QCAA Physics study guide
QCAA Physics · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Physics General is a Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority (QCAA) senior syllabus for students in Years 11–12 working towards the Queensland Certificate of Education, with results contributing to tertiary entrance rankings. The current syllabus is Physics General senior syllabus 2025 v1.3, for implementation with students who will complete their study of the course in 2026 or beyond. The QCAA Physics study guide has 5 sections and about 1,669 words.
01External Assessment Paper 1: Short Responses and Data Interpretation
Paper 1 rewards precise physics vocabulary and clean reasoning rather than long prose. You must be fluent in the syllabus concepts: linear motion and forces, momentum and impulse, circular motion, work, energy and power, gravitational, electric and magnetic fields, DC circuits, and the wave and quantum models of light.
334 words, about 2 min02External Assessment Paper 2: Extended Response and Problem Solving
Paper 2 asks you to build multi-step solutions and justify reasoning. Expect combined problems: a projectile followed by an energy calculation, a charged particle moving through both electric and magnetic fields, or a circuit analysed with Kirchhoff's rules.
355 words, about 2 min03IA1 Data Test: Extracting and Processing Measurements
The IA1 data test gives you a set of measurements or a described apparatus and asks you to process data, identify trends, and evaluate reliability. You must be able to construct and interpret tables and graphs, calculate derived quantities, and discuss uncertainty and error.
344 words, about 2 min04IA2 Student Experiment: Design, Data and Evaluation
The student experiment is a research task where you design a modified experiment, collect data, and evaluate. The report must show a justified research question, a method controlling variables, processed data with uncertainty, and a reasoned conclusion linked to physics theory.
324 words, about 2 min05IA3 Research Investigation: Evidence, Claims and Evaluation
The research investigation asks you to answer a physics question using secondary sources, evaluate the evidence, and reach a justified conclusion. Unlike the experiment, you do not collect data; your skill is in selecting credible sources, synthesising their findings, and evaluating their limitations.
312 words, about 2 min