The Paper 3 Practicals
Five KCSE designs, each with a table to complete, a graph to plot and a gradient or intercept to interpret. Values change every run.
- The focal length of a convex lens
- The refractive index of a glass block
- Oscillations of a loaded spring: the spring constant (Hooke's law)
- Density by displacement: what are the spheres made of?
- Upthrust: the relative density of a liquid (Archimedes' principle)
Readings, Tables, Graphs
THE GRAPH IS MARKED
Axes, scale, points, line of best fit and the gradient you read from it are all checked — the marks Paper 3 actually gives.
READ THE SCALE YOURSELF
Metre rule, spring balance, measuring cylinder, optical pin: you read them. Parallax and rounding errors cost marks here so they stop costing them in the hall.
AGAIN AND AGAIN
Reset the bench and run the practical a second, fifth or twentieth time. Every run gives you different values to measure, so you cannot memorise a result — you learn the method.
MARKED LIKE PAPER 3
The lab records each step and the server marks the run: the readings you took, the table you filled, the graph you drew and the conclusion you reached. You see where the marks went.
Papers 1 And 2
A PHYSICS TUTOR
Mechanics, waves, electricity, optics and modern physics from the KCSE syllabus, by voice or text, with the working shown.
PRACTICE BUDDY
Drills you from the syllabus or from the Physics past paper you upload.
Questions
How is a physics graph marked?
The lab checks the axes and labels, the scale, each plotted point against your own table, the line of best fit and the gradient or intercept you report. Each carries marks, exactly as Paper 3 does.
Are the physics practicals only five?
Five follow KNEC's Paper 3 designs. The lab also carries the KICD practicals for moments, Ohm's law, pressure, expansivity and energy, which cover the same skills with different apparatus.
Is this free?
You can try a KCSE Practice Buddy as a guest with no sign-up. A free account unlocks the labs and lets you upload your own past papers. Premium adds unlimited tutor time; see the pricing page for the current price in Kenyan shillings.
Which KCSE subjects are covered?
The 3D labs cover the three sciences — Chemistry, Physics and Biology Paper 3. The Practice Buddy and the AI tutors cover the whole KCSE syllabus, Form 1 to Form 4, and will revise any past paper you upload.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Everything runs in the browser on an ordinary smartphone over mobile data. The labs are 3D but built to run on low-end phones.