The Practical Endorsement | OCR A-Level Physics A (H556)
The Practical Endorsement
- 82 questions
- 7 subtopics
- Module 1: Development of practical skills in physics
- Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3
The practical endorsement belongs to module 1 and is assessed by the centre and reported separately from the grade.
It covers using apparatus and measuring instruments correctly, working safely, and the specific techniques the endorsement requires across mechanics, electricity and waves.
Sample questions from The Practical Endorsement
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Analogue and digital measuring instruments
Name an analogue instrument suitable for measuring angles.
Show the answer
A protractor. -
Analogue and digital measuring instruments
What analogue apparatus is used to measure volume of a liquid?
Show the answer
A measuring cylinder, burette or graduated pipette. -
Improving accuracy with repeat timing, fiducial markers and plumb lines
How is a set square used when measuring heights in an experiment?
Show the answer
It ensures perpendicular alignment between the measuring instrument and the surface, so that the measurement is taken at exactly 90° to the base. -
Improving accuracy with repeat timing, fiducial markers and plumb lines
Why is it important to use a fiducial marker when timing a pendulum swing?
Show the answer
It provides a fixed reference point to consistently identify when the pendulum passes a specific position, reducing parallax error and improving timing accuracy. -
Timing, calipers and micrometers
Explain how light gates eliminate reaction-time errors in timing.
Show the answer
Light gates detect automatically when an object breaks an infrared beam, starting and stopping the timer electronically without human intervention. -
Timing, calipers and micrometers
What are calipers used to measure, and what types of scale can they have?
Show the answer
Calipers are used to measure small distances and can have digital or vernier scales. -
Constructing and testing circuits
What steps are involved in checking a circuit before taking measurements?
Show the answer
Verifying that all connections are correct, confirming component values are as intended, and testing that the circuit operates correctly. -
Constructing and testing circuits
Why must polarity-sensitive components be connected in the correct orientation?
Show the answer
Incorrect orientation can prevent the component from functioning or cause damage to the component or circuit.
The 7 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Analogue and digital measuring instruments | Recall questions on analogue apparatus for length, temperature, pressure, force, angles and volume, reading and interpolating scales, and digital instruments for time, current, voltage, resistance and mass. | 20 |
| Improving accuracy with repeat timing, fiducial markers and plumb lines | Recall questions on timing multiple oscillations to reduce uncertainty, using a fiducial marker when timing a pendulum, and using set squares and plumb lines to improve measurement accuracy. | 10 |
| Timing, calipers and micrometers | Recall questions on stopwatches and their uncertainty, light gates, calipers and micrometers for small distances, vernier and digital scales, and how a vernier scale gives readings finer than the main scale. | 11 |
| Constructing and testing circuits | Recall questions on designing circuits, constructing them from circuit diagrams, polarity-sensitive components such as diodes, LEDs and electrolytic capacitors, and checking a circuit works before taking measurements. | 9 |
| Signal generators and oscilloscopes | Recall questions on what a signal generator produces, what an oscilloscope displays, the volts/division and time-base settings, and using an oscilloscope to find the frequency of a signal. | 8 |
| Generating and measuring waves | Recall questions on microphones, loudspeakers, ripple tanks, vibration transducers, microwave and radio sources, and lasers or light sources used to investigate interference and diffraction. | 12 |
| Data loggers, modelling software and ionising radiation | Recall questions on computer modelling, data loggers with sensors, software for processing data, detectors for ionising radiation and the rules, shielding, time and distance that make handling radioactive sources safe. | 12 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
OCR A-Level Physics A Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,862 questions with their answers.