Free topical revision checklist for IB DP Physics SL & HL. Track confidence (1–5), last reviewed and next review. Built to cover the full 2026 syllabus-style topic expectations. Rate your confidence (1–5), track review dates, then export as CSV or print.
| Topic | Sub-topic | Resources | Assessments | Confidence (1–5) | Last reviewed | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | SI base and derived units; prefixes; unit conversions | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | Dimensional analysis; checking equations | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | Significant figures and rounding rules | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | Random vs systematic error; reducing error | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | Uncertainty in readings; absolute vs percentage uncertainty | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | Propagation of uncertainties (add/subtract/multiply/divide/powers) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | Graphing: best-fit lines/curves; gradients; intercepts; log plots | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | Experimental design: controls, repeats, range, data quality | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| A. Measurement, uncertainty & skills | Evaluating methods; improvements; safety considerations | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Displacement, velocity, acceleration; SUVAT-style relationships (as taught) | Study | Quiz | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Motion graphs: (s)-(t), (v)-(t), (a)-(t) and areas/gradients | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Projectile motion; components; range/time (as taught) | Study | Quiz | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Newton’s laws; free-body diagrams; friction/drag | Study | Quiz | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Momentum, impulse and collisions (elastic/inelastic) | Study | Quiz | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Work done; kinetic/potential energy; conservation of energy | Study | Quiz | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Power and efficiency; energy transfers | Study | Quiz | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Circular motion: centripetal acceleration/force | Study | Quiz | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Gravitational field strength; orbital motion; escape speed (HL emphasis) | Study | Quiz | |||
| B. Space, time & motion (mechanics) | Torque, angular momentum and rotational dynamics — (HL) | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | Thermal energy, internal energy and temperature | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | Specific heat capacity; latent heat; phase changes | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | Kinetic theory model; ideal gas behaviour (as taught) | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | First law of thermodynamics (HL emphasis) | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | Wave fundamentals: frequency, wavelength, speed; intensity | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | Superposition; standing waves; resonance | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | Diffraction and interference patterns (HL emphasis) | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | Polarisation and Malus’ law (HL where applicable) | Study | Quiz | |||
| C. Thermal, waves & fields | Fields: gravitational field; electric field; magnetic field (concepts and lines) | Study | Quiz | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | Charge, current, potential difference; energy per unit charge | Study | Quiz | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | Resistance and resistivity; I–V characteristics | Study | Quiz | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | Power in circuits; internal resistance (HL emphasis) | Study | Quiz | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | Series/parallel circuits; potential dividers | Study | Quiz | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | Kirchhoff’s laws and circuit analysis — (HL) | Study | Quiz | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | Capacitance; energy stored; capacitors in circuits — (HL) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | RC time constant; exponential charging/discharging — (HL) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | Magnetic forces on charges/currents; motor effect | Study | Quiz | |||
| D. Electricity, circuits & electromagnetism | Electromagnetic induction; Faraday/Lenz; generators and transformers | Study | Quiz | |||
| E. Atomic, nuclear & quantum | Atomic structure; spectra and energy levels | Study | Quiz | |||
| E. Atomic, nuclear & quantum | Nuclear structure; binding energy; mass defect — (HL emphasis) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| E. Atomic, nuclear & quantum | Radioactive decay; half-life; activity calculations | Study | Quiz | |||
| E. Atomic, nuclear & quantum | Nuclear reactions: fission/fusion; applications and safety | Study | Quiz | |||
| E. Atomic, nuclear & quantum | Photons and quantisation; photoelectric effect — (HL emphasis) | Study | Quiz | |||
| E. Atomic, nuclear & quantum | Wave-particle duality; de Broglie wavelength — (HL) | Study | Quiz | |||
| E. Atomic, nuclear & quantum | Quantum models (qualitative) and uncertainty ideas — (HL where applicable) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| E. Atomic, nuclear & quantum | Particle physics: standard model overview; interactions — (HL where applicable) | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| F. Internal Assessment (IA) readiness | Define a focused research question with measurable variables | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| F. Internal Assessment (IA) readiness | Plan method: controls, repeats, apparatus precision and safety | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| F. Internal Assessment (IA) readiness | Analyse with appropriate physics + uncertainty treatment | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| F. Internal Assessment (IA) readiness | Evaluate limitations, improvements and extensions | LearnOpens subject resources | — | |||
| F. Internal Assessment (IA) readiness | Communicate clearly with citations and academic honesty | LearnOpens subject resources | — |
Tip: Pair this checklist with past paper practice and spaced repetition. Always confirm exact assessment components (SL/HL, options) with your school’s IB DP route for the 2026 exam session.
Quick answers about this free revision checklist, how to use it for exam prep, and how it relates to the official syllabus.
This revision checklist mirrors the official IB DP Physics syllabus for the 2026 examination series. Every topic and sub-topic on the page is taken from the published syllabus document, so working through the list in order gives you full coverage of what your exam can assess. It covers both Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) topic expectations. For the authoritative version, always cross-check with the latest syllabus PDF on your exam board's website before your final revision push.
The number of top-level topic groups varies by subject, but you can see the exact count on this page — each major heading in the checklist corresponds to one syllabus topic group, and each row below it is a syllabus-level sub-topic. Use the confidence column (1–5) to flag which sub-topics need more work, and re-score yourself weekly to track real progress instead of guessing.
16–20 weeks of consistent revision is realistic for IB DP — work through one topic per week alongside ongoing past-paper practice and Internal Assessment polish. Use this checklist to plan your weeks: filter by topics you have rated 1–3 and spend your first revision block there. Subjects with heavy practical or extended-writing components (e.g. sciences, English) need more past-paper time in the final block than the topic-by-topic phase.
Revise in roughly the order the syllabus lists the topics — exam boards build later topics on earlier ones, so taking them in syllabus order avoids gaps. Once you have rated every topic, switch to weakest-first: filter the checklist by confidence ≤ 2 and prioritise those topics in your next study block. This is more effective than re-revising topics you already score 4–5 on.
You can find past papers and mark schemes via Tutopiya's Past Paper Finder and on your exam board's official site. Once you have rated each sub-topic on this checklist, attempt past-paper questions on your weakest topics first — practising under timed conditions is the single best predictor of exam performance, more so than re-reading notes.
Use the Download CSV or Print PDF button at the bottom of the checklist. CSV opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets so you can sort by confidence and re-arrange revision order. The PDF is print-ready for offline use. A free Tutopiya account is required for download — this also unlocks the matching topic resources, notes and worked examples on the Learning Portal.
Yes, the checklist itself is free — you can view, score and re-score every topic on this page without an account. The CSV / PDF downloads and access to matching Tutopiya Learning Portal resources require a free account. There is no payment required at any point; teachers and parents can also use this checklist freely with their students.
Yes. The topics and sub-topics on this page are drawn from the current 2026 IB DP Physics specification published by your exam board. Exam boards occasionally tweak weighting or assessment structure mid-cycle, so do a quick sanity-check against the official syllabus PDF when you start your revision and again 4 weeks before the exam.