# Leaving Cert Physics 2026

> The 2026 Leaving Cert Physics exam paper and official marking scheme for Higher and Ordinary level. Questions come from the official State Examinations Commission papers; every PDF link opens the original on examinations.ie.

Canonical: https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/2026

## Higher Level

- [Exam Paper](https://www.examinations.ie/archive/exampapers/2026/LC021ALP000EV.pdf)
- [Marking Scheme](https://www.examinations.ie/archive/markingschemes/2026/LC021ALP000EV.pdf)

### What's in the 2026 Higher Level paper?

| Question | Topics | Marks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Q1 | boyle's law, gas laws, pressure-volume relationship | 40 |
| Q2 | simple pendulum, acceleration due to gravity, simple harmonic motion | 40 |
| Q3 | diffraction grating, wavelength of light, monochromatic light | 40 |
| Q4 | specific latent heat, vaporisation, calorimetry | 40 |
| Q5 | resistance and temperature, resistivity, resistance | 40 |
| Q6 | mechanics, heat, electricity, nuclear physics | 56 |
| Q7 | momentum, newton's second law, conservation of momentum, sound intensity | 56 |
| Q8 | concave mirror, lenses, total internal reflection, polarisation | 56 |
| Q9 | resonance, stretched string, stationary waves, harmonics | 56 |
| Q10 | capacitance, capacitors, potential difference | 56 |
| Q11 | cathode ray tube, electrons, colour, magnetic field | 56 |
| Q12 | radioactivity, radioactive decay, half-life | 56 |
| Q13 | semiconductors, solar energy, heat pump, u-value | 56 |
| Q14 | vectors, doppler effect, electrostatics, particle physics | 56 |

## Ordinary Level

- [Exam Paper](https://www.examinations.ie/archive/exampapers/2026/LC021GLP000EV.pdf)
- [Marking Scheme](https://www.examinations.ie/archive/markingschemes/2026/LC021GLP000EV.pdf)

### What's in the 2026 Ordinary Level paper?

| Question | Topics | Marks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Q1 | mechanics, acceleration due to gravity, experiment | 40 |
| Q2 | light, concave mirror, focal length, experiment | 40 |
| Q3 | sound, stretched string, frequency, experiment | 40 |
| Q4 | heat, latent heat, fusion of ice, experiment | 40 |
| Q5 | electricity, resistance and temperature, experiment | 40 |
| Q6 | short questions, mixed topics | 56 |
| Q7 | mechanics, newton's laws, force, weight | 56 |
| Q8 | heat, u-value, temperature, specific heat capacity | 56 |
| Q9 | light, refraction, total internal reflection, fibre optics | 56 |
| Q10 | electricity, circuits, parallel circuits, ohm's law | 56 |
| Q11 | waves, doppler effect, diffraction, polarisation | 56 |
| Q12 | atomic structure, electrons, cathode ray tube, kinetic energy | 56 |
| Q13 | sound, waves, comprehension | 56 |
| Q14 | moments, harmonics, capacitors, electromagnetic induction | 56 |

## Revise Physics by topic

- [Mechanics](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/topic/mechanics)
- [Heat & Temperature](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/topic/heat-temperature)
- [Waves & Sound](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/topic/waves-sound)
- [Light & Optics](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/topic/light-optics)
- [Electricity & Magnetism](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/topic/electricity-magnetism)
- [The Electron, Photoelectric Effect & X-rays](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/topic/electron-photoelectric-effect-x-rays)
- [Atomic, Nuclear & Particle Physics](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/topic/atomic-nuclear-particle-physics)
- [Experimental Physics & Measurement](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/topic/experimental-physics-measurement)

## Related

- [Physics 2025](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics/2025)
- [All Physics years](https://examai.ie/past-papers/leaving-cert/physics)