WJEC GCSE Physics: units, papers, grades and 2027 dates

WJEC GCSE Physics: the specification

The specification is version 3 from February 2026, approved by Qualifications Wales as C00/0780/0. Teaching began in 2016, the new Unit 3 is for first teaching from 2026 and it is first awarded in 2028. Eduqas runs separate physics specifications in England because this one is closed to English centres.

WJEC GCSE Physics papers

Papers mix short answers, structured questions, extended writing and data response. WJEC sets at least 30% of the marks on mathematical skills, the highest share of the three single sciences, and at least 15% on scientific enquiry. Foundation candidates are not asked to change the subject of an equation, though they must use equations in other forms. Unit 3 is an enquiry run in school and marked by WJEC. Dates sit in our WJEC GCSE timetable 2027.

What each Physics unit covers

Unit 1: Electricity, Energy and Waves

• 1.1 Electric circuits
• 1.2 Generating electricity
• 1.3 Making use of energy
• 1.4 Domestic electricity
• 1.5 Features of waves
• 1.6 The total internal reflection of waves
• 1.7 Seismic waves
• 1.8 Kinetic theory
• 1.9 Electromagnetism

Unit 2: Forces, Space and Radioactivity

• 2.1 Distance, speed and acceleration
• 2.2 Newton's laws
• 2.3 Work and energy
• 2.4 Further motion concepts
• 2.5 Stars and planets
• 2.6 The Universe
• 2.7 Types of radiation
• 2.8 Half-life
• 2.9 Nuclear decay and nuclear energy

Higher-only content is bold. Because the equations are printed in the paper, the skill is choosing the right one, substituting carefully and giving a unit.

Worked examples in WJEC Physics style

Energy and cost of electricity

A 2.5 kW heater runs for 3 hours. Electricity costs 28p per kWh. Energy transferred in kWh is power in kW times time in hours, then multiply by the cost per kWh:

Half-life

A sample has an activity of 640 Bq and a half-life of 12 hours. After 36 hours there have been 36 ÷ 12 = 3 half-lives, and the activity halves each time:

The activity falls to 80 Bq. Show each halving, because a correct method with an arithmetic slip still earns marks.

WJEC GCSE Physics grades

Raw marks become uniform marks, which are added to a total out of 400. Grades run A* to G on two tiers, Higher from A* to D and Foundation from C to G, with U below G. Foundation candidates top out at 125 uniform marks in each written unit. WJEC's equivalences:

The raw boundaries move every series and arrive on results day. Physics is sat in the summer, a unit can be resat once, and 40% of the assessment has to come in the cash-in series. Read GCSE grades in Wales for the scale.

Use the daily paper as a short timed mock for WJEC GCSE Physics

For Physics there are two tracks, GCSE Physics Foundation and GCSE Physics Higher. A daily paper is 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks and is not a WJEC paper.

• What it covers well: circuits and mains electricity, energy stores, waves and the electromagnetic spectrum, forces and motion, half-life and radioactivity, electromagnetism and space physics, which cover much of both units.
• What it does not cover: none of its topics is total internal reflection, seismic waves or generating electricity, and it does not include the Unit 3 enquiry. Practise those from WJEC papers.

Use the daily paper to rehearse choosing and rearranging equations at speed, then check with a WJEC unit paper once a week where you meet the printed equation list and longer calculations.

Exam answers

Nothing on this page, or on Uni-Sine, is an official answer or a past paper solution. Today's paper comes with its own answers and worked mark scheme once it is marked.

Common mistakes in WJEC GCSE Physics

• Using the wrong unit for energy, such as kWh where the equation needs joules, or minutes where it needs seconds.
• Rearranging first and substituting second. On Higher tier, rearrange symbols before putting numbers in.
• Quoting the wrong half-life count. Divide the time by the half-life to get the number of halvings.
• Ignoring significant figures in answers. Give the same number as the data.

Read next

UK · GCSEWJEC GCSE Physics grade boundaries 2026: marks per gradeWJEC's June 2026 GCSE Physics boundaries: fixed UMS totals, the raw marks for Units 1 to 3 on both tiers, and the big Foundation Unit 1 shift since 2025.