3 things you need to succeed in A Level Chemistry
We all have a different definition of success. But whether you’re looking for an A* and an Oxford offer, or you just want to scrape through, in my experience no student gets there without working on three separate areas of chemistry:
- Get the right chemical vocabulary
- Raise your calculations skills
- Regular retrieval practice
Most students already know which area they need to work on most (it might be all three!). Below are some ideas and resources to help – especially if you’re preparing for mock (or real) A Level Chemistry exams this summer.
Improve your chemical vocabulary
All sciences have their own language. If you’ve started using past papers and mark schemes, you should have noticed how many words end up in the ‘reject’ or ‘do not allow’ box. Sometimes we pick up poor chemical vocabulary at GCSE, and it can be a hard habit to break. Here’s a few resources and revision ideas to help raise your skills to the standard required at A Level:
Free download: ’10 terms you’re getting wrong in A Level chemistry’
This is my little collection of the ten mistakes I find students are making most often at A Level (even teachers make these mistakes sometimes!). Don’t worry, the download also includes clear examples of the words you should be using.
YouTube playlist: Long answer questions
This playlist includes a few examples of common long answer/extended response questions for A Level chemistry, along with walkthroughs of common mistakes. You can also catch a recording of my online masterclass on extended response questions for A Level chemistry below.
Extended response practice booklet
This resource isn’t free, but is available for only £2.99 and includes 21 exam-style practice questions for either AQA, OCR A or Edexcel chemistry. Each question not only comes with a mark scheme, but also commentary on common mistakes, important vocabulary and a model answer. It can also be purchased as a bundle with the calculations booklet – see below – or with this year’s predicted papers.
Get confident in chemical calculations
You need to get to know your moles if you stand any chance at A Level. If you’re currently in Year 12 and are hiding away from the quantitative chemistry you studied this year, you need to know it isn’t going to get easier without practice! Maths skills are vital for A Level chemistry – you don’t need to be a maths genius, but you need to practice essential skills. Here’s some resources that can help:
YouTube playlist: A Level Chemistry Calculations
This playlist covers lots of essentials such as titrations and ideal gas calculations, plus more challenging year 13 topics such as buffer calculations and using the Arrhenius equation. You can also watch recordings of some of my free calculations masterclasses.
Free calculations booklet with walkthrough videos
This is one of my older resources and is available for free – a booklet of practice multiple choice and longer answer questions, with video walkthroughs and explanations. It covers the ‘formula and amounts’ topics and the same page also includes some enthalpy changes examples.
Calculations practice booklet
This is the BIG booklet and, like the extended response booklet is available for £2.99 or can be purchased as a bundle. It includes over 40 pages of practice questions to build confidence, along with 16 examples of more challenging calculations – all come with markschemes and worked answers.
Confidence in chemical calculations – full online course
This takes you through the essentials of mole calculations right from the start – it is a detailed and structured course with tutorial videos backed with practice questions, building your confidence so you can approach the unstructured longer calculations. This course is included in my £5 per month A Level chemistry masterclass membership.
Retrieval practice
Having perfect vocabulary and being a maths genius still won’t get you an A* in chemistry – you have to KNOW STUFF! Colour changes, chemical formulae, definitions, and of course loads of organic chemistry reactions and functional groups. Here’s a few resources to help you keep on top of it:
Free retrieval practice quizzes
These are mixed retrieval practice quizzes aimed at Year 12 and Year 13 students. No fancy exam contexts, just mixed questions to help you practice the essentials. All quizzes come with answers.
Multiple choice practice questions
These are suitable for Year 12 and Year 13 students and, like the retrieval practice quizzes, are suitable for all exam boards. The questions also come with walkthrough videos to help with understanding.
