International GCSE Physics (9203)

International GCSE Physics

Encourage a questioning approach to scientific ideas and help your students to reason scientifically.

This International GCSE Physics qualification is designed to engage students in physics. It brings the science to life for non-native English speakers, while teaching students to reason and work scientifically.

  • Carefully balanced depth of content that includes topics which spark wonder and enthusiasm, such as space physics, enabling you to teach the underlying principles of physics in a fascinating topic.
  • Practical components are flexible around local access to equipment and materials and include investigating factors that determine the strength of an electromagnet and the relationship between force and extension for a spring.
  • Students are assessed fairly, with papers carefully designed to avoid cultural or linguistic bias and practical knowledge assessed through the main exam. Find our more on our approach to Fair Assessment.

International GCSE Physics (9203)

View the switching guide to see the differences between your old International GCSE Physics specification and the OxfordAQA specification (version updated November 2022).

OxfordAQA International GCSE Physics covers the following topics:

Forces and their effects
  • Forces and their interactions
  • Motion
  • Resultant forces
  • Momentum
  • Safety in public transport
  • Forces and terminal velocity
  • Centre of mass
  • Moments & levers
Energy
  • Forces and energy
  • Energy transfers, conservation and dissipation of energy
  • Energy resources
Waves
  • General properties of waves
  • The electromagnetic spectrum
  • Sound and ultrasound
  • Reflection
  • Refraction and total internal reflection
  • Lenses and the eye
Particle model of matter
  • Kinetic theory
  • Energy transfers and particle motion
Electricity and magnetism
  • Electrical circuits
  • Magnetism and electromagnetism
Generating and distributing electricity and household use
  • Generating electricity
  • Electricity transmission and distribution
  • Using electricity in the home
  • The motor effect
  • Transferring electrical energy
Nuclear physics
  • Atomic structure
  • Ionizing radiation from the nucleus
  • Nuclear fission
  • Nuclear fusion
Space physics
  • Life cycle of a star
  • Solar system and orbital motion
  • Red shift and the expanding universe

OxfordAQA provides all the resources and advice you need to teach the International GCSE Physics specification effectively.

We have too many resources to list here, so please visit our resources area for teachers to see them all, including:

  • Schemes of work to allow you to plan how to deliver the specification in a way that will best suit you and your students
  • Teaching guidance to outline clearly the scope of teaching and learning
  • Topic tests and mock exam analysers to allow you to track your students’ progress

Paper 1:

  • Any part of the specification may be assessed
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
  • 90 marks
  • 50% of GCSE

Paper 2:

  • Any part of the specification may be assessed
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
  • 90 marks
  • 50% of GCSE

This specification is designed to be taken over two years. This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.

The exams will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives and the content reflects our approach to Fair Assessment:

• AO1: Knowledge and understanding of scientific principles.
• AO2: Application of knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and concepts in both familiar and novel contexts.
• AO3: Ability to describe, analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information presented in different forms.
• AO4: Ability to select, describe and evaluate scientific procedures.

All four International GCSE Science specifications include section 5.2 on Prohibited Combinations: centres cannot enter a student in a separate OxfordAQA International GCSE Science and the OxfordAQA International GCSE Combined Science in the same series.

Re-sits

  • Linear specification; individual components may not be re-sat.
  • Candidates can re-take the whole qualification as many times as they wish.

Take a look at:

You must be an approved OxfordAQA centre to enter students for our exams. Make sure you become an OxfordAQA centre before you start teaching a course.

Questions about this qualification?

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Course specification
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