2026 WACE Physics exam: What to learn from last year's mistakes

Exam: Wednesday 4 November 2026, 9.20 am. Western Australia local time.

2025 exam average: 65.73%. Comprehension had the lowest section average at 57.86%, compared with 66.67% for short response and 68.32% for problem-solving.

I've gone through last year's report and marking key. Q4 and Q9 were the lowest-scoring short-response questions. One needed an explanation, the other a derivation. Recognising the topic wasn't enough.

The 2025 paper had 56, 92 and 43 raw marks across its three sections, weighted 30%, 50% and 20%. Keep raw marks separate from weighted scores when checking your result.

1. Q4: Back emf needs the whole explanation

4 marks.

Where students went wrong

The report flags this as a difficult explanation question. A definition alone leaves out the physical sequence.

What they should have done

Current in the coil produces a torque, making it rotate in the magnetic field. The changing flux induces an emf that opposes the applied emf. Connect those four stages instead of stopping at “it opposes the current”.

2. Q9: Derive it from the force balance

5 marks.

Where an answer loses marks

Jumping to an expression without showing how terminal speed connects the forces and circuit.

What you needed

Start with Mg sinθ = ILB. Substitute I = ε/R and ε = BLv. Rearrange to sinθ = B²L²v/(MgR). Each substitution makes the reasoning visible.

3. Q6: Height above the Moon isn't distance from its centre

4 marks.

Where an answer loses marks

Putting the 165 km altitude straight into the inverse-square equation.

What you needed

Use r = 1740 + 165 = 1905 km, then convert to metres. Substitution into g = GM/r² gives 1.35 m/s². Label r before reaching for the calculator.

4. Q11: Finish with the quantity actually requested

5 marks.

Where an answer loses marks

Calculating an orbital radius and reporting it as altitude.

What you needed

Use the 24-hour period in seconds with Kepler's third law. The orbital radius is about 4.22 × 10⁷ m. Subtract Earth's radius to obtain approximately 3.58 × 10⁷ m above the surface.

The calculation examples show requirements in the marking key, not published percentages of students making those exact mistakes. The report also recommends practising algebra, trigonometry and clear intermediate working.

Use the 2025 official paper alongside its marking key and examiner report. SCSA publishes a separate 2026 syllabus, sample exam and formula booklet, so check those when choosing old questions. Official examination timetable.

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