Which QCE Physics past paper do students score lowest on?

The 2023 Paper 2, averaging 46.4% across 122 marked attempts on AusGrader. The 2024 Paper 1 is the highest on 73.5%.

Which QCE Physics dot points give the best return on revision time?

3.1.1.4 (2.4 marks at risk per 100), 4.2.1.6 (2.3 marks at risk per 100) and 3.1.2.9 (2.3 marks at risk per 100). Marks at risk combines a dot point's share of paper marks with the marks students drop on it, so it ranks by recoverable marks and not by score alone.

How many attempts is each QCE Physics figure based on?

19,741 marked attempts overall, with the per-row count shown in every table. Any cut below 50 attempts is withheld instead of published.

Do these averages show how the QCAA cohort performed?

No. They are AusGrader users' marked attempts, a self-selected group practising when they chose to and often without exam timing. They corroborate what QCAA publishes about this subject and do not replace it.

QCE Physics hardest topics

Across 19,741 marked attempts on AusGrader, QCE Physics students average 60.7% on questions taken from board external papers. The lowest average of any command verb is calculate on 47.7%, and the verb that costs the most marks is determine, which carries 30.9% of the paper against 23.1% for calculate. These are self-selected users practising when they chose to, not the QCAA cohort under exam conditions.

How to read these numbers

The figures are AusGrader users' marked attempts, not QCAA results. They corroborate what the board publishes about this subject and do not stand in for it.
Any cut with fewer than 50 attempts is withheld, which on this page is 2 papers, 14 dot points and 20 verbs. Every figure shown carries its attempt count.
Scores cover questions mapped to the QCE Physics syllabus from any board's external papers, which is why the sample is larger than the 12 QCAA papers alone. The paper table below is the exception and uses QCAA papers only.
Internal assessment and school-uploaded exams are excluded throughout, so these averages differ from the ones on QCE Physics performance stats, which count every attempt.

Score by past paper

Year	Paper	Average	Attempts
2025	Paper 1	61.5%	148
2024	Paper 1	73.5%	587
2024	Paper 2	52.4%	97
2023	Paper 1	69.1%	561
2023	Paper 2	46.4%	122
2022	Paper 1	65.8%	450
2022	Paper 2	56.8%	79
2021	Paper 1	65.3%	424
2021	Paper 2	62.7%	82
2020	Paper 1	70.9%	355

The lowest average belongs to the 2023 Paper 2 on 46.4% from 122 attempts, and the highest to the 2024 Paper 1 on 73.5% from 587 attempts. A paper's average reflects both how hard it was and who chose to sit it, so treat the spread as a guide to which papers make demanding practice.

Score by question type

Question type	Average	Attempts
Short answer	51.2%	2,019
Multiple choice	64.0%	17,722

Score by unit

Unit	Average	Attempts
Unit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism	58.7%	11,944
Unit 4: Revolutions in modern physics	66.1%	7,099

An attempt counts once per unit, so a question assessed across two units appears in both rows and the column adds to slightly more than 19,741.

The priority list: heavy topics with low scores

Topic	Share of marks	Average	Attempts	Marks at risk
Gravity and motion	36.8%	56.4%	4,918	16.0
Electromagnetism	24.0%	60.5%	7,535	9.5
Quantum Theory	22.7%	66.5%	4,493	7.6
Special relativity	9.1%	64.6%	2,269	3.2
The Standard Model	7.4%	70.2%	351	2.2

Gravity and motion tops the list on 16.0 marks at risk per 100 paper marks, 6.6 ahead of Electromagnetism.

The same cut at subtopic level

Subtopic	Share of marks	Average	Attempts	Marks at risk
Quantum theory	22.7%	66.5%	4,493	7.6
Inclined planes and circular motion	16.2%	57.3%	2,394	6.9
Orbital mechanics	10.5%	53.1%	1,413	4.9
Projectile motion	10.1%	57.7%	1,634	4.3
Electrostatics	8.8%	57.9%	1,263	3.7
Special relativity	9.1%	64.6%	2,269	3.2
Magnetic fields	8.6%	63.7%	2,407	3.1
Electromagnetic induction	6.7%	59.6%	4,142	2.7
Particle interactions	2.8%	56.0%	82	1.2
The Standard Model	4.6%	75.0%	269	1.1

The same cut at dot-point level

Dot point	Content	Share of marks	Average	Attempts	Marks at risk
3.1.1.4	Solve problems involving projectile motion in the absence of drag effects using $v_y = u_y + gt$ , $s_y = u_y t + \frac{1}{2}gt^2$ , $v_y^2 = u_y^2 + 2gs_y$ , $v_x = u_x$ and $s_x = u_x t$	5.7%	58.3%	1,251	2.4
4.2.1.6	Solve problems involving blackbody radiation and the photoelectric effect using $\lambda_{max} = \frac{b}{T}$ , $E = hf = \frac{hc}{\lambda}$ , $E_k = hf - W$ , $W = hf_0$	5.5%	58.1%	1,177	2.3
3.1.2.9	Solve problems involving forces acting on objects in uniform circular motion using $F_c = F_{net} = \frac{mv^2}{r}$	5.0%	54.8%	1,041	2.3
3.1.3.2	Solve problems involving the magnitude of the gravitational force between two masses using $F = \frac{GMm}{r^2}$	4.3%	49.3%	382	2.2
4.2.1.9	Solve problems involving the line spectra of simple atoms using atomic energy states or atomic energy level diagrams using $n\lambda = 2\pi r$ , $mvr = \frac{nh}{2\pi}$ , $\frac{1}{\lambda} = R(\frac{1}{n_f^2} - \frac{1}{n_i^2})$ and $\lambda = \frac{h}{p}$	4.6%	65.5%	1,587	1.6
3.1.3.7	Solve problems involving the third law of planetary motion using $\frac{T_a^2}{r_a^3} = \frac{T_b^2}{r_b^3} = \frac{4\pi^2}{GM}$	3.1%	52.0%	130	1.5
3.2.1.2	Solve problems using $F = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{Qq}{r^2} = \frac{kQq}{r^2}$	3.6%	60.1%	469	1.4
3.2.2.6	Solve problems involving the magnetic force on an electric current-carrying wire and moving charge in a magnetic field using $F = BIl\sin\theta$ and $F = qvB\sin\theta$	3.6%	61.6%	1,488	1.4
3.1.2.7	Solve problems involving objects undergoing uniform circular motion at a constant speed using $v = \frac{2\pi r}{T}$ and $a_c = \frac{v^2}{r}$	2.5%	52.1%	151	1.2
3.2.1.4	Solve problems involving electric field strength using $E = \frac{F}{Q} = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{q}{r^2} = \frac{kq}{r^2}$	2.0%	46.2%	348	1.1
3.1.3.4	Solve problems involving the gravitational field strength at a distance from an object using $g = \frac{F}{m} = \frac{GM}{r^2}$	2.2%	51.8%	314	1.1
3.1.2.4	Determine the net force acting on an object on an inclined plane using vector analysis	3.2%	69.7%	351	1.0
3.1.2.1	Solve problems involving force due to gravity (weight) and mass using $F_g = mg$	2.2%	57.3%	571	0.9
3.2.1.5	Solve problems involving the work done when an electric charge is moved in an electric field using $V = \frac{\Delta U}{q}$	2.2%	57.9%	104	0.9
3.2.2.4	Solve problems involving the magnitude and direction of magnetic fields around a straight electric current-carrying wire and inside a solenoid using $B = \frac{\mu_0 I}{2\pi r}$ and $B = \mu_0 nI$	2.9%	68.5%	558	0.9
4.2.1.11	Interpret data related to the photoelectric effect	2.1%	58.4%	460	0.9
4.1.1.10	Solve problems involving time dilations, length contraction and relativistic momentum using $t = \frac{t_0}{\sqrt{(1-\frac{v^2}{c^2})}}$ , $L = L_0\sqrt{(1-\frac{v^2}{c^2})}$ , $p_v = \frac{m_0v}{\sqrt{(1-\frac{v^2}{c^2})}}$ and $\Delta E = \Delta mc^2$	2.5%	65.7%	1,002	0.9
4.2.1.4	Describe the photoelectric effect in terms of the photon	2.9%	71.2%	286	0.8

Which command verbs cost the most marks

Verb	Share of marks	Average	Attempts	Marks at risk
determine	30.9%	56.5%	301	13.4
calculate	23.1%	47.7%	711	12.1
explain	10.0%	55.7%	333	4.4
describe	6.7%	56.1%	129	2.9
identify	2.8%	65.7%	60	1.0

Calculate has the lowest average on the page at 47.7%, and it is not where the marks go. Determine averages 56.5% but carries 30.9% of the paper against 23.1%, so it puts 13.4 marks per 100 at risk against 12.1. For the plain ranking of verbs by score, and what QCAA has said about each, read the QCE Physics study guide.

What this does not measure

Where to practise

Work the priority list from the top: Gravity and motion and Electromagnetism first, then the dot points above. Each topic page holds real QCAA questions with marking criteria attached. For what the papers actually cover, read QCE Physics most tested topics.

Syllabus and assessment material referenced in this guide is © State of Queensland (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority), licensed under CC BY 4.0. See our QCAA licensing notice. AusGrader is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the QCAA.