Eduqas A-level Physics (A420QS): papers, options and grade boundaries

Eduqas A-level Physics at a glance

WJEC Eduqas is the exam board that offers WJEC qualifications in England. Its A-level Physics (entry code A420QS) is regulated by Ofqual, taught from 2015 and first awarded in 2017. It is linear, so all the papers are sat at the end of the course in the May and June series.

That is 320 marks. The papers mix short answer and extended answer questions, and some are set in a practical context.

What each component covers

Component 1: Newtonian Physics

Section A (80 marks) covers basic physics, kinematics, dynamics, energy concepts, circular motion, vibrations, kinetic theory and thermal physics. Section B (20 marks) is a single comprehension question, which asks you to read a passage and answer questions on it.

Component 2: Electricity and the Universe

This 2 hour paper covers the conduction of electricity, resistance, DC circuits, capacitance, solids under stress, electrostatic and gravitational fields of force, using radiation to investigate stars, and orbits and the wider universe.

Component 3: Light, Nuclei and Options

Section A (100 marks) covers the nature of waves, wave properties, refraction of light, photons, lasers, nuclear decay, particles and nuclear structure, nuclear energy, magnetic fields and electromagnetic induction. Section B (20 marks) covers one option chosen from Alternating Currents, Medical Physics, The Physics of Sports, and Energy and the Environment.

Practical work, calculators and maths

The practical endorsement is a non-exam assessment of practical competency. It is reported separately and does not contribute to the final grade. The specification’s maths appendix expects you to use calculators for sine, cosine and tangent, power, exponential and logarithmic functions, and to work in decimal and standard form, so check your calculator is in degree mode and that you can use its exponential and log keys for capacitor and decay questions.

Worked examples in Eduqas style

Capacitance: discharge through a resistor

A 470 µF capacitor charged to 9.0 V discharges through a 22 kΩ resistor. Find the time constant and the potential difference after 10 s.

Convert microfarads and kilohms to farads and ohms first. After one time constant the potential difference falls to 37% of the start. Practise related graph skills in our Electricity course:

Kinetic theory: the ideal gas equation

A gas at 1.0 × 10⁵ Pa occupies 2.0 × 10⁻³ m³ at 300 K. How many moles are present? Take R = 8.31 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹.

Temperature must be in kelvin, so add 273 to a Celsius value. Check the units cancel to moles.

Circular motion: a car on a bend

A 1200 kg car takes a bend of radius 50 m at 15 m s⁻¹.

That force is directed towards the centre of the circle and is provided by friction between the tyres and the road. It does no work on the car, because it is at right angles to the motion.

How Eduqas differs from OCR

Both boards offer a linear A-level in physics with a separate practical endorsement. Eduqas has three papers of unequal length and weight, with a comprehension question in Component 1 and a 20 mark option in Component 3. OCR Physics A has two 100 mark papers of 2 hours 15 minutes and a 70 mark paper of 1 hour 30 minutes. Pick past papers from your own board. The OCR A-level Physics guide covers the other course.

Grades and June 2026 grade boundaries

Eduqas adds your component marks into a total out of 320 and compares it with the qualification boundaries. Component boundaries are notional and are a guide for analysis, not official grades. This table is from Eduqas’ GCE A Level Grade Points document for June 2026. Eduqas says it releases boundaries on results day after awarding.

Worked through: 70, 65 and 80 give 215 out of 320, which is above the grade B boundary of 199 and 22 marks short of an A (237).

Using the daily paper as a short timed mock

Uni-Sine publishes a free daily paper on each A-level physics track, with a new one every day. It is a short timed paper of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks, marked instantly with worked answers. It is not an Eduqas paper and it is much shorter than a 2 hour paper, so use it for quick regular practice alongside full Eduqas past papers.

• Physics Advanced 1 covers circuits, uncertainties, waves, kinematics, refraction, particles, work and energy, moments, materials and momentum, which supports Components 1 and 3.
• Physics Advanced 2 covers induction, gravitational fields, thermal physics and ideal gases, electric fields, capacitors, magnetic fields, circular motion, simple harmonic motion and radioactivity, which supports Components 1 to 3.
• It does not cover the options or the Component 1 comprehension question. Use Eduqas past papers for those. See our A-level mocks guide and the A-level Physics guide for more.

Exam answers

Uni-Sine does not publish official answers or mark schemes for Eduqas A-level Physics papers. The answers and a worked mark scheme for each question come with today’s paper once you have submitted it and it has been marked, so you can see where every mark was won or lost.

Common mistakes in Eduqas A-level Physics

• Skipping the comprehension question. It is 20 marks of Component 1 and a good way to pick up marks.
• Forgetting kelvin in gas and thermal questions.
• Calculator errors with exponentials, such as missing brackets around −t ÷ RC.
• Leaving the option until the end. It is 20 marks of Component 3.
• Dropping units and prefixes such as µF and kΩ.

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UK · A-levelEduqas A-level Physics grade boundaries 2026Eduqas's official June 2026 A-level Physics boundaries (A420QS) with each paper's mark and the uniform 3-mark rise from 2025.