NSSCO Physics (6118) exam-day guide
NSSCO Physics (6118) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Candidate number / admission slip and recognised ID
Write your candidate number exactly as issued on every page and on any loose answer sheet or graph paper. Carry the ID document your school or the examining body requires; ask your centre which forms are accepted before exam day rather than assuming.
Two blue or black ballpoint pens
Answers, tables and written descriptions must be in ink. Take a spare: a leaking or dry pen in the middle of recording a data table costs time you cannot recover.
HB pencil, sharpener and soft eraser
Pencil is for graphs, labelled diagrams and construction lines only. Sharpen before you enter so your plotted points are fine and readable, and erase guide lines fully.
30 cm transparent ruler
Used for drawing tables, axes, and for any length or extension measurements the practical asks for. A clear ruler lets you read scales underneath it.
Protractor and set square
Needed for ray-tracing work with a glass block or mirror, and for drawing and reading angles accurately. Estimate angles to the nearest degree the instrument allows.
Scientific calculator, non-programmable
Check the battery and that it is in degree mode before you start, since most practical calculations involving angles assume degrees. Confirm with your centre whether programmable or graphical models are permitted.
Wristwatch (not a smartwatch)
Practical papers are tight on time. A plain watch lets you pace the readings, the graph and the final evaluation questions without relying on a clock you cannot see.
Transparent pencil case or clear bag
Many centres require equipment to be visible on the bench. Keep everything in one place so nothing rolls onto the floor during the experiment.
Know the apparatus names and how to read them
Be able to identify and read a Vernier caliper, micrometer screw gauge, metre rule, ammeter, voltmeter, thermometer, measuring cylinder, stopwatch and Newton meter before you sit down; the paper assumes this vocabulary.
Confirm venue, seat and start time
Check the notice board or your timetable the day before. Practical sessions may be split into groups or batches, so confirm which sitting is yours.
Leave phones and smart devices at home or hand them in
Do not carry a phone, smartwatch or earbuds into the practical room, even switched off. Hand them to the invigilator if your centre provides a collection point.
Rehearse the standard precautions vocabulary
Prepare sentences you can adapt: avoid parallax when reading scales, repeat readings and average, keep the wire taut, make sure the apparatus is on a level bench, switch off between readings to avoid heating.
Plan the day
Work through the standard practicals rather than new theory: Hooke's law and extension of a spring, principle of moments, density of a solid or liquid, refraction through a glass block, current-voltage characteristics of a resistor or filament lamp, resistance of a wire versus length, simple pendulum timing. For each, write out the table headings with units, the graph you would plot, and how you would find the gradient. Practise plotting two or three graphs by hand on graph paper so the axes, scale and best-fit line are automatic.
Drill the arithmetic that the practical rewards: averages, gradient from a straight-line graph with a large triangle, percentage difference, unit conversion (mm to m, g to kg, mA to A), and consistent significant figures. Check your calculator works, is in degree mode, and that you can use the memory or bracket keys quickly.
Pack the checklist items into your bag and test the pen, pencil and calculator. Confirm the venue, start time and which group you are in. Sleep at a normal hour; a practical paper rewards steady hands and careful reading more than last-minute cramming.
Do a short review of graph rules only: label both axes with quantity and unit, choose a scale that uses more than half the grid, plot points with small crosses, draw a single best-fit straight line rather than joining dots, and show the gradient calculation with the coordinates you used.
Eat breakfast and arrive at least 30 minutes early so you can find your seat and settle. Hand in any phone. Set out only the equipment you need, check the apparatus on your bench matches the list in the question, and report anything damaged or missing to the supervisor immediately rather than swapping it yourself.
Listen carefully to the supervisor's briefing before you touch the apparatus; it may cover safety points, how to use unfamiliar equipment, or where to record readings. Do not start writing until you are told to begin.
Read the whole paper. Note how many marks each part carries and how many readings are required. Plan your table columns and their units before taking a single reading, and decide which graph you will plot so you collect data in the right range.
Record every reading straight into the table as you take it, never on a scrap of paper to copy later. Take the number of readings the question asks for, spread across the range, and repeat where repeats are requested. Ignore obvious outliers and state that you did so.
Complete the table, including calculated columns, before plotting. Give yourself roughly a quarter of the time for the graph and the evaluation questions. Show the gradient working with the two points you read off the line, and quote units for every gradient, intercept and final answer.
Check that every table has units in the headings, every answer has a unit and a sensible number of significant figures, and that the questions asking for a source of error, a precaution or an improvement are answered in full sentences referring to this specific experiment. Check your candidate number is on every sheet before you hand in.
Rules to check
Bring and display the identification your centre requires. A script that cannot be matched to a candidate number may not be marked, so confirm the exact ID and numbering rules with your school or the examining body in advance.
Do not bring a mobile phone, smartwatch, earbuds or any unauthorised electronic device into the practical room. Possession during an examination may be treated as malpractice; ask your centre what happens to devices you hand in, and confirm the penalty rules with the provider rather than guessing.
Practical papers are supervised individually: do not talk to, signal, or exchange apparatus or readings with another candidate. Share equipment such as a power supply or water bath only in the way the supervisor directs.
Follow every safety instruction from the supervisor. Report breakages, spills and faulty apparatus at once; never attempt to repair electrical equipment yourself, and use only the low-voltage supplies provided. Wear eye protection if your centre requires it.
Keep the bench tidy and the apparatus set up as the question describes until you have finished that part. If you leave the room at all, you will normally be escorted; confirm your centre's policy on toilet breaks and on leaving early with the invigilator before the paper begins.
Marks are awarded for method and quality of data as well as for final answers: correct table headings with units, a sensible number of readings, a well-drawn graph with a best-fit line, and a clearly shown gradient all earn credit even when your final value is a little off.
Write in ink, draw in pencil, and do not erase raw readings. If you make a mistake in a table, cross it out with a single line and write the replacement beside it so the examiner can still see what you did.
Work for the full session. If you finish early, use the time to re-check units, significant figures and your graph, and make sure every question has an answer; hand your script and any loose graph paper to the supervisor only when told to.