Chemistry studies the foundations of matter. From the excitement of chemical reactions to the satisfaction in moles calculations, chemistry is an enthralling subject. But unfortunately it’s not an easy one, with the proportion of top grades (7-9s) in 2023 having fallen by 3% compared with 2022.
During chemistry sessions, I cover a topic or concept that the student is struggling with. We go through practice questions together, identifying their weaknesses and working on them. This helps practice efficient exam technique and application of understanding. Afterwards, I may set extra practice work for the student to complete over the week to help consolidate their knowledge. I also provide my own resources, including my Anki flashcard decks, to aid with teaching. I offer chemistry tuition up to A level.
GCSE
The three main exam boards providing GCSE chemistry are AQA, OCR and Edexcel. Each exam board is slightly different in terms of content but all 3 comprises two exam papers and a foundation or higher tier. Exams are graded 1-9, 9 being the highest equivalent to an A**.
AQA – The course consists of 10 modules; atomic structure and the periodic table, bonding, structure, and the properties of matter, quantitative chemistry, chemical changes, energy changes, the rate and extent of chemical change, organic chemistry, chemical analysis, chemistry of the atmosphere and using resources. Students are assessed in two papers. Paper 1 examines modules 1-5, is 1 hour 45 minutes long and constitutes 50% of the GCSE. Paper 2 examines modules 6-10, is 1 hour 45 minutes long and constitutes the other 50% of the GCSE. The specification is linked here.
Edexcel – The course consists of 9 modules; key concepts in chemistry, states of matter and mixtures, chemical changes, extracting metals and equilibria, separate chemistry 1, rates of reaction and energy changes, fuels and earth science and separate chemistry 2. Students are assessed in 2 papers, each weighing an equal 50% of the GCSE and each being 1 hour 45 minutes long. The specification is linked here.
OCR – OCR A and B specification. OCR A consists of 7 modules; particles, elements, compounds and mixtures, chemical reactions, predicting and identifying reactions and products, monitoring and controlling chemical reactions, global challenges and practical skills. Students are assessed in 2 papers; each each weighing an equal 50% of the GCSE and each being 1 hour 45 minutes long. The specification is linked here.
A level
AQA, OCR and Edexcel are also the three main exam boards providing A level chemistry. A level chemistry is graded using the U-A* system, A* being the highest grade.
AQA – The course comprises of 3 modules; physical chemistry, organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry. Students are assessed in 3 separate papers. Papers 1 and 2 are both 2 hours long and make up 35% of the A level. Paper 3 is also 2 hours long but makes up the remaining 30% of the A level. The specification is linked here.
Edexcel – The course comprises of 19 topics; atomic structure and the periodic table, bonding and structure, redox I, inorganic chemistry and the periodic table, formulae, equations and amounts of substance, energetics I, equilibrium I, equilibrium II, acid-base equilibria, energetics II, redox II, transition metals, kinetics II, organic chemistry II, organic chemistry III and modern analytical techniques II. Content is assessed in 3 separate papers. Papers 1 and 2 are both 1 hour 45 minutes long and each paper makes up 30% of the A level. Paper 3 is 2 hours and 30 minutes long and makes up the remaining 40% of the A level. The specification is linked here.
OCR – The course comprises of 6 modules; foundations in chemistry, periodic table and energy, core organic chemistry, physical chemistry and transition elements, organic chemistry and analysis. Content is assessed in 3 separate papers. Papers 1 and 2 make up 37% of the A level and are both 2 hours 15 minutes long. Paper 3 makes up 26% of the A level and is 1 hour and 30 minutes long. The specification is linked here.
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