A-Level · 25 September 2026 · 6 min read
Edexcel IAL Physics A*: how UMS targets actually work
An A* target becomes much easier to plan when you separate three things: marks on a paper, the UMS result for each unit, and the rules for the complete qualification. A high overall average alone does not settle the A* question in Edexcel International A-Level Physics.
The examples below use invented UMS profiles so you can practise the calculation. They are planning examples, not predictions of future grade boundaries. This guide concerns the modular International qualification, YPH11, rather than the UK linear A-Level.
This guide uses the 2018 Physics specification, which Pearson confirms for students starting in September 2026. Pearson also lists a redeveloped qualification for teaching from September 2027, with first IAS certification in August 2028. Future entrants should confirm their qualification version with their centre rather than transferring these unit assumptions automatically.
Check both conditions, not just the total
Pearson's six-unit IAL rule requires at least 480 UMS overall, together with at least 270 UMS from A2. Physics has 600 UMS available: 300 from AS and 300 from A2. The A2 combination is Units 4, 5 and 6. There is no separate A* award at International AS, whose highest grade is A.
Write two running totals on your planning sheet. One is the sum of all six units; the other includes only the three A2 units. Keeping them separate prevents a common error: assuming that exceptionally strong AS results can compensate for an A2 total below the A* requirement.
Raw marks and UMS answer different questions
Raw marks count what you earned on a particular paper. UMS puts that performance onto the unit's reporting scale. Conversion depends on the paper and exam series, so 90% raw marks and 90% UMS are not interchangeable. Use the correct official conversion when reviewing a completed exam; do not invent a conversion for a future paper.
Physics Units 1, 2, 4 and 5 each contribute up to 120 UMS. Units 3 and 6 contribute up to 60 each. Adding six percentages and dividing by six therefore gives the practical-skills units too much weight. Add the actual UMS numbers instead, and retain the unit code alongside each number to avoid mixing results.
Work out the A2 target from your AS total
Let S be your AS UMS total. The A2 total needed for an A* is the larger of 270 and 480 − S. This short calculation checks both conditions at once. If S = 250, then 480 − 250 = 230, but the A2 condition still makes your target 270. If S = 205, the target becomes 275 because 205 + 270 would only make 475 overall.
If S is below 180, even the maximum 300 A2 UMS cannot bring the overall total to 480. That arithmetic may justify discussing AS improvement options with your teacher and exams officer. It does not tell you automatically which unit to retake: available preparation time, current understanding and entry arrangements also matter.
Calculate a remaining-unit requirement
Suppose your AS total is 242. Your A2 results so far are 110 in Unit 4 and 107 in Unit 5. You have 217 A2 UMS before Unit 6, so reaching 270 requires 53 more. Unit 6 has 60 UMS available, making that a possible, demanding target. Your overall total would then be 242 + 270 = 512.
Now change Unit 4 to 104 and Unit 5 to 103. Their combined 207 would leave a requirement of 63 from Unit 6, which exceeds its maximum. Recognising an impossible remaining-unit target early is useful. It prevents putting all revision effort into the last paper while overlooking the need to reconsider an earlier result or the grade target.
Turn the target into a study decision
A UMS target describes the result you need; an error analysis identifies how to improve your work. Separate missed marks into conceptual gaps, mathematical errors, practical interpretation and incomplete explanations. Then choose one change that can be observed in the next timed attempt, such as stating the model before applying an equation or showing uncertainty calculations explicitly.
Do not spend every session calculating hypothetical grades. A useful weekly check is whether the same type of error is disappearing across unfamiliar questions. Keep a realistic buffer rather than planning to land exactly on a threshold. For actual entries, cash-ins and resits, ask your exams officer to confirm your complete unit record and the applicable Pearson rules.
Try two profiles before looking at the answer
Profile A has 288 AS UMS and 266 A2 UMS. Profile B has 211 AS UMS and 270 A2 UMS. Which satisfies the A* conditions? A has the larger overall total, 554, but misses the A2 requirement. B totals 481 and meets the A2 requirement, so B satisfies both conditions. The example shows why total percentage alone is misleading.
For your own profile, copy confirmed UMS values from the result record, add AS and A2 separately, then apply the two checks. Label estimates clearly and avoid mixing them with confirmed results. Revisit the calculation when a result changes, but let day-to-day revision follow your diagnosed weaknesses rather than the anxiety of an unfinished total.
Questions, explained
Choose a question for a direct answer, then explore the explanation and supporting resources. Each answer has its own link to save or share.
Can I get an A* in IAL Physics without 90% UMS overall?
Yes. The rule is at least 480/600 UMS overall and at least 270/300 UMS across A2, rather than 540/600 overall. For example, 220 AS UMS plus 270 A2 UMS gives 490 overall and satisfies both conditions. Conversely, a larger overall total does not qualify if the A2 total is below 270.
Do I need 90% UMS in every A2 Physics unit?
The condition applies to the combined A2 UMS total, not separately to every unit. An example is 112 in Unit 4, 106 in Unit 5 and 52 in Unit 6: together they make 270. You must also satisfy the overall qualification requirement. Keep the unit maxima in mind because Unit 6 contributes up to 60 UMS, while Units 4 and 5 each contribute up to 120.
Can I know the exact raw marks needed for an A* before the exam?
You cannot know the future raw-to-UMS conversion with certainty before that series is awarded. Previous boundaries can provide context for completed practice papers, but they are not guaranteed future thresholds. Use official series-specific conversion data when available, and prepare across the specification rather than aiming to reproduce a historical raw mark exactly.