What to Do If You Finish the IGCSE Physics Exam Early

If you finish the paper with time remaining, use that time to check your work. Do not sit idle.

Step 1: Check every answer has been attempted

Flip through the paper and make sure every question has a response. A blank answer earns zero; even a partial answer can earn marks.

Step 2: Check calculations

Go through every calculation question:

1. Did you use the correct formula?
2. Did you convert all values to SI units?
3. Is the substitution correct?
4. Is the final answer reasonable? (A car with kinetic energy of 3 J is wrong; a car with 300,000 J is right.)
5. Did you write the unit?

Step 3: Check written answers

For each describe or explain question:

1. Count your points. Do you have as many points as there are marks?
2. Check for correct physics vocabulary.
3. Check that explanations include a reason, not just a restatement.

Step 4: Check diagrams

1. Are all labels present?
2. Are force arrows in the right direction with appropriate lengths?
3. In ray diagrams, are the normal lines drawn and angles labelled?
4. In circuit diagrams, is the circuit complete and are all symbols correct?

Step 5: Check multiple choice

For any questions you were unsure about:

1. Re-read the question, paying attention to “not,” “always,” “only.”
2. Recalculate if needed.
3. If still unsure, keep your first answer (first instincts are usually correct unless you misread the question).

Do not

• Change answers without a clear reason.
• Erase large sections and rewrite (it wastes time and may introduce new errors).
• Leave early. Use every available minute.