Senior Physics Challenge Past Papers & Solutions
BPhO Senior Physics Challenge (SPC)
Senior Physics Challenge past papers and solutions, 2007–2024 — direct PDF links to every problem paper and solution booklet for Year 11 physicists.
- Eligibility
- Year 11 students (and able Year 10)
- Format
- Structured written physics questions with extended parts
- Duration
- About 1 hour
- Scoring
- Bronze, Silver and Gold certificate tiers
The Senior Physics Challenge is the Year 11 rung of the BPhO ladder and the best early indicator of whether a student will enjoy olympiad physics. The content is GCSE, but the questions are unfamiliar and multi-step. Each year below links straight to the official PDF: sit the paper timed, mark it against the solutions, then rewrite the parts you guessed.
Senior Physics Challenge past papers and solutions by year
Every link below opens the official BPhO PDF directly. Sit the paper timed, mark it against the solutions, then read the extended solutions once you have written up your own attempt.
Stuck on a Senior Physics Challenge question?
Send us the question number. A mentor who has sat and medalled in Senior Physics Challenge will reply with a step-by-step walkthrough and the faster competition method.
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What the paper tests
Forces & motion
Energy & power
Electricity
Waves & light
Estimation
Where it leads: Leads on to the BPhO Physics Challenge ladder and Round 1 at A-Level. See our coaching programme.
Book personalised Senior Physics Challenge classes
Past papers show you the gap; a mentor closes it. Our Senior Physics Challenge mentors are medal winners who walk through every solution 1-to-1, then set targeted practice on the archetypes you lost marks on.
Want the full Senior Physics Challenge paper pack and score guide?
Tell us your target and we will send the Senior Physics Challenge paper list, the official scoring rules and a preparation plan built around the questions you keep losing marks on.
Free to ask. No spam, ever — we only reply about your question.
Frequently asked questions
- Who sits the Senior Physics Challenge?
- It is aimed at Year 11 students, entered through their school. Able Year 10 students often sit it too. Check the BPhO site for current dates and eligibility.
- Where are the SPC past papers and answers?
- Every year listed here links directly to the official problem and solution PDFs. Our mentors work through any question you are stuck on, step by step.