PHYSICS

General Advice
• There is no escaping it; thorough and careful revision is the best way to prepare for
a physics examination.
• Make your revision productive by making it interesting and fun. Make notes, revision
cards or mind maps. Revision should be an active process, i.e. you should be ‘doing
things’, not just sitting and reading a book.
• Do not try to learn it all in one go! Take regular breaks and review what you have
learnt regularly.
• Learning equations is essential; put them on small pieces of paper and stick them
somewhere you will see them every morning.
• Revise with a friend so you can test each other or try explaining the physics of a topic
to a friend – as if you were a teacher!
• Working through past paper questions is the best way to complete your revision. This
helps you to know the type and style of questions to expect in the examination.
• Try timed questions so you can learn to answer quickly.
• Get your answers checked so you know you are correct!

Spelling
The spelling of technical terms is important, so make sure your writing is legible as
well as spelt correctly. Some words are very similar, such as reflection and refraction,
fission and fusion. If the examiner cannot tell which one you have written, then you will
lose the mark. Make a list of technical terms and definitions in each section of the
syllabus, checking the spellings carefully.

General Tips
Always read the question carefully to make sure you have understood what you are
expected to do.
In descriptive answers, you should:
• check the number of marks available and make sure you give sufficient points.
• plan your answer first so that you don’t repeat yourself or contradict yourself.
• read your answer through carefully afterwards to check you have not missed out
important words.
• use sketches and diagrams wherever you can to help your explanation.
• add labels when referring to a diagram, e.g. point X, so that you can refer to it easily
in your explanation. This can save many words and much confusion.

In numerical answers, you should:

• quote any formulae you are going to use and show clearly all the steps in your
working. It may be tempting to use your calculator and just write down the answer; but
if you write down one figure wrongly then you may lose all the marks for the calculation.
If the examiner can see the formula and the numbers you have used then you will lose
only a little credit. Some questions ask for a formula to be quoted; even if you get the
right answer, failure to quote the formula will lose you a mark. • check the units are
consistent, e.g. if the distance is given in km and the speed in m/s, then you must
convert the km to m.
• be careful when you are converting minutes and seconds: 1 minute 30 seconds is
not 1.3 minutes and 150 seconds is not 1.5 minutes. These are common mistakes, so
always double check any conversion of units of time.
• state the answer clearly at the end.
• give your answer as a decimal to an appropriate number of significant figures. Don’t
leave your answer as a fraction unless specifically asked to do so.
• check that you have given the unit of your final answer.
• look at your final answer and see that it is reasonable. If you have calculated the cost
of using an electrical appliance such as a kettle for a few minutes and found it to be
hundreds of dollars, then check the powers of ten in your calculation.

Plotting graphs can be tested in Papers 4.

When drawing graphs, you should:
• remember to label the axes with both quantity (e.g. distance or d) and unit (e.g.
metres or m). Then write it as distance / metres or even just d / m.
• make sure the axes are the correct way round. You are usually told, for example, to
plot distance on the x-axis, so make sure you know that x is the horizontal axis!
• make the scales go up in sensible amounts, i.e. not 0, 3, 6… or 0, 7, 14 … but 0, 5,
10 … or 0, 2, 4 …. • make sure that the plotted points fill at least half the graph paper.
This means if you can double the scale and still plot all the points then you should
double the scale
• check if you have been told to start the scales from the origin. If not, then think
carefully about where to start the axes.
• use a sharp pencil to plot the points and draw the line.
• plot the points carefully. It is best to use small neat crosses. Every point will be
checked by the marker, and you will lose the mark if any are wrongly plotted.
• draw either a straight line or a smooth curve. In physics we never join the dots!
• remember that a best fit line (curve or straight) should have some points above and
some points below the line.

When taking readings from a graph, you should:

• draw a large triangle when measuring the gradient of a line. It must be at least half
the length of the line. Examiner’s tip – draw a triangle the full size of the graph! It is
best to show the numbers on the sides of the triangle when finding the gradient,
• always use points on the line, not your plotted points, when calculating the gradient.
• draw a tangent to find the gradient of a curve. Make sure it is at the right place on
the curve. Again, use a large triangle.
• make sure you read the scales correctly when reading a value from a graph. It may
be that they are in mA rather than A or km rather than m.

When describing the shape of a graph, remember that:

• directly proportional means a straight line through the origin. In this case, doubling
one quantity will cause the other to double; alternatively if two quantities F and l are
directly proportional then if you find several values of F/L they should be the same.
• if the straight line does not go through the origin, then it is just called a linear graph.
• if doubling one quantity causes the other to halve, then they are inversely proportional.
• if increasing one quantity causes the other to decrease, it is called an inverse
relationship.

Paper 2 Tips - Structured Questions

• Read all the three questions in section B before you make your choice of which two
questions to answer. Some students find it better - to read through the whole paper
before they start writing any answers at all - to start answering section B with the
question they think they can answer best. Whatever you do, you must plan your
answers to section B briefly, perhaps writing brief notes – but be sure to include all the
material you want to be marked in the correct place on your script.
• Read all the parts of a question before you start. It is often tempting to write too much
in the first part and then realise you have answered the second and third parts as well
but in the wrong place.
• Only answer the question asked. Don’t be tempted to give more detail than is required.
This wastes time and gains you no extra marks!
• If you are asked for two points (e.g. name two materials that are magnetic ….) then
don’t give three. If you give three and one is incorrect, you will only get one mark out
of two.
• Your answer should fit the space available. If it doesn’t, you are writing too much!
The number of lines given is a clue as to how much to write. Practise the size of your
writing: if it is too big, it will not fit in the space; if it is too small, then the examiner will
not be able to read it.
• Failure to give enough detail is a common cause of lost marks; for example If the
question asks you to describe the movement of electrons, then you must mention
electrons; if the direction of the current in a solenoid is reversed, then just saying that
the magnetic field changes is not enough - you need to say that the field reverses or
changes direction. If you describe the motion of molecules in a liquid then linking the
temperature to the average kinetic energy of the molecules is important. Molecules of
a gas exert a pressure on the walls of a container by colliding with the walls. Collisions
between the molecules themselves do not explain the pressure on the walls. To
increase the pressure, molecules can hit the walls harder or more often, i.e. at a
greater speed or more frequently. Take care to explain this clearly and without
contradiction!
• Make sure you know where to put ammeters and voltmeters in a circuit. Ammeters
are in series and voltmeters in parallel with other components. If you need to vary the
current, make sure you include a variable resistor or use a variable power supply.
• If the question asks you to”state and explain” you need state the answer then give a
clear explanation. The amount of detail depends upon the number of marks.
• Make sure that you link your answer to the question, rather than just quoting learnt
facts. For example, just stating that paper stops alpha is not enough if the question
asks why a radioactive tracer emitting alpha particles is not used inside the body.
• If you are asked to draw forces on a diagram, draw them through the point where
they act. Do not draw them floating in mid-air to the side of a diagram! Remember to
label them. Add an arrow to show the direction, e.g. if the question asks for “the force
exerted by the Sun on the Earth”, then since it is a force of attraction, the force arrow
must go from the Earth towards the Sun.

Some incorrect physics statements will lose a mark even if followed or accompanied
by a correct statement. Examples of such statements are:
• Renewable energy sources can be used again and again. Use the explanation that
there is an infinite supply or renewable energy sources will not run out.
• Heat rises. Note that it is either hot air or hot liquids that rise, carrying the heat energy
with them.
• Acceleration at a constant speed. This is a contradiction as if you travel at a constant
speed, you cannot be accelerating! When describing uniform acceleration, you can
say constant acceleration or accelerating at a constant rate.

CHEMISTRY
GENERAL TIPS
• Read the question correctly. For example, if the question says ‘give two observations
apart from temperature change’, don’t include temperature change in your answer
• Check for contradictions within your answer. For example, a common error is to write
‘a white insoluble precipitate dissolves’
Show any workings
• In any calculation, the final answer should be to the correct number of significant
figures – generally the same as the data. You may be penalized if you write an excess
number of significant figures e.g. 1.257487 instead of 1.26
• Know your syllabus statements and definitions exactly – use the Revision Checklist
on the website. Don’t add your own ideas to the statements. For example, the syllabus
statement on batteries says ‘they are portable’, meaning they can be easily carried
around: an answer such as ‘they are small’ may not be accepted, as something can
be small yet heavy
• If asked to ‘describe what you would observe’, write down what you see, hear or feel
(e.g. ‘the test tube gets hot’). A common mistake is to write something like ‘a gas is
given off’ or ‘copper is deposited’; these are not observations, these are conclusions
• If asked to ‘describe what you would see’, don’t note observations about sounds or
temperature • Learn your definitions! Questions such as “what is a compound?” or
“Define the mole.” are often poorly answered. Define does not mean ‘give an example
of.’
• When drawing diagrams:
(i) make sure they fill the space given on the paper and are LABELLED
(ii) when drawing apparatus for gas measurement, make sure that the gas cannot
escape. For example, don’t draw a gas syringe with the plunger much smaller than the
syringe barrel – this is a common error

• When asked to give examples, give the number requested by the examiner. For
example, if asked to give two examples, do not give three – if one is incorrect, you
may lose a mark. If a question asks for a single use for a substance don’t write a list –
the examiner will think you are ‘playing safe’ and you won’t get the mark
• If you have to tick boxes to answer a question, make sure that you tick the correct
number – don’t assume that a single answer is always required
• In chemistry, when plotting a graph of reaction rate, you must draw a curve of best
fit through your prints. Lines drawn with a ruler from point to point will not get a mark
• Look out for ‘hidden words’ in questions such as ‘which of the following is a gas
containing diatomic molecules?’ Many students focus on one or two words, and might
forget ‘gas’. Underline key words and read the question slowly
• Avoid vague statements. For example, if the question asks about the use of graphite,
the answer ‘graphite is used for electrodes in electrolysis’ is appropriately specific.
‘Graphite is used in electrolysis,’ is too vague

TIPS ON SPECIFIC TOPICS

Acids and bases
• Don’t confuse the pH scale with the degree of acidity. The more acidic the substance,
the lower the pH – learn this by remembering that ‘a’ (for acid) is the lowest numbered
letter of the alphabet
• A common error is to think that less sodium hydroxide is needed to neutralise a weak
acid than to neutralise a strong acid of the same concentration. The same amount is
needed because the hydroxide is reacting with all the acidic hydrogens in the molecule,
not just those that have ionised
• The phrase ‘explain why this acid is acting as a base’ demands a chemical reason
(usually based on particle theory). The examiner is looking for an answer involving
proton transfer. Vague answers (such as ‘it is neutralising the base’) are not accepted
as they do not give an explanation
• Simple inorganic salts such as sodium chloride are generally neutral when dissolved
in water – they are not acidic
• Nitric acid is a strong, not a weak, acid

Air and water

• To remember that carbon monoxide is poisonous (it binds to haemoglobin), think of
the ‘nox’ in carbon monoxide as being short for noxious (poisonous). The effects of
pollutant gases on nature are often confused, as not all pollutant gases are acidic.
Know the different effects of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide
• A common error is to think that fume cupboards keep air away from a reaction. Fume
cupboards have a continuous airflow to allow poisonous vapours to escape through
the fan (6.3(d)) Atomic structure and bonding
• It is a common mistake to count the bonds and not the electrons when asked about
the number of electrons shared between the atoms in a molecule. For example, the
number of shared electrons in methane is eight not four
• Take care when writing electronic structures including hydrogen. Always show the
hydrogen atom either as a circle or (if ionic) by its symbol. It is best practice to write
the symbol of the atom in the centre so it is clear to the examiner which atom is which
• When writing dot-and-cross diagrams for ionic structures, put the charge outside of
the brackets, at the top, not in the centre of the atom
• When asked about the number of covalent bonds in a compound, focus on the outer
energy level / shell electrons that are shared, not the total number of electrons.
Remember that some molecules have non-bonding pairs of electrons e.g. nitrogen
• When drawing dot-and-cross diagrams for molecules such as nitrogen which have
only three bonding pairs of electrons, don’t forget to draw in the lone pairs of electrons.
Remember that there must be eight electrons surrounding each atom
• Practice drawing diagrams of giant molecule structures, including silicon dioxide,
diamond and graphite, as these are nearly always drawn badly. You must show the
continuation bonds
Electrochemistry
• A common mistake is to think that sulphate ions break up during the electrolysis of
aqueous solutions into sulphur dioxide. In fact, oxygen is given off at the positive
electrode (from the electrolysis of the water)
• If the exam paper shows an electrical circuit to test conduction, observations can
also include what can be seen to be happening in the circuit e.g. ‘the bulb lights up’

Energy changes
• If asked whether a reaction is endothermic or exothermic, remember the following:
endothermic – heat is put in (e.g. you have to heat with a Bunsen to get a reaction);
exothermic – heat is given out (e.g. burning fuels and neutralisation reactions are
always exothermic)

Equations, formulae and moles

• If asked for a word equation, do not write a symbol equation. A word equation tests
knowledge of chemical names. Although a correct symbol equation is often accepted
this is not guaranteed and if you make an error, you won’t get the mark
• A common error is to think that a nitrate ion has a 2- charge. The formula for the
nitrate ion is NO 3 - .This makes the formula for nitric acid HNO3
• The charge on a silver ion is 1+. A common mistake is to think that silver has a 2+
charge
• When working out formulae, don’t be confused by oxidation numbers. A common
mistake is to think that the formula for lead(IV) oxide is PbO 4 or that lead(II) nitrate is
Pb2 (NO3 ). In a formula you have to balance the positive and negative charges.
Lead(IV) = 4+, lead(II) = 2+, oxide = 2- and nitrate = 1-. So lead(IV) oxide is PbO2 ,
and lead(II) nitrate is Pb(NO3)2
• If asked to name a salt formed in a particular reaction, don’t put down any other
product or you will lose a mark
• When explaining redox reactions, make sure you understand exactly what is being
asked, especially if the question says ‘use the equation…’. Don’t just give a definition
of redox in terms of electron loss or gain. If a question says ‘use the equation to explain
why the iron oxide is reduced’, you must refer to the species in the equation in your
answer, e.g. ‘the iron oxide loses its oxygen’. ‘Iron oxide gains electrons’ is incorrect
• When calculating moles, if you are given an equation
• ignore the 2 in the equation when calculating the molar mass of ethanoic acid. The
molar mass of ethanoic acid is 60, not 120. However, remember when calculating
reacting masses that the 2 needs to be taken into account
• Experimental methods
• If you are distilling an aqueous solution of a salt, the salt itself does not evaporate as
it has too high a boiling point. Only the water evaporates

Organic chemistry
• Examiners are often very particular. One way to please them is to use the word ‘only’
in the definition of a hydrocarbon i.e. the answer ‘a compound containing only carbon
and hydrogen’.
• Only one compound is formed in the reaction of ethene with steam. Remember, this
is a simple addition reaction (one compound formed from two or more substances) –
a common error is to say that hydrogen is also formed
• When trying to identify ‘cracking’ reactions from a set a reactions given, look out for
one molecule of reactant forming two or more molecules of product. Remember that
cracking does not involve oxygen
• ‘Clear’ does not mean ‘colourless’; when bromine is added to an alkene the colour
change is red-brown to colourless, not red-brown to clear

Periodic table and metals

• Don’t confuse the properties of elements with those of their compounds (especially
when they appear in the same question). For example, if asked about the properties
of the element oxygen, don’t give the properties of an oxide
• The properties of transition elements often cause problems. Remember that
transition elements themselves are NOT coloured, it is their compounds that are
coloured
• When trying to distinguish between a transition metal and a non-transition metal,
information on boiling points is more important than information on density. Some non-
transition elements (such as lead) are very dense
• If asked about the specific properties of transition metals, don’t list general properties
of metals, such as ‘shiny’, ‘malleable’, etc.
• In questions about sacrificial protection, remember that the more reactive metal of
the pair will corrode. To answer this sort of question, know the order of common metals
in the reactivity series
• ‘Corrosive’ and ‘corrosion’ are often confused. ‘Corrosive’ means that a chemical
‘eats away’ another substance – acids and alkalis are corrosive. ‘Corrosion’ is the
process of ‘eating away’. A statement such as ‘iron is corrosive’ is therefore incorrect
• The source of an element is where it is found (i.e. a particular place or in a particular
substance) – a source of sulphur is the southern USA, or petrol. It does not mean the
process of extraction. Don’t write vague statements such as ‘underground’
• Sulphur dioxide is not used ‘to make wood pulp’, it is used to bleach wood pulp
Qualitative analysis
• Look out for phrases such as ‘chemical test’ or ‘physical test’ – don’t just focus on
the word ‘test’. For example, a chemical test for water could be ‘turns anhydrous
copper sulphate blue’ (the word ‘anhydrous’ is essential). A physical test for water
could be ‘a boiling point of 100oC’, using the correct units
• When testing hydrogen chloride gas with litmus paper, many students think that the
litmus paper is bleached first and then goes red. Remember that chlorine does this,
not hydrogen chloride
• The tests for ammonium and nitrate ions are commonly confused. Both require
heating with sodium hydroxide, but to test for nitrate you need to add aluminium, as
you need to remove the oxygen (reduce the nitrate) to make the ammonia. You don’t
need to do this for the ammonium ion as it has no oxygen
• Tests for aluminium ions and zinc ions are also often confused. Remember PANDA
(precipitate of aluminium (hydroxide) does not dissolve in ammonia). Both zinc and
aluminium ions form a white precipitate with sodium hydroxide, which re-dissolves in
excess, but in ammonia only the zinc precipitate re-dissolves
• Questions involving the height of precipitates when sodium hydroxide is added to a
solution of metal ions often cause problems. Remember, as you add more hydroxide
to a solution of suitable metal ions (e.g. iron(II) ions) there will be more precipitate until
all the metal ions are used up. However, with excess sodium hydroxide, some
hydroxides re-dissolve e.g. aluminium hydroxide. In these cases the height of the
precipitate will then decrease as you add more hydroxide

Rates of reaction and equilibrium

 • Many students have difficulty explaining what is meant by rate of reaction. Remember
two points: it is the change in volume or mass etc over a fixed period of time. Time is
often omitted
• Remember that the total volume of gas released by the same amount of metal is
always the same. A common error is to think that powdered metal, when reacted with
acid, gives off more gas than larger lumps of the same amount of metal
• The total volume of gas released by a catalysed reaction is exactly the same as for
an uncatalysed reaction. The same amount of reactants is the important factor
• In rate questions, when asked to analyse graphs of volume of gas against time for
the reaction of an acid with a metal or carbonate, a common error is to state the volume
is increasing and not mention the rate. Remember that the rate is getting less and less
with time because rate is the difference in volume divided by time
• A common mistake is to say that in an equilibrium reaction, a catalyst increases the
rate of the forward reaction more than the back reaction. One of the characteristics of
equilibrium is that the backward and forward reactions go at the same speed. This
applies to catalysed as well as uncatalysed reactions

Solubility
• A common error is to think that calcium hydroxide is insoluble in water. Remember
that limewater is a solution of calcium hydroxide, so it must at least be slightly soluble
• If you are asked to explain what the symbol (aq) means, write down more than
‘aqueous’. An answer such as ‘dissolved in water’ is needed

BIOLOGY
 Making sure that you are familiar with the list and sequence of topics
  Revise your work topic by topic from this syllabus, in conjunction with your
textbook and your class notes/homework assignments.
  Remember that your examinationn is not just about learning the detail parrot
fashion. You must be able to apply the detail, as you will experience in class when
you go over examination questions.
  Be familiar with the multiple choice questions by doing at least 6 papers. You will
find that the same question (perhaps with a different sequence of answer options)
comes up repeatedly and this will definitely reinforce your confidence.
  Make sure that you can get all graph questions correct with full marks, the same
principles apply every time: labelling axes with appropriate units (these are usually
given), use at least 50% of the width of each axis, independent variable on the x-
axis, points plotted accurately with a small cross, points joined up either dot-dot or
the line of best fit as a smooth, continuous curve.
  Multiple choice paper: try to be able to think of an answer before you look at the
choice of options. Remember that it is quite common for 2 options to LOOK similar
  Structured answer paper: You will get graph questions here, and possibly a
drawing exercise. You must be able to compare 2 diagrams and spot and then
explain differences/similarities.
  Always show the working out; you are told to do so.
  Practise all of the papers with which you will be issued.
  Attend ALL lessons and especially the revision lessons.
  Make sure that you know the definitions of all the words in BOLD type in the
text-book and that you use them in examination answers.
  Make sure that you know how to make a hypothesis, design an
experiment,set out a results chart (with all units), make valid conclusions (be
able to state what pattern is shown by the results) and be critical of the design
of the experiment (make recommendations as to how the experiment could be
improved).
  When you draw a diagram make sure that you do continuous, smooth lines
(not sketch lines) using a sharp pencil, dimensions in proportion (use a ruler
first to measure) and include labels if asked
