The Journal
Physics study guides.
Make your next step count.
Choose your course, work through a difficult skill, or decide what to change after your next marked paper. Advice for students and parents, with practical examples and links to further help.
IGCSE Physics
IGCSE · 15 September 2026 · 6 min
Cambridge vs Edexcel IGCSE Physics: which papers and resources do you need?
Compare Cambridge 0625 and Edexcel 4PH1 Physics, understand the separate modular route, and choose the right papers, practical revision and tutoring support.
IGCSE · 10 August 2026 · 7 min
How to get an A* in IGCSE Physics: the complete system
After 30 years of teaching IGCSE Physics, Dr Desouky explains how to plan revision, learn equations, practise experimental skills and use feedback from past papers.
IGCSE · 28 July 2026 · 6 min
IGCSE Physics Paper 6: why students lose marks on experiments they understand
Prepare for Cambridge IGCSE Physics Paper 6 with practical-skills revision: variables, measurements, graphs, experimental planning and evaluation.
IGCSE · 12 July 2026 · 5 min
Six-mark physics questions: how to structure an explanation
Build clearer answers to longer physics questions: read the command word, select relevant principles and link the reasoning to the context.
IGCSE · 8 June 2026 · 6 min
The IGCSE physics equations you must know by heart
Revise IGCSE Physics equation families, units, rearrangement and calculation methods. Check formula requirements against your board and exam year.
AS, A-Level and Mechanics
A-Level · 15 September 2026 · 7 min
From IGCSE to A-Level Physics: a practical readiness check
Prepare for AS Physics with original checks on algebra, vectors, graphs and explanations, plus a two-week bridging plan and worked answers.
A-Level · 15 September 2026 · 7 min
Edexcel IAL Physics Unit 3 and Unit 6: how to revise practical skills
Prepare for Edexcel WPH13 and WPH16 with a practical revision method: planning, measurements, graph analysis and specific experimental improvements.
A-Level · 15 September 2026 · 7 min
Percentage uncertainty in Physics: worked examples and common mistakes
Calculate absolute and percentage uncertainty, half-range estimates and combined uncertainties with original examples for Edexcel AS and A-Level Physics.
A-Level · 20 August 2026 · 6 min
Is A-Level physics hard? An honest answer after 30 years
Is A-Level physics really as hard as its reputation? After 30 years of teaching it, Dr Desouky explains what actually makes it difficult, who struggles, and what changes the outcome.
A-Level · 5 July 2026 · 6 min
From AS to A2: what changes, and how to be ready
A2 physics is more abstract than AS, not just harder. Dr Desouky maps what changes — fields, oscillations, synthesis questions — and the preparation that makes A2 the strongest year.
Mechanics · 15 June 2026 · 5 min
M1 Mechanics: why students struggle, and the system that fixes it
M1 Mechanics defeats strong maths students because it is physics in disguise. Dr Desouky explains the diagram-first system that makes M1 the most predictable paper.
Revision and exam skills
Exam technique · 15 September 2026 · 6 min
How to improve after a disappointing Physics mock: diagnose before revising
Turn a disappointing IGCSE or A-Level Physics mock into a focused plan. Diagnose lost marks, choose repair tasks and check progress with fresh questions.
Exam planning · 15 September 2026 · 5 min
Taking Physics as a private candidate in the UAE: an exam checklist
Plan a private-candidate Physics entry in the UAE: qualification codes, exam-centre questions, official registration links and a practical revision checklist.
Exam season · 25 August 2026 · 7 min read
Predicted topics for IGCSE Physics 2027: where the paper is heading
A careful guide to high-value topics and question styles for the 2027 IGCSE Physics exams — with clear limits on what any prediction can tell you.
Exam season · 18 August 2026 · 6 min read
IGCSE physics grade boundaries, explained properly
How IGCSE Physics grade boundaries work, why they move, and what official Cambridge 0625 and Edexcel 4PH1 results mean for revision.
Exam season · 10 August 2026 · 6 min read
Results day: what to do with your physics grade, whatever it is
A calm guide to results day for IGCSE and A-Level physics students: how to read your result, when a remark is worth it, whether to retake, and how to plan the next level.
Exam season · 3 August 2026 · 8 min read
The 12-week physics revision timetable that actually holds
A realistic 12-week physics revision timetable for IGCSE and A-Level: three phases, week-by-week structure, and the rules that stop it collapsing by week three — from Dr Desouky.
Exam technique · 25 June 2026 · 6 min
What examiners actually look for: trigger words in physics mark schemes
Learn how physics mark schemes use precise terms and accept equivalent scientific explanations. Practise applying the ideas rather than memorising isolated keywords.
Exam technique · 20 May 2026 · 6 min
How to use past papers properly (most students do it wrong)
Past papers are the most powerful revision tool in physics — and most students waste them. Dr Desouky explains the three-phase method: papers as lessons, then diagnosis, then rehearsal.
Exam technique · 2 May 2026 · 6 min
Three weeks to the exam: the revision system
Three weeks is enough to change a physics grade — if the time is spent on the right things. Dr Desouky's week-by-week revision system, refined over 30 years of exam seasons.
Choosing tuition
Choosing a tutor · 20 July 2026 · 6 min
Best online physics tutor for IGCSE: how to judge before you pay
Searching for the best online IGCSE physics tutor? A 30-year physics teacher lists the objective tests: results evidence, board-specific materials, Paper 6 training, and the between-session system.
Choosing a tutor · 30 June 2026 · 7 min
Private tutor vs tuition center vs online group: 30 years of watching what works
Private tutor, tuition center, or online group course? After 30 years teaching physics in all three formats, Dr Desouky compares cost, attention and results — and explains what actually predicts the grade.
Choosing a tutor · 2 June 2026 · 6 min
Does online tutoring work for physics? Choosing the right format
Dr Desouky compares live online physics tuition with in-person lessons in Abu Dhabi: homework, feedback, practical preparation and choosing the right format.