This study explores first-year university students‟ understanding of magnetic field and force. Students‟ conceptions were investigated by means of a written test (N=38), and a sample of students (N=7) participated in a semi-structured interview. According to our findings, students do not produce coherent explanations for magnetic field and force. Furthermore, understanding the use and the basis of the specific Right-Hand Rules for the magnetic field and force is challenging for students since they do not possess a proper physical foundation for those rules. Typically, the students tend to explain the magnetic phenomena by using an incorrect analogy related to electrical phenomena. In addition, the reasoning behind the Right-Hand Rules in magnetostatics is remarkably vague. The study introduced in this article provides an empirical context for developing instruction in magnetostatics in the introductory university course in electromagnetics that will be reported in Part 2.