Which topic carries the most marks in the VCE Physics external exam?

How has understanding about the physical world changed? carries 29.0% of the marks across the 11 VCAA papers from 2020 to 2025, ahead of How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions? on 23.8%.

How are marks split between question types in the VCE Physics exam?

Short answer carries 84.2% of the marks and multiple choice carries 15.8% of the marks, measured across 11 papers and 1400 marks from 2020 to 2025.

Has the topic balance changed in recent VCE Physics papers?

No. Comparing the 2020 to 2022 papers with the 2023 to 2025 papers, the largest movement in any topic's share was 2.9 percentage points, which is too small to plan revision around.

How many past papers is this VCE Physics analysis based on?

11 VCAA external papers from 2020 to 2025, covering 422 questions and 1400 marks. 5.3% of those marks carry no dot-point mapping and sit outside the percentages.

VCE Physics most tested topics

Across the 11 VCAA Physics external papers from 2020 to 2025, How has understanding about the physical world changed? carries 29.0% of the marks against 9.3% for How is scientific inquiry used to investigate fields, motion or light?, so the paper rewards How has understanding about the physical world changed? more than any other topic. At dot-point level 4.2.2.2 carries 6.4% of paper marks, and seven of the 71 dot points that the board assesses externally have not appeared in one of these papers. Every percentage below covers the 94.7% of marks that map to a study design dot point.

Computed from 11 VCAA Physics external papers, 2020 to 2025: 422 questions, 762 question parts and 1400 marks.

Unit, topic and dot-point shares below are of the 1326 marks that map to a dot point, so each of those tables adds to 100%. 200 of the 762 parts are assessed against more than one dot point, and their 394 marks are divided evenly between the dot points they cover.

What these papers are

Year	Exam	Questions	Marks
2025	Exam	39	120
2025	Exam (NHT)	37	120
2024	Exam	36	120
2024	Exam (NHT)	39	130
2023	Exam	37	130
2023	Exam (NHT)	41	130
2022	Exam	37	130
2022	Exam (NHT)	40	130
2021	Exam	40	130
2021	Exam (NHT)	38	130
2020	Exam	38	130

Marks by unit

Unit	Share of marks
Unit 3: How do fields explain motion and electricity?	61.7%
Unit 4: How have creative ideas and investigation revolutionised thinking in physics?	38.3%

Marks by topic

Topic	Share of marks	Papers it appears in	Years
How has understanding about the physical world changed?	29.0%	11 of 11	6 of 6
How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?	23.8%	11 of 11	6 of 6
How do things move without contact?	20.5%	11 of 11	6 of 6
How are fields used in electricity generation?	17.3%	11 of 11	6 of 6
How is scientific inquiry used to investigate fields, motion or light?	9.3%	11 of 11	6 of 6

Marks by subtopic

Each topic above breaks into the subtopics below, in the same order.

Subtopic	Share of marks	Papers
Light as a wave	8.0%	11 of 11
Light as a particle	7.6%	11 of 11
Einstein’s special theory of relativity	4.5%	11 of 11
Similarities between light and matter	4.5%	11 of 11
Matter as particles or waves	3.1%	11 of 11
Relationship between energy and mass	1.2%	8 of 11
Newton’s laws of motion	15.5%	11 of 11
Relationships between force, energy and mass	8.3%	11 of 11
Effects of fields	11.0%	11 of 11
Application of field concepts	7.3%	11 of 11
Fields and interactions	2.2%	9 of 11
Generation of electricity	9.4%	11 of 11
Transmission of electricity	8.0%	11 of 11
Scientific evidence	6.6%	11 of 11
Investigation design	2.4%	10 of 11
Science communication	0.3%	3 of 11

Marks by dot point

Dot-point numbers and wording are VCAA's own. Where a dot point is written as a list, its items run together here separated by semicolons.

Dot point	Content	Topic	Share of marks	Papers
4.2.2.2	apply methods of organising, analysing and evaluating primary data to identify patterns and relationships including: the physical significance of the gradient of linearised data; causes of uncertainty; use of uncertainty bars; and assumptions and limitations of data, methodologies and methods	How is scientific inquiry used to investigate fields, motion or light?	6.4%	10 of 11
3.1.2.3	analyse transformations of energy between kinetic energy, elastic potential energy, gravitational potential energy and energy dissipated to the environment (considered as a combination of heat, sound and deformation of material) kinetic energy at low speeds: $E_k = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$ ; elastic and inelastic collisions with reference to conservation of kinetic energy; elastic potential energy: area under force-distance graph including ideal springs obeying Hooke’s Law: $E_s = \frac{1}{2}kx^2$ ; gravitational potential energy: $E_g = mg\Delta h$ or from area under a force-distance graph and area under a field-distance graph multiplied by mass	How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?	6.0%	11 of 11
3.3.1.2	investigate and analyse theoretically and practically the generation of electromotive force (emf) including AC voltage and calculations using induced emf: $\varepsilon = -N\frac{\Delta\Phi_B}{\Delta t}$ , with reference to rate of change of magnetic flux; number of loops through which the flux passes; direction of induced emf in a coil	How are fields used in electricity generation?	5.9%	11 of 11
4.1.2.2	analyse the photoelectric effect with reference to evidence for the particle-like nature of light; experimental data in the form of graphs of photocurrent versus electrode potential, and of kinetic energy of electrons versus frequency; kinetic energy of emitted photoelectrons: $E_{k\ \max} = hf - \phi$ , using energy units of joule and electron-volt; effects of intensity of incident irradiation on the emission of photoelectrons	How has understanding about the physical world changed?	5.0%	11 of 11
4.1.1.6	explain the results of Young’s double slit experiment with reference to evidence for the wave-like nature of light; constructive and destructive interference of coherent waves in terms of path differences: $n\lambda$ and $\left(n + \frac{1}{2}\right)\lambda$ respectively, where $n = 0,1,2,\ldots$ ; effect of wavelength, distance of screen and slit separation on interference patterns: $\Delta x = \frac{\lambda L}{d}$ when $L \gg d$	How has understanding about the physical world changed?	4.8%	11 of 11
3.2.2.1	analyse the use of an electric field to accelerate a charge, including electric field and electric force concepts: $E = k\frac{Q}{r^2}$ and $F = k\frac{q_1q_2}{r^2}$ ; potential energy changes in a uniform electric field: $W = qV$ , $E = \frac{V}{d}$ ; the magnitude of the force on a charged particle due to a uniform electric field: $F = qE$	How do things move without contact?	4.4%	11 of 11
3.1.1.1	investigate and apply theoretically and practically Newton’s three laws of motion in situations where two or more coplanar forces act along a straight line and in two dimensions	How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?	4.4%	10 of 11
3.1.1.5	investigate and analyse theoretically and practically the motion of projectiles near Earth’s surface, including a qualitative description of the effects of air resistance	How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?	3.7%	11 of 11
3.2.2.2	analyse the use of a magnetic field to change the path of a charged particle, including the magnitude and direction of the force applied to an electron beam by a magnetic field: $F = qvB$ , in cases where the directions of $v$ and $B$ are perpendicular or parallel; the radius of the path followed by an electron in a magnetic field: $qvB = \frac{mv^2}{r}$ , where $v \ll c$	How do things move without contact?	3.7%	11 of 11
3.3.2.4	analyse the supply of power by considering transmission losses across transmission lines	How are fields used in electricity generation?	3.4%	9 of 11
3.1.1.2	investigate and analyse theoretically and practically the uniform circular motion of an object moving in a horizontal plane: ( $F_{net} = \frac{mv^2}{r}$ ), including a vehicle moving around a circular road; a vehicle moving around a banked track; an object on the end of a string	How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?	3.1%	8 of 11
3.2.3.2	model satellite motion (artificial, Moon, planet) as uniform circular orbital motion: $a = \frac{v^2}{r} = \frac{4\pi^2 r}{T^2}$	How do things move without contact?	2.7%	11 of 11
3.2.2.3	analyse the use of gravitational fields to accelerate mass, including gravitational field and gravitational force concepts: $g = G\frac{M}{r^2}$ and $F_g = G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}$ ; potential energy changes in a uniform gravitational field: $E_g = mg\Delta h$	How do things move without contact?	2.2%	11 of 11
4.1.2.1	apply the quantised energy of photons: $E = hf = \frac{hc}{\lambda}$	How has understanding about the physical world changed?	2.1%	11 of 11
3.3.2.3	analyse transformer action with reference to electromagnetic induction for an ideal transformer: $\frac{N_1}{N_2} = \frac{V_1}{V_2} = \frac{I_2}{I_1}$	How are fields used in electricity generation?	2.1%	11 of 11
3.2.3.4	investigate and analyse theoretically and practically the force on a current carrying conductor due to an external magnetic field, $F = nIlB$ , where the directions of $I$ and $B$ are either perpendicular or parallel to each other	How do things move without contact?	2.0%	10 of 11

These 16 dot points carry 61.9% of the paper marks between them. Another 48 assessed dot points share the rest, and 7 of the 71 externally assessable dot points have not been assessed in any of these 11 papers. Content that has not appeared is still examinable.

What has moved between papers

No topic's share moved by more than 3.0 percentage points between the 2020 to 2022 papers and the 2023 to 2025 papers. The largest movement was 2.9 points, which is inside the range two papers a year produce by chance, so nothing here is a trend to revise around.

How the papers are built

Short answer carries 84.2% of the marks across these 11 papers.

Question type	Share of marks	Marks	Parts
Short answer	84.2%	1179	541
Multiple choice	15.8%	221	221

Verb	Share of marks	Marks	Parts
calculate	27.4%	384	169
explain	14.9%	209	94
justify	7.0%	98	42
draw	6.5%	91	36
determine	5.6%	78	34
show	4.4%	61	40
sketch	3.9%	55	24
describe	3.4%	48	22

What these percentages do not tell you

Where to practise

Every topic above links to its own page of real VCAA questions with marking criteria and average scores attached: How has understanding about the physical world changed?, How do physicists explain motion in two dimensions?, How do things move without contact?, How are fields used in electricity generation? and How is scientific inquiry used to investigate fields, motion or light?. For how students actually score on this content, read VCE Physics hardest topics, and for the full question bank start at VCE Physics.

Syllabus and assessment material referenced in this guide is reproduced by permission, © VCAA. See our VCAA licensing notice. The VCAA does not endorse or make any warranties regarding this study resource. VCE® is a registered trademark of the VCAA.