Kramizo
Log inSign up free
Home › Edexcel GCSE Physics › Practice Paper
Edexcel · GCSE · Physics

Free Edexcel GCSE Physics
Practice Paper

8 mixed-difficulty practice questions in the style of real Edexcel GCSE papers — answers, mark-scheme-style explanations, and the official exam structure all on one page.

Take a Mini Mock →

What the real Edexcel GCSE Physics paper looks like

Paper 1
Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 1-4 of the specification.
Paper 2
Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 5-8 of the specification.
Paper 3
Where applicable — e.g. Combined Science, Languages. Includes synoptic and applied questions.
Total exam time: ~3 hours across two or three papers.
Grading: Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass.

Mini practice paper: 8 questions

Mixed-difficulty questions from across the Physics syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.

Q1 · Difficulty 1/3

Which energy store increases when a book is lifted onto a high shelf?

  1. Kinetic
  2. Gravitational potential
  3. Thermal
  4. Elastic potential
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Gravitational potential
Award 1 mark. Raising an object in a gravitational field increases its gravitational potential energy store. A kinetic store depends on movement, a thermal store on temperature and an elastic store on stretching or squashing.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3

In which state are the particles closest together and only able to vibrate about fixed positions?

  1. Liquid
  2. Gas
  3. Solid
  4. A boiling liquid
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Solid
Award 1 mark. Solid particles are tightly packed in a regular arrangement and vibrate in place. Liquid particles are close but can move past each other, gas particles are far apart and move freely, and a boiling liquid is turning into a gas.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3

What is the specific heat capacity of a substance?

  1. The energy needed to melt 1 kg of it
  2. The energy needed to raise 1 kg of it by 1 °C
  3. The energy stored in 1 kg of it at 0 °C
  4. The temperature at which 1 kg of it boils
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — The energy needed to raise 1 kg of it by 1 °C
Award 1 mark. Specific heat capacity is measured in J/kg °C; water's is high, at 4200 J/kg °C. The energy to melt 1 kg is the specific latent heat of fusion, energy stored at 0 °C is not a fixed property, and the boiling point is a temperature.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3

How can the unwanted energy transfer caused by friction in a bicycle chain be reduced?

  1. Lubricating the chain with oil
  2. Pedalling the bicycle faster
  3. Wrapping thermal insulation around the chain
  4. Fitting a heavier chain
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Lubricating the chain with oil
Award 1 mark. Lubrication reduces friction between moving parts, so less energy is dissipated to the thermal store. Pedalling faster increases friction losses, insulation reduces heat transfer rather than friction, and a heavier chain adds friction.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3

Why is a saucepan base made of copper while its handle is made of plastic?

  1. Copper is a good insulator; plastic conducts heat to the hand quickly
  2. Copper is lighter than plastic, so the pan is easier to lift up
  3. Copper conducts energy to the food well; plastic conducts poorly
  4. Plastic stores more energy than copper, so the handle stays warm
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Copper conducts energy to the food well; plastic conducts poorly
Award 1 mark. High thermal conductivity speeds energy transfer into the food, while the low-conductivity handle protects the cook.
Q6 · Difficulty 2/3

Which change would increase the efficiency of an electric motor?

  1. Running it for longer each day
  2. Supplying it with more energy
  3. Making its casing from a better thermal conductor
  4. Lubricating its moving parts to reduce friction
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Lubricating its moving parts to reduce friction
Award 1 mark. Less friction means less energy dissipated as heat, so a greater fraction is transferred usefully. Running it longer or supplying more energy does not change the useful fraction, and the casing material does not reduce friction.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3

How does making a wall thicker affect the rate of energy transfer through it by heating?

  1. It increases the rate
  2. It has no effect on the rate
  3. It doubles the rate
  4. It decreases the rate
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — It decreases the rate
Award 1 mark. Energy has further to travel through a thicker wall, so the rate of transfer falls. Thickness does affect the rate, and it reduces rather than increases or doubles it.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3

What is the equation for kinetic energy?

  1. KE = ½ × m × v²
  2. KE = m × g × h
  3. KE = m × v
  4. KE = ½ × m × v
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — KE = ½ × m × v²
Award 1 mark. Kinetic energy depends on mass and the square of speed. m × g × h is gravitational potential energy, m × v is momentum, and ½ × m × v leaves out the square.
Build a 30-question timed mock →
Free account · Instant marking

Edexcel GCSE Physics FAQ

What does the Edexcel GCSE Physics exam look like?
The Edexcel GCSE Physics exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 1-4 of the specification. Paper 2: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 5-8 of the specification. Paper 3: Where applicable — e.g. Combined Science, Languages. Includes synoptic and applied questions. Total exam time: ~3 hours across two or three papers.
Can I download a free Edexcel GCSE Physics past paper?
Real Edexcel past papers are published directly by Edexcel on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is Edexcel GCSE Physics graded?
Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.