What the 2024 exam showed about language, precision and unfinished reasoning
When fluent writing disguises weak physics
One of the more uncomfortable patterns that emerged from the 2024 Physics exam is that some of the most fluent responses were also some of the weakest.
These answers read well. Sentences flowed. Terminology appeared accurate. The structure looked convincing.
And yet, marks were missing.
The issue wasn’t clarity. It was physics. The language sounded right, but the reasoning underneath was incomplete or misdirected.
Physics explanations are not narratives
Many students approach explanation questions as if they are telling a story about what happens.
They describe events in order. They restate parts of the stimulus. They explain outcomes in everyday language.
What’s missing is the physical mechanism.
In Physics, explanation means identifying the interaction responsible for the change. Something must act. A force must be exerted. Energy must be transferred. A field must influence behaviour.
If the explanation could be lifted into a science essay without changing a word, it’s probably not physics-specific enough to score well.
The examiner expectation students keep missing
The 2024 examiner feedback makes it clear that explanations are assessed on whether students can link a physical principle directly to an outcome.
Students often name the correct principle but do not apply it. They write “due to Newton’s laws” or “because of conservation of energy” without explaining how that law operates in the situation described.
That’s not explanation. That’s citation.
Physics rewards students who use principles, not just mention them.
Why vague causal language costs marks
Phrases like this affects, this causes, or this results in appear frequently in lower- and mid-range responses.
They sound causal, but they often stop short of saying what actually happens.
A force causes what?
Energy transfer leads to which change?
An interaction results in which observable outcome?
If the sentence ends without that specificity, the reasoning is unfinished.
When correct ideas are linked in the wrong order
Another issue highlighted by the 2024 paper was sequencing.
Some students correctly identified multiple relevant ideas but linked them in the wrong causal order. The physics was present, but the logic was backwards.
For example, students described an outcome first and then named a principle, rather than showing how the principle leads to the outcome. This reverses cause and effect.
Examiners are not marking for how many ideas appear. They are marking for whether the reasoning flows in the correct direction.
Why writing more physics words doesn’t help
Under pressure, students often try to strengthen explanations by adding more technical language.
This usually makes the problem worse.
Long explanations that circle the idea without landing on the mechanism are harder to follow and harder to reward. The examiner cannot guess which sentence was meant to earn the mark.
Precision beats volume every time.
The difference between sounding scientific and being specific
Strong Physics explanations often look deceptively simple.
They identify the relevant interaction.
They explain how it operates.
They state the consequence clearly.
There is no padding. No storytelling. No detours.
These responses don’t sound impressive. They sound controlled.
A simple test students can apply
After writing an explanation, ask:
“Have I clearly stated what causes what?”
If the answer is no, the explanation probably stops too early.
If the cause could be swapped out without changing the sentence, it isn’t doing enough work.
What this means for Physics preparation
Preparation needs to focus on practising explanations that name forces, interactions and energy transfers explicitly.
Students should rehearse writing short, tight explanations that finish the causal chain rather than drifting into description. This is a skill, and like all skills in Physics, it improves with targeted practice.
Working with ATAR STAR
ATAR STAR Physics tutoring trains students to write explanations that earn marks, not just sound correct.
We focus on helping students identify the physical mechanism in each question and express it clearly and efficiently. Students learn how to strip explanations back to the physics that actually matters.
If your Physics explanations read well but don’t score consistently, the issue is rarely writing ability. It’s whether the physics has been made explicit — and that’s exactly what ATAR STAR helps students master.