Three days left. Paper 2 is where electricity, magnetism and the particle model live, and it's a calculation-heavy paper. You need to know which equation fits which data, not just what the equations are. Here's the order that gets you the most marks.
One focus per day, building to a timed run. Work it in order.
Ranked from analysed past papers. Start at the top: if you run out of time, you will have covered the most-tested ground.
The resistance of a wire core practical and the resistivity equation (R = ρL/A) generate multi-step calculation questions on almost every Paper 2 sitting.
Circuit diagram questions asking you to calculate current, voltage or resistance around series and parallel branches are a core part of Edexcel's Electricity and Circuits topic.
P = IV, P = I²R, P = V²/R and E = Pt questions stack up across the paper, often combined with a cost or efficiency calculation.
Q = It underpins circuit questions throughout this paper and is regularly combined with power or resistance in multi-step problems.
Reading and explaining I-V graphs for a filament lamp, diode and resistor is a named core practical outcome and a recurring extended-answer question.
Fleming's left-hand rule and force on a current-carrying conductor (F = BIL) are examined through both diagram and calculation questions in the Magnetism topic.
Generator effect questions, including transformer calculations using the turns-ratio equation, are a consistent higher-mark topic on this paper.
Density calculations using ρ = m/V, often via the density core practical, appear alongside states of matter questions on the particle model section of this paper.
PrepWise has a one-page Knowledge Organiser for every topic above. In your final 3 days, use them the same way each time: cover the page, recall everything you can onto paper, check against the original, then repeat only the bits you missed.
Rules specific to Paper 2. On this paper, structure earns as many marks as knowledge.
Q = It and the choice between the three power equations are things you're expected to apply without hunting through the sheet. If you're relying on the sheet to remind you which power equation to use, you'll lose time you don't have.
Write the equation, then substitute the numbers in, then rearrange. Examiners give a mark for correct substitution even if your final rearranged answer is wrong. Rearranging first and substituting last hides your working and loses that mark.
kW to W (×1000), minutes to seconds (×60), mm² to m² (÷1,000,000), g to kg (÷1000). Do the conversion in a separate line before you touch the main equation. Mixing units mid-calculation is the single most common way to lose an otherwise-correct answer.
'Describe how you would...' questions expect the specific apparatus and steps from the Edexcel core practicals (resistance of a wire, I-V characteristics, density): control variables, what you measure, and how you calculate the result. Vague answers like 'measure it carefully' score zero.
Give your final answer to the same number of significant figures as the data in the question (usually 2 or 3) unless told otherwise. Don't round mid-calculation. Carry the full number through and round only at the end.
The errors examiners see most on this paper. Each one is an easy mark you already know how to keep.
Confusing the three power equations (P=IV, P=I²R, P=V²/R) and picking the wrong one for the data given → Check what you're given first. If you have current and resistance, use P=I²R. If voltage and resistance, use P=V²/R. Only use P=IV when you have both current and voltage directly.
Adding resistors in parallel the same way as resistors in series → Series resistances add directly (R total = R1 + R2). Parallel resistances need the reciprocal equation (1/R total = 1/R1 + 1/R2), and the total is always smaller than the smallest individual resistor. Sense-check your answer against that rule.
Leaving the answer in the wrong unit (e.g. giving resistance in mΩ or energy in kJ without converting) → Always write the unit next to your final answer and check it matches what the question asks for. If it doesn't match, you've likely skipped a conversion step.
Getting Fleming's left-hand rule fingers mixed up (thumb, first finger, second finger) → Learn it as thuMb = Motion, First finger = Field, seCond finger = Current. Practise setting your hand up physically, not just picturing it, until it's automatic.
Writing 'because it loses energy' for an efficiency or resistance-heating question without saying where the energy goes → Name the wasted energy store, usually thermal energy dissipated to the surroundings due to resistance or friction. Examiners want the mechanism, not just 'lost'.
The 60 minutes before you walk in. Review what you know and settle your nerves.
Knowing the equation is not the same as being able to use it. Practise exam-style Physics questions in PrepWise, get marked instantly, and drill the rearranging until it is automatic.
Open the Physics Knowledge Organisers, quiz every priority topic and walk in ready. Free during alpha.
Get started with your personalised revision