What Makes A-levels Physics so Difficult?

Why is A-level Physics hard? You risk dropping a grade or two if you find math difficult or haven’t chosen math along with your online Physics A-level tuition to help you. Visit Eximus Education for details.

Many students are surprised to learn how hard A-level Physics is after getting enrolled.

In fact, within the first few weeks of the course, a significant portion of the class switches to another subject.

Lengthy course outline, complex concepts, and challenging nature of the exam questions— due to these reasons and more, many students believe that A-Level Physics is one of the toughest courses.

However, many students find the subject to be highly intriguing and exciting.

Given the subject’s difficulty and the fact that a vast majority of students taking A-Level Physics are unable to achieve high grades in the course, it can be said that earning an A is challenging, yet, not impossible.

Though, scoring an A in A-level Physics is still achievable if you put in the effort and adequately understand the core subject material. But why is A-level Physics is perceived as a difficult subject? Let’s dig in to find solutions!

A-Levels Physics Revolves Around Numbers

Can you do Physics A-level Without Maths? Many students ask this question when selecting Physics for their A-level.

The mathematical ideas involved in A-level Physics are complex for many people, especially those who struggle with numbers. So, if you find maths difficult or haven’t chosen maths along with your Physics A-level tuition to help you, you might risk dropping a grade or two on your A-level Physics exam.

Whether you like it or not, mathematics plays a significant role in A-level Physics. So if mathematics isn’t your strong point, you might want to rethink choosing a different subject at A-level or consider signing up for online tutoring.

Physics is considered to be tremendously difficult, and even the brightest students can struggle with it. It’s not only about studying the stars in the sky and the atoms in objects around us, after all. However, a qualified tutor can help you ace the subject.

It’s the Effort that Counts

Many students struggle in A-level Physics because they fail to realize how much effort this subject requires. A-level Physics demands a lot of a student’s attention as it is one of the most challenging and demanding subjects among the other fields of science and math.

If students don’t work hard or lack focus, their exam results will reflect this—which frequently happens.

Although consistent hard work is what you must do to earn the score you desire in A-level Physics, many students are unwilling to revise throughout the school year, solve past papers, or take regular online tuition classes.

If you are an average student with reasonable mathematics skills and lack motivation, you might struggle to earn a good grade in A-level Physics because it is a significant leap from GCSE. Hence, the key is to develop an interest in the subject. Reading articles, finding future prospects and career opportunities or discovering breakthrough research can help in developing interest in the subject.

Tricky Exam Questions

When it comes to answering the majority of the exam questions, Physics is similar to A-level chemistry— acing both subjects require that you have conceptual knowledge rather than memorizing all topics.

Many students may find solving conceptual questions challenging because they are used to learning all topics by heart alone for their GCSE exams rather than truly comprehending the A-level Physics at play.

Due to the high difficulty level of the subject matter, you will need to comprehend it rather than memorise it to answer tough exam questions.

In A-levels, all sciences have several practical questions that require you to use your knowledge in specific ways rather than just restating information from the textbook.

Lack of Study Material 

The lack of suitable textbooks is one of the significant issues that students deal with during preparing for an A-Level Physics exam. Most of the time, the manual’s content is challenging to understand because it contains excessive information. Additionally, it can be challenging to comprehend the charts or diagrams in the textbook.

Further, because the course material is so extensive, it might be challenging to look for relevant internet resources for tricky Physics topics. Finding a video or article that explains every possible scenario is practically impossible. Therefore, managing time to take online tuition for A-level Physics may seem helpful.

A-level Physics vs O-level—what’s Harder?

Students who take ‘O’ Level Physics build a solid foundation in classical Physics and develop a comprehensive knowledge of energy, matter, and their interactions.

Building on this foundation, A-Level Physics increases the scope and depth of the subject matter and practical skills and their application.

In terms of scope, there is newer subject material, especially modern Physics, including the atomic and subatomic level— building on the knowledge of traditional concepts and theories.

The A-Level Physics curriculum further extends what you study at the O-level.

For instance, ideas such as projectile motion develop on kinematics fundamentals, the first law of thermodynamics builds on thermal Physics fundamentals, and superposition extends the wave concepts.

Additionally, students must apply their mathematical knowledge and problem-solving skills to face more complex challenges that may straddle multiple topics.

In the practical portion of the course (just for H2 Physics), students will manage more challenging experimental setups linked to the material covered and continue honing the same practical abilities they covered in O’ Level Physics.

Are You in it to Win it?

The question “What makes A-level Physics so hard?” has an ambiguous answer. Instead, each student’s interests, aptitudes, and preferences will determine the exact solution to the problem.

While one person might

think Physics is the most difficult A-Level course, another might think Chemistry is the most challenging subject. Each A-Level course’s comparatively easy or hard aspects depend entirely on the individual student’s motivation.

Therefore, nothing can stop you from getting the desired grade in A-level Physics examinations if you work hard. However, if you find self-studying difficult, feel free to sign up with Eximus Education to get premier, one-on-one online tuition for A-level Physics at reasonable hourly rates.