H2 Physics 9478 syllabus 2026 topic map for A-Level notes: all 20 topics, Paper 1-4 weightings, Data and Formulae route, specimen papers, and Paper 4 practice links.
Q: How should I use the H2 Physics 9478 syllabus after finding the official PDF? A: Use this notes-route page to turn the SEAB H2 Physics 9478 syllabus 2026 into a 20-topic revision map. For the official PDF, paper structure, and syllabus-document search intent, use the canonical SEAB H2 Physics 9478 syllabus guide.
Looking for free H2 Physics notes by chapter/topic plus the printable PDF bundle? Start here: free H2 Physics notes.
If you are searching for the official H2 Physics syllabus 2026 PDF, the 9478 syllabus, or the A-Level Physics syllabus 2026, the SEAB file linked below is the current reference and the canonical page is A-Level Physics Syllabus 2026 Onwards. Use this page after that to connect the official document to notes, formulae, practicals, and topic repair.
Preparing for H2 Physics under the 9478 syllabus (first exam 2026) requires systematic coverage of 20 topics across six sections - Foundations of Physics (Topics 1-4), Mechanics (Topics 5-9), Waves (Topics 10-11), Thermal Physics (Topics 12-13), Electricity & Magnetism (Topics 14-18), and Modern Physics (Topics 19-20) - alongside consistent practical-skills rehearsal for Paper 4.
Note on syllabus codes: SEAB lists revised H2 Physics as 9478 for 2026 school candidates. SEAB's 2026 private-candidate page also lists 9478, while 9749 appears as a last-year examination row. Private candidates should check the private-candidate page and their registration route before using older 9749 material.
H2 Physics 9478 has four papers and 20 topics: Check the paper weightings first.
Paper 3 and Paper 4 together carry more than half the grade: Balance content revision with practical preparation.
Concrete example: A student who only revises topical notes may still lose marks if Paper 4 spreadsheet analysis is weak. Treat practical skills as a core syllabus item.
Search-intent checkpoint
Use this page as the school-candidate 9478 map. If your search was more specific, take the route below.
This is the support route when you need a weekly plan, topic diagnosis, Modern Physics coaching, or Paper 4 correction after the document query is answered.
Topic-route checkpoint for late JC2 revision
Fresh GSC rows show that syllabus searches often sit beside formula, notes, and tuition searches. Keep those jobs separate when planning revision.
Use tuition for diagnosis, timed feedback, and Paper 4 routines, not as a replacement syllabus page.
Weak-question routing checkpoint
When a H2 Physics question goes wrong, tag the failure before choosing what to practise next. The syllabus is most useful when it tells you which skill to repair, not just which chapter to reread.
Error signal
What to tag
Next practice action
You could not identify the topic
Topic number and strand
Revisit the matching note, then attempt one short question from the same strand
You knew the formula but the equation setup failed
System, direction, diagram, or model choice
Redraw the situation and write the governing equation before substituting numbers
You reached a graph or spreadsheet result but could not explain it
Evidence, gradient, intercept, uncertainty, or trend
Write the physical meaning of the result in words before recording the value
You missed marks on a new 9478 area
Practice-source gap
Use specimen or school-set practice rather than expecting older TYS questions to cover it
Worked check: If a capacitance question goes wrong, do not label the whole Electricity section as weak. Tag whether the error was charge-storage concept, exponential graph reading, circuit behaviour, or equation setup. Each tag points to a different repair drill.
Misconception check: Mapping a question to a topic is only the first step. H2 Physics marks are usually lost at the model-choice, equation-setup, evidence, or practical-evaluation layer.
Status: SEAB's current H2 Physics (9478) syllabus PDF is labelled for 2026. Scheme of assessment: Paper 1 (1 h, 30 marks, 15 %), Paper 2 (2 h, 75 marks, 30 %), Paper 3 (2 h, 75 marks, 35 %), Paper 4 (2 h 30 min, 50 marks, 20 %).
Exam Format at a Glance
Paper
Weighting
Duration
Marks
Focus
Paper 1
15 %
1 h
30
30 multiple-choice questions spanning the full syllabus
Paper 2
30 %
2 h
75
Structured questions with stimulus data and multi-part responses
SEAB 9478 places current-balance magnetic-force work in Topic 17 and Faraday-Lenz induction work in Topic 18. Keep the boundary clear when revising Electricity and Magnetism.
If the question asks about...
Syllabus topic
Best note
Magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor, moving charge, or velocity selector
Map your weak topics - use the 20-topic list above to identify gaps across all six sections.
Check paper weightings - Paper 2 (30 %) and Paper 3 (35 %) together carry 65 % of your grade. Prioritise structured-response and essay practice.
Plan practical prep early - Paper 4 (20 %) tests skills that improve slowly. Start lab rehearsals in JC1, not two weeks before the exam.
What's New in 9478 - A Parent's Guide
The 9478 syllabus introduces several changes that are generating questions from parents supporting their JC1 children. This section explains the three most significant ones in plain language.
Capacitance (new content within Topic 14)
Capacitance is not a new numbered topic - it sits inside Topic 14 (Electric Fields) as new assessable content for 9478, with related circuit behaviour covered in Topic 16 (Circuits). The material covers how electrical charge is stored and released, including RC circuits - resistor-capacitor circuits that charge and discharge over time following an exponential curve. Students use the given exponential forms rather than deriving them from first principles; the derivation from dQ/dt is not required.
Because Capacitance is new to the A-Level syllabus, there are no past A-Level papers with Capacitance questions. Students cannot rely on the usual bank of ten-year series questions for this topic. The available practice material consists of SEAB specimen papers and school-set preliminary examination papers. This is a real constraint, not a sign that the topic is unusually difficult - it simply means students need to seek out specimen and prelim sources rather than expecting past papers to cover it.
Wavefunctions (new content within Topic 19)
Wavefunctions are an expansion of Topic 19 (Quantum Physics) rather than a new numbered topic. They introduce probability-density thinking: instead of describing exactly where a particle is, physics now describes the probability of finding it in a given region. There is no O-Level equivalent to this concept. Students who are used to deterministic answers ("the particle is here") will need to adjust to probabilistic reasoning ("there is a 90 % chance the particle is in this region").
Assessable outcomes include interpreting ∣ψ∣2 as a probability density, applying normalisation for square and sinusoidal wavefunctions, and using the quantised energy levels En=n2h2/(8mL2) for a particle in a one-dimensional infinite square well. Questions are expected to be more conceptual than calculation-heavy, with emphasis on what a probability-density graph shows and what the area under such a graph represents.
Spreadsheet practical skills (new in Paper 4)
The 9478 Paper 4 practical examination now requires students to use spreadsheet functions - specifically LINEST and LOGEST - to determine gradients, intercepts, and uncertainties from experimental data. This replaces the manual graph-plotting and ruler-drawn best-fit line that was standard under the previous syllabus.
Students who have never used LINEST or LOGEST in an exam context should practise these functions specifically. The skill is not tested implicitly through general spreadsheet literacy - students need to know the exact syntax, understand what the output rows mean, and be able to extract the relevant values under time pressure.
No Past Papers for New Topics - What to Do
Because the 9478 syllabus introduces Capacitance (new content in Topic 14 and Topic 16) and Wavefunctions (new content in Topic 19) as newly examinable material, there are no past A-Level papers covering them. Students who rely solely on the ten-year series will find a gap here.
The right approach is to use SEAB specimen papers and school-set preliminary papers for practice on these topics. Specimen papers are available from the links in the "Specimen Papers" section above. For prelim papers, students can ask their school for past sets or source them from peer networks across JC schools.
This is a temporary gap - it will close as exam years accumulate after 2026. It does not mean the topics are harder than legacy topics, only that the practice material pool is smaller right now.
9478 vs 9749 - Key Differences
For 2026 school candidates, SEAB lists revised H2 Physics as 9478. SEAB's 2026 private-candidate page also lists 9478, while 9749 appears as a last-year examination row. Students should not mix the two routes without checking which code applies to their registration route. If you are comparing 9478 materials with older 9749 notes and past papers, the following differences matter:
Capacitance added: Not present in 9749. Covered in the Electricity and Magnetism strand of 9478.
Wavefunctions added: Not present in 9749 in this form. Covered under Quantum Physics in 9478.
Paper 4 practical format updated: The 9478 practical paper requires spreadsheet-based data analysis (LINEST/LOGEST). The 9749 Paper 4 used manual graph-plotting.
Mark allocations revised: Internal weighting across Papers 1-4 has been adjusted. Paper 3 carries 35 % under 9478; confirm current weightings against the table above rather than older reference materials.
Past papers labelled 9749 remain useful for practising mechanics, waves, thermal physics, and electromagnetism topics that carry over to 9478. They are not useful for Capacitance, Wavefunctions, or the new Paper 4 practical format.
Next Steps
Chapter-by-chapter notes:free H2 Physics notes - all 20 topics with downloadable PDFs.
