OCR A level Physics A specification
The specification (H556) is OCR's own description of the Physics A course: what you can be examined on, how the exams are set out and how they are marked. The link below opens the board's PDF on ocr.org.uk, so you always get its current version.
Open the H556 specification (PDF) (opens ocr.org.uk in a new tab)Everything for OCR A level Physics A, with the past papers, grade boundaries and the notes and flashcards people have shared.
How OCR A level Physics A is examined
From OCR's grade boundaries for June 2026. Some boards list every optional paper or time-zone variant, so you sit only the ones for your route; the specification says which.
| Paper | Marks | Time | Next exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modelling physicsH556/01 | 100 | 2 hours 15 minutes | Friday 21 May 2027, morning |
| Exploring physicsH556/02 | 100 | 2 hours 15 minutes | Thursday 27 May 2027, afternoon |
| Unified physicsH556/03 | 70 | 1 hour 30 minutes | Tuesday 8 June 2027, morning |
Turn a mark into a grade · OCR A level exam dates · Extra time and access arrangements
Revising from the Physics A specification
Work through the specification's content list and mark what you are unsure of, then practise those parts with OCR's past papers and read your marks against the same year’s grade boundaries.
Common questions
Where can I find the OCR A level Physics A specification?
The link on this page opens OCR's own copy of the Physics A specification (H556), a PDF on its website, so you always get the current version. We link to it rather than keep a copy.
What is in the Physics A specification?
A specification is the board's own description of the course: the content you can be examined on, how the exams are set out and how they are marked. It is the most useful single document to revise from, because every exam question has to come from it.
How is OCR A level Physics A examined?
According to OCR's grade boundaries for June 2026, the course is examined in 3 papers, worth 270 marks in all. The specification has the full details, and the past papers show what the questions look like.
Can I make practice questions from the specification?
Yes. cookie can make exam-style questions from a specification and mark your answers, so you can practise the parts you are least sure of once you run out of past papers.
More specifications: every A level specification we link.
cookie is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam board. Every paper here is a link to the board's own copy on its own website, and the papers belong to the boards that set them. If a link has stopped working, the board's own past paper page is linked on each course.