Paper 5 — Planning, Analysis and Evaluation — is the second practical paper in Cambridge A Level Physics 9702. It's worth 30 marks in 1 hour 15 minutes and splits into exactly two questions: a planning question (Q1, 15 marks) and a data-analysis question (Q2, 15 marks). Crucially, it tests experimental and mathematical skill rather than recall — which is why, once you know what each mark is for, it's one of the most trainable papers in the whole qualification.
This guide walks through how both questions are marked and points you to a free CIE Insider trainer for each skill. Everything is built from Cambridge examiner reports across more than a dozen series.
Question 1 — Planning (15 marks)
You're given a relationship to investigate and asked to plan an experiment. The marks cluster around:
- Variables — state the independent, dependent and control variables explicitly in the first lines.
- Method & diagram — a labelled diagram and a workable procedure for varying and measuring your variables.
- Analysis plan — say exactly what you'd plot to get a straight line, and how the gradient/intercept give the quantity you want.
- Additional detail — the precautions, safety and finer measurement points that separate a 12 from a 15.
The single most common lost mark is a vague analysis plan. If you can take any equation and rearrange it into y = mx + c, you've banked the marks examiners say candidates drop most — drill that with the Linearisation Trainer.
Question 2 — Analysis & Evaluation (15 marks)
You're handed a set of readings and have to work them into a result, with an honest uncertainty. The marks come from:
- The table — calculated columns to the right number of significant figures, with correct units.
- The graph — sensible scales, accurately plotted points, and error bars.
- Best-fit and worst acceptable lines — both drawn; the second is how you quantify uncertainty.
- Gradient & intercept — read off correctly and tied back to the constants in the equation.
- Uncertainty & conclusion — a percentage uncertainty from the worst acceptable line, and a clear final statement.
The uncertainty marks are pure technique. Get absolute vs percentage uncertainty, the combining rules and graph-based uncertainty automatic with the Uncertainties Trainer.
Your Paper 5 toolkit
Planning & Analysis Cheatsheet
Every Paper 5 mark type on one sheet — structure, analysis steps and the pitfalls that recur every series.
Open cheatsheet → Self-assessmentPlanning & Analysis Checklist
Score yourself across variables, diagram, measurement, graph, gradient and intercept — with ranked mistakes.
Open checklist → Q2 · DrillLinearisation Trainer
Drill the log-linearisation and straight-line marks Q2 tests every series — 18 relationships, worked sketches.
Open trainer → Q2 · DrillUncertainties Trainer
Absolute and percentage uncertainties, combining rules and graph-based uncertainty — reference and drill modes.
Open trainer →Frequently asked questions
How is Cambridge A Level Physics Paper 5 marked?
Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) is worth 30 marks. It has two questions: Question 1 is a planning task worth 15 marks, and Question 2 is a data-analysis task worth 15 marks. It assesses experimental and mathematical skill rather than recall of physics content.
How long is 9702 Paper 5 and how many marks is it worth?
Cambridge A Level Physics 9702 Paper 5 is 1 hour 15 minutes long and worth 30 marks. It contributes towards the full A Level grade and is sat alongside Paper 3, the laboratory practical paper.
What is the difference between Paper 3 and Paper 5 in A Level Physics?
Paper 3 is the hands-on laboratory practical, where you use apparatus to take readings. Paper 5 is a written paper testing planning and analysis: you design an experiment in Question 1 and analyse given data in Question 2, without any apparatus.
How do you draw a worst acceptable line in Paper 5?
After drawing your line of best fit, draw the steepest or shallowest straight line that still passes through every error bar. The difference between the gradient (or intercept) of the best-fit line and the worst acceptable line gives the uncertainty in your result.
How do you linearise an equation for Paper 5 Question 2?
Rearrange the given relationship into the straight-line form y = mx + c, often by taking logarithms. Plotting the transformed variables gives a straight line whose gradient and intercept correspond to the constants you need to find.
Keep going
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