Oxford PAT Preparation Courses 2024

NEW: £50 off 2-day online PAT course; £35 off 1-day PAT courses

We provide complete, high-quality Online Revision Courses for the Oxford PAT (Physics Aptitude Test) on the 23rd September and 24th September 2024. You can also book online Oxford PAT tuition and interview practice. See instructions below of how to book.

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If you'd like useful resources for revising the relevant maths and physics for the Oxford PAT, see Useful Maths & Physics Resources. If you'd like solutions to the Oxford PAT, see our Oxford PAT solutions page and Oxford PAT long solutions. Preparation is key: the more you can revise and prepare, the better your result will be. See our pre- and post-course preparation tips for the Oxford PAT at the bottom of this page.

Benefits of the physicsandmathscourses.com Oxford PAT 2023 preparation courses are:

✅ Oxford PAT Maths & Physics Revision Courses to prepare for the 2023 Oxford PAT exam

✅ Intensive all day Oxford PAT Maths & Physics Revision Classroom-based and Online Courses

✅ Complete, High Quality, Oxford PAT Revision and Preparation Classes

✅ Smaller Class Sizes

✅ Solutions for the PAT papers available

✅ Course Notes, Problem Sets for each Syllabus Topic, Supplementary Problems, older PAT exam papers, Interview Questions and Advice

✅ Fully revise the complete Oxford PAT syllabus and practise exam questions during the course

✅ Classes given by an experienced Magdalen College, Oxford (First Class Hons, Tutorial Prize, Physics) & Imperial College PhD (Theoretical Physics) graduate, Head of Physics and Maths Teacher and PAT Tutor & Institute of Physics (IOP) Member

✅ Course Tutor earned a Demy scholarship, a Tutorial Prize in his second year, and a First Class degree in Physics from Magdalen College, Oxford. See his Qualifications.

✅ Excellent Testimonials for previous 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Oxford PAT Courses & Tuition held by physicsandmathscourses.com.

✅ Excellent Testimonials for previous Easter 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022  A-level Maths, Further Maths and Physics Courses & Tuition held by physicsandmathscourses.com.

✅ Excellent TRUSTPILOT testimonials for Oxford PAT & A-level Maths, Further Maths and Physics Courses held by physicsandmathscourses.com.

✅ Excellent Surveymonkey testimonials for Oxford PAT physicsandmathscourses.com courses.

✅ Free support & interview advice given before & after the course via our Oxford PAT Solutions Page.

✅ YouTube Video Channel provided for YouTube Solutions to difficult PAT & Interview Questions.

✅ Oxford PAT Tuition/Interview Preparation Tuition can also be booked (see below table) either online or in London.

We offer revision and preparation courses for the Oxford PAT (Physics Aptitude Test), either online via Zoom (video and audio are enabled) or face to face where you attend the LSE in London. The online and LSE courses each have the same content, and are interactive (when online this is via audio, chat or writing on screen) with plenty of time given during the courses to ask questions. The online course covers the same material as the course held at the LSE and the same course materials are provided for each.

The LSE venue is suitable for students who prefer a face to face course and can travel to London, and in previous years students have travelled from Ireland and the Netherlands to attend. We recommend booking early for the course held at the LSE, as there are limited places due to the size of the classroom.

The online course (which has the same content as the course held at the LSE) is suitable for UK and international students or those who are unable to attend the LSE. In previous years students have connected from the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Singapore and the US.

The maths and physics content of the physicsandmathscourses.com PAT courses are held on different days, the Maths content on the first day and the Physics content on the second day. You can book the Maths day or the Physics day or both (see the table below). In addition to covering the Oxford PAT syllabus, the course will cover Oxford interview questions. We will cover many past papers questions so that the student gains experience in handling the style of question asked and the how to answer questions quickly. The PAT syllabus is mostly contained within a typical AS-level maths and physics syllabus, but also contains additional topics, and the style of questions is similar to the maths challenge and physics challenge, designed to make a candidate think. A well-trained candidate is much more likely to be in the top percentiles given offers. We provide this training.

Organisation of each daily course

The revision courses held at the LSE are from 9am to 5:30pm with a one hour lunch break and 15 minute breaks in the morning and afternoon where you are free to ask questions. Simply book a course and you'll receive a Payment Receipt e-mail from PayPal which confirms your enrolment on the course (we also e-mail you a separate confirmation). The LSE venue is in the New Academic Building, 54 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LJ. Registration is done on the day at 8:45am (we'll ask you to tick the name and e-mail address you booked with, or you can additionally e-mail us the name of your son or daughter if booking on their behalf which we'll add to the registration list).

The online revision courses are also held from 9am to 5:30pm. Simply book an online course and you'll receive a Payment Receipt e-mail from PayPal which confirms your enrolment on the course and we also e-mail you a separate confirmation from us. Please note that the online revision courses are given in person from premises in London, UK, and times given on this page are UK times. Make a note of when British Summer Time begins and ends so you know when to connect for your course.

The course syllabus for Day 1 and Day 2 of the Oxford PAT course is given at the bottom of this page. See below for booking instructions and information about the LSE venue

Booking Instructions

If you wish to book either the courses at the LSE or the online courses (the process is the same), fill in your address and contact details on the PayPal Check Out Form (after clicking Check Out), and after booking via PayPal (you don't need a PayPal account), you will receive a PayPal Payment Receipt e-mail which is copied to us and confirms your enrolment on the course.

After payment, click Return to Merchant (it's important to do this to be redirected to our website) where you'll be directed back to a Confirmation Page (bookmark the page!) on our website. If you booked the course at the LSE (registration is done on the day, where we'll ask you to tick the name and e-mail address you booked with, or you can additionally e-mail us the name of your son or daughter if booking on their behalf which we'll add to the registration list) this page will show the details of the date, time and address and directions for the course held at the LSE. If you booked an online course the Confirmation Page will explain that you'll be e-mailed a link to register for the online courses 4 weeks in advance of the actual course start date. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing a link that you click to join the meetings.

Please make sure you fill in the correct e-mail address in the PayPal Check Out Form (sometimes this happens!), as we will use this if we need to contact you and also to send you an e-mail reminder (containing venue location or instructions of how to join the online course) 2 weeks before any course starts. If something goes wrong, or you don't see the Confirmation Page, or you have any questions, please send us an e-mail or telephone us via our contact page.

The booking process is also explained on our how it works page, but please contact us if you have any questions. If you don't hear from us immediately (due to the holiday season), remember that your PayPal Payment Receipt e-mail (which is copied to us) confirms your enrolment on the course, no further action from you is required, and we'll respond as soon as possible to your query.

Booking Dates

Oxford PAT Course Syllabus

The course content will cover all of the Oxford PAT syllabus. The maths and physics components of the Oxford PAT course are held on different days - see the above table for which subject is covered on a particular day. Oxford PAT Maths is on Day 1 and PAT Physics is on Day 2.

Day 1: PAT Maths

Elementary mathematics:
Arithmetic, geometry, coordinate geometry (circles & straight lines), probability, manipulation of mathematical expressions in a physical context.

Algebra:
Polynomials, roots of equations, simultaneous equations
Inequalities
Graph sketching, transformations
Trigonometry, logarithms
Arithmetic, geometric series, sigma notation
Binomial expansion (positive powers)

Calculus:
Differentiation & Integration: gradient, maxima/minima and area
Symmetry, odd & even functions

Day 2: PAT Physics

Mechanics:
Kinematics: SUVAT, projectiles, graphs
Dynamics: Forces, dynamic & static friction, Newton’s Laws, momentum
Circular motion
Springs
Work, energy and power
Pulleys, moments

Waves & Optics:
Wave properties & equations
Electromagnetic spectrum
Reflection, refraction (prisms, optical fibres), diffraction and interference
Standing waves

Electricity & Magnetism
Current, voltage, resistance, energy, power, potential divider
Circuits: circuit diagrams including batteries, wires, resistors, filament lamps, diodes, capacitors, light dependent resistors and thermistors
Coulomb’s Law, photoelectric effect, thermionic emission
Electromagnetism, generators and motors
Charged particles in fields

Natural World:
Atomic structure
The solar system, phases of the moon and eclipses
Gravitation and orbits: geostationary and polar

Problem solving:
Problems may be set which require problem solving based on information provided rather than knowledge about a topic

Pre-course Preparation

Course notes, exam questions by topic, past papers and supplementary questions are provided as handouts. The pace of the course is rapid and to aid your performance during the course, we advise this pre-course preparation:

- Thoroughly revise your Year 12 Maths & Physics A-level notes from school.

- Check the syllabus and make a note of the topics you haven’t done yet at school. We'll cover these, but use self-study to attempt to learn these topics as preparation.

- Watch the PAT webinar, which goes through some of the questions from the 2006 paper.

- Try PAT past paper questions. This will help you to feel familiar with the test paper and know what to expect.

- Get practice doing some problem solving/hard physics questions that are not included in your A-level syllabus. It is advisable to do questions from a range of other sources, not just A-level type questions which can be more structured in nature than the PAT. See below for useful links to this kind of material.

- Sit at least one past paper in test conditions. This is really important as it will help you get used to how much time to allocate to each question and keep within the two hour limit.

- Post on our solutions page as many questions as possible before and after the course, e.g. how do you do a specific exam question, and we'll post a full solution.

Post-Course Preparation Tips for the Oxford PAT entrance exam

We give tips for using the the below links to prepare for the Oxford PAT. Preparation is key: the more you can revise and attempt questions, the better your result will be. We recommend you attempt all of the available Oxford PAT past papers. In addition to these, below are useful links for preparation and harder questions.

Oxford PAT: use this link for general information from Oxford University about the Oxford PAT, e.g. re-introducing multiple choice questions and use of calculators. Oxford University's Preparation Guide for the PAT is excellent, and please check any updates to the PAT Syllabus. Oxford University also publishes an excellent Interview Guide and Dates for the PAT exam.

Isaac Physics: this website contains lots of maths and physics problem solving questions. Try questions on topics you find tricky or select your own questions with questions at the same level as the PAT tend to be around level 4-5. The university preparation page contains lots of questions which are suitable as university entrance preparation (e.g. for interviews).

British Physics Olympiad (BPhO): this website contains lots of past papers and solutions of problem solving type questions. Use the Question Bank and find topics on AS and A2 challenge questions, and solutions are also on the website. Try all of the AS-Challenge (Senior Physics Challenge (Y12)) questions papers.

Next Time: this website contains some quite fun questions designed to make you think about physical concepts. Some of the questions are probably more relevant for interview questions than the PAT as they might not contain the level of maths required in the PAT but it can be useful for checking your understanding of general concepts.

I want to study Engineering: this website is just as useful for all applicants not just those applying to engineering. Look at the 'mathematics and physics questions at the level of university engineering admissions interviews' for preparation for the PAT or university interview practice.

Brilliant.org: this website has some resources to test your mathematical and physics knowledge. Try the ‘Practice’ section of the website for some free questions on maths, electricity and magnetism and classical mechanics.

physicsandmathscourses.com correct a well-known service provider's answers to a tricky Oxford PAT 2012, qu. 22.