VCAA Physics Performance

Overall average 60.7%25,166 questions answered2026 data

Score by Unit & Topic

Full study design

How do fields explain motion and electricity?

57.9%
How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?
56.9%
How do things move without contact?
58.5%
How are fields used in electricity generation?
58.6%

How have creative ideas and investigation revolutionised thinking in physics?

66%
How has understanding about the physical world changed?
65.5%
How is scientific inquiry used to investigate fields, motion or light?
69.2%

Score by Past Paper

2026 data

2025
60.5%
2024
58.6%
2023
63.9%
2022
69.6%
2021
61.2%
2020
62.7%

Score by Question Type

2026 data

Multiple Choice
63%
Short Answer
51%

Cognitive Verb Performance

2026 data

Analyse
45.6%
Calculate
47.7%
Compare
51.7%
Construct
22.2%
Deduce
22.2%
Describe
58.4%
Determine
55.9%
Discuss
29.6%
Draw
58.2%
Estimate
28.6%
Evaluate
65.2%
Explain
56.4%
Express
23.8%
Identify
78.9%
Justify
53.7%
Label
83.3%
Outline
0%
Select
33.3%
Show
61.5%
Sketch
57.8%
State
77.8%

Study Guides

VCE Physics Hardest Topics: Where Students Lose the Most MarksAverage scores in VCE Physics by past paper, topic, question type and command verb, plus the high-weight low-score revision list.VCE Physics Most Tested Topics: What the VCAA Exams CoverMarks by topic and dot point across 11 VCAA Physics external papers, 2020 to 2025, plus the question type and cognitive verb mix.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hardest VCAA Physics topics?
Based on student performance on AusGrader in 2026, the hardest VCAA Physics topics are How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions? (56.9%), How do things move without contact? (58.5%), How are fields used in electricity generation? (58.6%). Focus your revision on these areas for the biggest score improvement.
What are the easiest VCAA Physics topics?
Based on student performance on AusGrader in 2026, the highest-scoring VCAA Physics topics are How is scientific inquiry used to investigate fields, motion or light? (69.2%), How has understanding about the physical world changed? (65.5%), How are fields used in electricity generation? (58.6%).
What are the most common command words in VCAA Physics exams?
The most frequently tested command words in VCAA Physics are Calculate, Explain, Determine, Describe, Show. Practising responses to these verbs is a high-impact study strategy.

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