Specification

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Teachers should be confident that students entered for an AEA award are likely to attain a Grade A at GCE securely. Students are awarded a grade on a two-point scale: Distinction and Merit, with Distinction being the higher award. Students who do not reach the minimum standard for Merit are recorded as ungraded. A Distinction is worth 40 UCAS points, and a Merit is worth 20 UCAS points.

The AEA in Physics is based on the subject content that is common to all GCE Physics specifications and does not require any additional teaching. However, students must have a greater depth of understanding of the content taught and must apply their understanding through critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis within physics.

The AEA in Physics is based on the following knowledge, understanding, skills and mathematical techniques:


   
Knowledge and understanding Students must possess:
  • knowledge of SI units;
  • an understanding of the distinction between vector and scalar quantities; and
  • an awareness of the order of magnitude of physical quantities.
Students must undertake the following areas of study:
  • Mechanics;
  • Momentum and energy;
  • Electricity;
  • Atomic and nuclear physics;
  • Quantum physics;
  • Waves and oscillations;
  • Fields; and
Magnetic effects of currents.
Skills of analysing and evaluating evidence Students have the ability to:
  • analyse evidence and draw conclusions; and
  • evaluate evidence and procedures.
Mathematical techniques Students need competence in the following areas of mathematics:
  • Arithmetic and computation;
  • Handling data;
  • Algebra;
  • Geometry and trigonometry; and Graphs.