CIE A Level Physics 9702 Paper 1: which topics have the most questions
By the Examaced team. , 6 min read
Paper 1 of CIE A Level Physics 9702 is all multiple choice. The Examaced question bank holds 1,400 Paper 1 questions from 2022–2026, each tagged with its syllabus topic. Counting them shows where the questions have been, which is a useful guide to where your practice time should go.
Paper 1 questions by topic, 2022–2026
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| Forces, density and pressure | 168 |
| Waves | 158 |
| D.C. circuits | 151 |
| Kinematics | 145 |
| Superposition | 120 |
| Work, energy and power | 115 |
| Dynamics | 110 |
| Deformation of solids | 104 |
| Particle physics | 95 |
| Electricity | 81 |
| Physical quantities and units | 71 |
Counts are the question bank's topic tags. A question can sit under more than one topic, so treat them as a guide to weight, not exact shares of the paper.
What the numbers say
Forces, density and pressure leads
With 168 questions, forces, density and pressure is the most-tested Paper 1 topic in this period. It leads Paper 2 as well, with 60 of the 237 AS Level structured questions. If one topic deserves a dedicated week, it's this one: moments, equilibrium, density and pressure in fluids.
Waves, circuits and kinematics come next
Waves (158), D.C. circuits (151) and Kinematics (145) are close behind. Together with the leader, those four topics make up a large part of the paper. They also reward speed: a well-practiced student answers a standard circuit or graph question in well under a minute.
Small topics still cost marks
Physical quantities and units has the fewest questions (71), but these are often the quickest marks on the paper if you know your SI base units and prefixes. Low counts don't mean low priority; they mean fewer questions to get through before you've seen every variation.
A practice plan for Paper 1
- Topic by topic first. Work through one topic's questions at a time, starting with the four biggest. Seeing 150 questions on one idea teaches you the patterns examiners reuse.
- Mark instantly and keep the score. Multiple choice gives you feedback straight away. Note which topics you get wrong, not just how many.
- Return to your mistakes. Before moving on, redo the questions you got wrong. Getting one right the second time is the point.
- Then sit full papers. Once your topic scores are steady, switch to timed papers to practice pacing across the whole syllabus.
Practicing Paper 1 in Examaced
In Examaced, choose Physics 9702, Paper 1, then a topic. Each question shows the original paper; choose A, B, C or D for immediate feedback and automatic marks. Sessions include February / March, May / June and October / November, so you can filter to the series you want.
Start with forces, density and pressure, or see every 9702 paper and topic.