At the end of every calculation, give

(i) the correct unit,

(ii) the same number of significant figures as are used in the question. Do not confuse decimal places with significant figures. Do not write down all the digits displayed in your calculator, most of which will be meaningless. Check your answer: is it sensible? In particular, check the sign and the powers of 10: could you have made a simple mistake?

GRAPHS

In graphs, always:

(i) label the axes fully and carefully, with the names of the variables (what is being plotted) and the units,

(ii) put in the points and draw the graph in pencil - when you can erase mistakes which are all too easy to make,

(iii) use the space available. Do not plot graphs in small spaces;

(iv) use complete pages. Choose scales that are easy to use and so that the graph occupies most of a page.

QUESTION BY QUESTION

QUESTIONS 1 TO 4

These are based on experiments

HIGHER LEVEL

Frequently-asked topics here are

F = ma, conservation of momentum, specific heat capacity, specific latent heat, vibrations of strings, wavelength of light, resistivity.

ORDINARY LEVEL

Frequently-asked topics here are: measuring conservation of momentum, Snell's law, specific latent heat, change of resistance with temperature.

The following are also possibilities: measuring velocity, measuring ³g², F = ma, measuring the speed of sound and the wavelength of light.

QUESTION 5

Nine short questions are to be answered. These can be taken from any parts of the syllabus.

Only short answers are necessary, each generally needing two pieces of information.

QUESTIONS 6 TO 11

These are full questions needing detailed answers.

HIGHER LEVEL

Topics likely to appear here are: radioactivity, electromagnetic induction, resistance and resistivity, potential and kinetic energy, gravitation, geometrical optics.

ORDINARY LEVEL

Topics likely to appear here are: geometrical optics, radioactivity, electromagnetic induction, resistance and resistivity, potential and kinetic energy, force and acceleration, wave motion.

QUESTION 11

There are really two Questions 11 - only one of which can be done.

These are on the optional material

of the syllabus and the choice of question depends on which of the options has been studied.

(It is not of course essential to

choose Question 11 from the exam paper.)

QUESTION 12

This consists of a short scientific article (such as a newspaper report), about which a number of questions are asked.