Cambridge O Level · 5054 · Data 2020–2025
Most-tested topics in O-Level Physics
Just 3 chapters — Motion, forces and energy, Electricity and magnetism, Thermal physics — carry about 79% of all the marks. Revise those first.
Based on 94 real Cambridge past papers and 10,984 tagged marks, 2020–2025. Ranked by marks, not guesswork.
Historical counts from past papers — not an exam prediction. Download the data (CSV)
Revise these first
The topics that carry the most marks, highest first. Each opens the free past-paper questions.
- 1Practise →Motion, forces and energyEvery year
- 2Practise →1.2 Motion5% of marksMotion, forces and energyEvery year
- 3Practise →4.2.4 Resistance5% of marksElectricity and magnetismEvery year
- 4Practise →Electricity and magnetismEvery year
- 5Practise →4.3.2 Series and parallel circuits4% of marksElectricity and magnetismEvery year
- 6Practise →Electricity and magnetismEvery year
- 7Practise →2.2.2 Specific heat capacity4% of marksThermal physicsEvery year
- 8Practise →4.3.3 Action and use of circuit components3% of marksElectricity and magnetismEvery year
See the full breakdown — all 63 topics across 6 chapters
Motion, forces and energy
36% of marks- 1.1 Physical quantities and measurement techniquesEvery year945 marks · 134 qs
- 1.2 MotionEvery year559 marks · 102 qs
- 1.7.1 EnergyEvery year271 marks · 50 qs
- 1.5.1 Balanced and unbalanced forcesEvery year254 marks · 76 qs
- 1.7.2 WorkEvery year218 marks · 46 qs
- 1.3 Mass and weightEvery year215 marks · 56 qs
- 1.8 PressureEvery year210 marks · 58 qs
- 1.5.5 Turning effect of forcesEvery year206 marks · 36 qs
- 1.5.6 Centre of gravityEvery year193 marks · 30 qs
- 1.4 DensityEvery year182 marks · 44 qs
- 1.7.5 PowerEvery year174 marks · 43 qs
- 1.5.3 Elastic deformationEvery year121 marks · 35 qs
- 1.7.4 EfficiencyEvery year119 marks · 27 qs
- 1.6 MomentumRecurring86 marks · 16 qs
- 1.5.2 FrictionRecurring83 marks · 20 qs
- 1.5.4 Circular motionEvery year73 marks · 23 qs
- 1.7.3 Energy resourcesEvery year14 marks · 14 qs
Electricity and magnetism
31% of marks- 4.2.4 ResistanceEvery year550 marks · 76 qs
- 4.2.3 Electromotive force and potential differenceEvery year536 marks · 78 qs
- 4.3.2 Series and parallel circuitsEvery year483 marks · 80 qs
- 4.3.1 Circuit diagrams and circuit componentsEvery year417 marks · 51 qs
- 4.3.3 Action and use of circuit componentsEvery year381 marks · 54 qs
- 4.2.2 Electrical currentEvery year204 marks · 37 qs
- 4.5.3 Magnetic effect of a currentEvery year111 marks · 21 qs
- 4.1 Simple magnetism and magnetic fieldsEvery year106 marks · 38 qs
- 4.5.4 Forces on a current-carrying conductorEvery year100 marks · 22 qs
- 4.5.1 Electromagnetic inductionEvery year99 marks · 23 qs
- 4.4.1 Uses of electricityEvery year78 marks · 18 qs
- 4.6 Uses of an oscilloscopeRecurring73 marks · 17 qs
- 4.5.5 The d.c. motorEvery year71 marks · 14 qs
- 4.4.2 Electrical safetyEvery year70 marks · 19 qs
- 4.2.1 Electrical chargeEvery year42 marks · 39 qs
- 4.5.6 The transformerEvery year39 marks · 21 qs
- 4.5.2 The a.c. generatorEvery year16 marks · 10 qs
Thermal physics
12% of marks- 2.2.2 Specific heat capacityEvery year396 marks · 62 qs
- 2.2.3 Melting, boiling and evaporationEvery year207 marks · 54 qs
- 2.1.2 Particle modelEvery year194 marks · 49 qs
- 2.3.4 Consequences of thermal energy transferEvery year174 marks · 25 qs
- 2.3.2 ConvectionEvery year129 marks · 25 qs
- 2.3.1 ConductionEvery year111 marks · 22 qs
- 2.3.3 RadiationEvery year64 marks · 22 qs
- 2.2.1 Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gasesEvery year47 marks · 19 qs
- 2.1.1 States of matterEvery year42 marks · 16 qs
Nuclear physics
10% of marks- 5.2.2 The three types of emissionEvery year213 marks · 40 qs
- 5.1.2 The nucleusEvery year189 marks · 33 qs
- 5.2.3 Radioactive decayEvery year160 marks · 18 qs
- 5.1.1 The atomEvery year128 marks · 19 qs
- 5.2.6 Safety precautionsRecurring103 marks · 13 qs
- 5.2.5 Half-lifeEvery year98 marks · 24 qs
- 5.2.1 Detection of radioactivityRecurring92 marks · 9 qs
- 5.2.4 Fission and fusionRecurring69 marks · 17 qs
Waves
9% of marks- 3.2.3 Thin lensesEvery year221 marks · 48 qs
- 3.2.2 Refraction of lightEvery year213 marks · 57 qs
- 3.1 General properties of wavesEvery year202 marks · 37 qs
- 3.3 Electromagnetic spectrumEvery year133 marks · 32 qs
- 3.4 SoundEvery year110 marks · 56 qs
- 3.2.1 Reflection of lightEvery year102 marks · 38 qs
- 3.2.4 Dispersion of lightEvery year38 marks · 13 qs
Space physics
2% of marks- 6.1.2 The Solar SystemRecurring70 marks · 15 qs
- 6.2.2 StarsRecurring65 marks · 12 qs
- 6.2.1 The Sun as a starRecurring56 marks · 9 qs
- 6.2.3 The UniverseRecurring48 marks · 9 qs
- 6.1.1 The EarthRecurring11 marks · 2 qs
Turn the data into practice
Every topic above is drawn from real Cambridge O Level Physics papers, tagged to the syllabus. Students can drill the high-frequency topics in the free bank; teachers can turn any of them into a ready-to-print worksheet in seconds. Or explore the full six-year trends in the interactive records.