A Level Chemistry

This is a two-year programme of study. There will also be mock examinations in Year 12.

During the course, students will study a range of topics from physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry. Students will also develop their practical skills and competency by completing a number of required practicals.

This course offers a breadth of topics that will complement both other Science A Levels and A Levels such as Mathematics and Further Mathematics.

1. Physical chemistry to include areas such as atomic structure, bonding, kinetics, rates and equilibrium.
2. Inorganic chemistry to include periodicity, group and period characteristics and reactions of ions.
3. Organic chemistry to include alkanes and alkenes, alcohols, organic analysis, carboxylic acids, amino acids and polymers.

Paper 1:

• Relevant physical chemistry topics (sections 3.1.1 to 3.1.4, 3.1.6 to 3.1.8 and 3.1.10 to 3.1.12)
• Inorganic chemistry (section 3.2)
• Relevant practical skills
• Written exam: 2 hours
• 105 marks
• 35% of A-level
• 105 marks of short and long answer questions

Paper 2:

• Relevant physical chemistry topics (sections 3.1.2 to 3.1.6 and 3.1.9)
• Organic chemistry (section 3.3)
• Relevant practical skills
• Written exam: 2 hours
• 105 marks
• 35% of A-level
• 105 marks of short and long answer questions

Paper 3:

• Any content
• Any practical skills
• Written exam: 2 hours
• 90 marks
• 30% of A-level
• 40 marks of questions on practical techniques and data analysis
• 20 marks of questions testing across the specification
• 30 marks of multiple-choice questions

20% of the overall assessment of A Level Chemistry will contain mathematical skills equivalent to Level 2 or above.

At least 15% of the overall assessment of A Level Chemistry will assess knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to practical work.

Students will also complete twelve required practicals for which competency in different skills will be assessed. The students will be awarded a competency mark for their practical skills (Pass or Fail) in addition to their A level grade (A* – E).

To study Chemistry at A Level, students on either the Combined Science or Separate Science GCSE programmes will be considered, but only if they sit the Higher Tier exams.

If students study Combined Science, they must achieve a 6-6 Grade or above, including a Grade 6 in C1 and C2.

If students study Separate Sciences, they must achieve a Grade 6 or above in GCSE Chemistry.

Students must also obtain a Grade 5 or above in GCSE Mathematics. For students from other schools, equivalent Science GCSE courses will be considered.

Successful completion of the course can lead to employment, college or university. Whatever your grade or aim at the end of the course you will have gained a great deal of knowledge about different aspects of Chemistry and developed a number of transferable skills. Previous students have gone into a wide range of courses including: Chemistry, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Environmental Science, and non-Science courses.