Exam Boards

How exam boards compare for Physics

AQA is the most popular

AQA is by far the most popular board for A-level Physics, accounting for over half of all entrants, 22.8k out of 45.8k total in 2026.

OCR comes in second, taking nearly a third with just under 14k students. Edexcel is third with 11 %, 4.8k students. WJEC, which provides exams for Wales and Northern Ireland, and the same board uses the name Eduqas for England, make up only 6% together, with under 2k and 1k students respectively.

Most students do not get to choose which exam board they sit for. However, if you are a teacher or external student, you should consider the data below when choosing a board for yourself or your students. I don’t think the most popular is the correct choice. Having taught all these different boards and options, I can offer some of my own insight.

If you're stuck with a board, don’t worry; most of the content is the same, and most students will get the same grade no matter which board they sit.

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AQA is the hardest

In terms of the percentage required for each grade, AQA is much lower than the other two main boards. This does not mean that AQA is easier; quite the contrary, the exams themselves have been much harder, which has forced their grade boundaries to be lower.

In past years, this has been quite demoralising for students, with the exams being so tough it has had a big effect on student confidence. I generally find AQA too hard, with questions often confusing and poorly written.

This data averages the required percentage over the last five years (2022-2026 inclusive), with 2021 and earlier omitted because these were teacher-assessed grades during COVID.

AQA's average does not include the option module in Paper 3, as it differs significantly from other boards and is not directly comparable. OCR B is also not included, since it is uncommon (and I don’t like the structure of this course)

Grade Britain provides excellent data on where grades land by board and is a great resource for UK subject and exam boards.

From this data, it might seem that WJEC/Eduquas are the best board to take if you want a better chance at higher grades. However, resources are scarce. For example, the excellent website I use all the time, save my exams does not have resources beyond past papers. The board does provide a free resource to see past paper questions by topic area, from their question bank here for WJEC and Eduqas. This has been down for long periods in the past, so you are probably better off using the ones I have made for WJEC and Eduqas.

Physics A level results by exam board

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Edexcel does have a slightly higher proportion of students getting top grades, and it is my preferred board for students. The course has two approaches.

While a generally concept-led approach is preferred by me and most students, it is good to have an extra option.

Unlike WJEC/Eduqas, there are lots more resources available, and teachers also have access to examwizard for making custom worksheets for your students. This software is a little old, but it works fine and is free. You can also use the international version of the course to get more resources. Just speak to your exam officers for access. If you don’t have access, I have lots of pre-made Edexcel resources for you.

As I said before, I think the AQA papers have been unnecessarily hard recently, but another reason I don’t like them is the cost of their exam pro software. You have to pay £145 per year for access to make worksheets, something which Edexcel and OCR give you for free. £220 per year for Physics Onscreen+ might be a great option and time-saver for making and marking homework if your school will pay for it.

The cost becomes significant if you want access for all GCSE and A level science subjects; it is nearly £1000 a year for science alone, so many schools won't have access to it. For schools with deeper pockets, this could be a great option.

OCR also has exam builder software that is free to staff at Cambridge OCR centres. Unlike AQA and Edexcel’s equivalents, I have never had access to this software. So I can’t really comment on how it works.

Edexcel is the Best

In conclusion, Edexcel is my preferred board. You have a fractionally higher chance of better grades. The course structure is very good, and while you are unlikely to take the context-led approach, it is nice to have the option.

However, what sets Edexcel apart is that the exam papers have been more consistent, students generally prefer them, and plenty of good resources are available for free. The International version also gives you even more resources.

I would encourage any physics department to switch to Edexcel A-level for physics, and I am very surprised that more still do AQA, even though it has had many significant issues.