OCR A-level Physics (H556): papers, marks and grade boundaries

OCR A-level Physics at a glance

OCR offers two A-level physics courses: Physics A (H556) and Physics B, Advancing Physics (H557). This guide covers Physics A. It is a linear qualification with one exam series each year in May and June, and a practical endorsement that is reported separately.

The marks add up to 270. All components include synoptic assessment, extended response questions and stretch and challenge questions for the top grades.

What each paper covers

Paper 1: Modelling physics

Section A is 15 marks of multiple choice and Section B is 85 marks of structured, problem solving, calculation, practical and extended response questions. It examines module 2 (foundations: units, uncertainties, scalars and vectors), module 3 (forces and motion: kinematics, projectiles, dynamics, density and pressure, work and energy, materials, collisions) and module 5 (Newtonian world and astrophysics: thermal physics and ideal gases, circular motion, simple harmonic motion, gravitational fields, stars and the universe), with the practical skills of module 1.

Paper 2: Exploring physics

The same layout of 15 multiple choice marks and 85 written marks. It examines module 4 (electrons, waves and photons: charge, circuits, internal resistance, potential dividers, waves, superposition, stationary waves, the photoelectric effect and wave-particle duality) and module 6 (particles and medical physics: capacitors, electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic induction, nuclear physics and imaging), with modules 1 and 2.

Paper 3: Unified physics

A 70 mark paper with no multiple choice section, made of short answer and extended response questions that can draw on all six modules. Because it draws on every module, revise the links between topics as well as each topic on its own.

Calculator and Data, Formulae and Relationships booklet

OCR permits a scientific or graphical calculator in components 01, 02 and 03, subject to the JCQ rules. OCR’s specification also contains a Data, Formulae and Relationships booklet that is printed for distribution with the examination papers, and learners are expected to become familiar with it during the course. It gives constants such as g = 9.81 m s⁻², e = 1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹ C, c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m s⁻¹ and h = 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ J s, and formulae including the uniformly accelerated motion equations. Definitions and the meaning of each symbol are still yours to learn.

Worked examples in OCR style

Forces and motion: a projectile

A ball is kicked at 22 m s⁻¹ at 40° above the horizontal from level ground. Ignore air resistance and take g = 9.81 m s⁻². Find the time of flight and the range.

Always resolve into horizontal and vertical components first. Gravity changes only the vertical motion, while the horizontal velocity stays the same. Then try a projectile in our Laws of Motion course:

Electricity: internal resistance

A cell of e.m.f. 6.0 V drives a current of 1.2 A through a 4.0 Ω resistor. Find the internal resistance.

Check with ε = I(R + r): 1.2 × (4.0 + 1.0) = 6.0 V. A check like this is worth doing in every question where the answer can be fed back in.

Photons: the photoelectric effect

Ultraviolet light of wavelength 350 nm hits a metal whose work function is 2.5 eV. What is the greatest kinetic energy an emitted electron can have?

Convert between joules and electronvolts by dividing or multiplying by 1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹. Most errors in this topic come from mixing the two units or forgetting to convert nanometres to metres.

Grades and June 2026 grade boundaries

OCR adds your three paper marks into a total out of 270 and compares it with the boundaries. This table is from OCR’s document published on 14 September 2026 for the June 2026 series. Boundaries change from year to year.

Worked through: 60, 70 and 36 give 166 out of 270, which is a B (151) and 12 marks short of an A (178). Paper 1 needed 75 out of 100 for an A*, but Paper 2 needed 80.

Using the daily paper as a short timed mock

Uni-Sine publishes a free daily paper for 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 OCR paper and it is much shorter than a real one, so use it for regular quick practice alongside full past papers.

• Physics Advanced 1 covers DC circuits and internal resistance, measurements and uncertainties, progressive and stationary waves, kinematics and projectiles, refraction and diffraction, particles and antiparticles, work, energy and power, moments, materials and Young modulus, momentum and the photoelectric effect.
• Physics Advanced 2 covers electromagnetic induction, gravitational fields, thermal physics and ideal gases, electric fields, mass and binding energy, capacitors, magnetic fields, circular motion, simple harmonic motion and radioactivity.
• It does not rehearse the longer, synoptic Paper 3 style. For advice on running a mock, see our A-level mocks guide and the A-level Physics guide.

Taking the WJEC Eduqas course instead? Read our Eduqas A-level Physics guide, which has its own papers and boundaries.

Exam answers

Uni-Sine does not publish official answers or mark schemes for OCR 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 OCR A-level Physics

• Forgetting units or leaving the wrong prefix. Convert nanometres, millimetres and microfarads to SI units before substituting.
• Treating a vector like a scalar. Resolve components, add them, then find the magnitude and direction.
• Rounding in the middle. Keep the calculator value and give the final answer to the same number of significant figures as the least precise data.
• Drawing a graph without using it. Gradient and area questions need a clear triangle or shape on the line of best fit.
• Ignoring uncertainty. State percentage uncertainties and combine them correctly, since they appear in all three papers.

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UK · A-levelOCR A-level Physics grade boundaries 2026: A* to EOCR A-level Physics June 2026 boundaries for Physics A (H556) and Physics B (H557), paper by paper, plus AS, with three years compared.