Sixth Form

Chemistry

What Will I Study?
Additional Information
Which Exam Board?

What Will I Study?

At WHGS you will cover the Chemistry AQA Key Stage 5 curriculum by studying the Physical, Inorganic and Organic topics listed below:

Physical Chemistry

  • Atomic structure
  • Amount of substance
  • Bonding
  • Energetics
  • Kinetics
  • Chemical equilibria, Le Chatelier’s principle and Kc
  • Oxidation, reduction and redox equations
  • Thermodynamics 
  • Equilibrium constant Kp for homogeneous systems 
  • Electrode potentials and electrochemical cells 
  • Acids and bases

Inorganic Chemistry

  • Periodicity
  • Group 2, the alkaline earth metals
  • Group 7, the halogens
  • Transition metals 
  • Reactions of ions in aqueous solution 

Organic Chemistry

  • Alkanes
  • Halogenoalkanes
  • Alkenes
  • Alcohols
  • Organic analysis
  • Optical isomerism 
  • Aromatic chemistry
  • Carbonyls
  • Amines 
  • Polymers 
  • Amino acids, proteins and DNA 
  • Organic synthesis 
  • Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
  • Chromatography

Additional Information

How will I be Assessed?

You will be provided with feedback on your progress during your lessons and from various assessed tasks throughout the year. You will complete a formal homework and test at the end of each topic. Your teacher will give you time in lessons to reflect on your progress and make improvements to your work.

What exams will I take? 

These qualifications are linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course. You will sit three papers of 2 hours each:

Paper 1 Paper 2 Paper 3
What is Assessed
  • Relevant physical chemistry topics
  • Inorganic chemistry
  • Relevant practical skills
  • Relevant physical chemistry topics
  • Organic chemistry
  • Relevant practical skills
  • Any content
  • Any practical skills
Assessed
  • written exam: 2 hours
  • 105 marks of short and long answer questions
  • 35% of A-level
  • written exam: 2 hours
  • 105 marks of short and long answer questions
  • 35% of A-level
  • written exam: 2 hours
  • 90 marks
  • 30% of A-level
Questions
  • 105 marks of short and long answer questions
  • 105 marks of short and long answer questions
  • 40 marks of questions on practical techniques and data analysis
  • 20 marks of questions testing across the specification
  • 30 marks of multiple choice questions

Practical Skills

Practical work is at the heart of chemistry, so it is at the heart of this specification.

Practical assessments have been divided into those that can be assessed in written exams and those that can only be directly assessed whilst students are carrying out experiments.

A-level grades will be based only on marks from written exams.

A separate endorsement of practical skills will be taken alongside the A-level. This will be assessed by your teachers and will be based on direct observation of students’ competency in a range of skills that are not assessable in written exams.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Which Exam Board?

United Learning comprises: United Learning Ltd (Registered in England No: 00018582. Charity No. 313999) UCST (Registered in England No: 2780748. Charity No. 1016538) and ULT (Registered in England No. 4439859. An Exempt Charity). Companies limited by guarantee.
Registered address: United Learning, Worldwide House, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, PE3 6SB.

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