GCSE to A Level Chemistry – what you need to know to make a successful transition
If you’re reading this and you (or your child) are about to start A Level chemistry, then hopefully you have a reasonable idea of what you’re getting in to. You have probably heard from your teachers, your parents, your siblings or older friends – A Level chemistry is hard! But that’s not a very useful bit of advice, so in this post I’m going to explain a few reasons WHY students find the transition from GCSE to A Level chemistry difficult, and what you can do to make life easier.
Download your free ‘Head Start to Chemistry A Level‘ guide to get a summary of the most important knowledge from GCSE, with a focus on chemical equations and formulae as well as calculations.
1. More content, less time
The problem: GCSE science was already pretty rammed full of new ideas, equations and definitions – you can expect even more of this at A Level. At GCSE you generally have more time with your teacher to go back over new ideas before you build on them, and there is more time to practice in lessons. All students, no matter how able, will get caught out by how much there is to learn at A Level, but there are a few simple things you can do to make it more manageable.
The solution: retrieval, retrieval, retrieval. Never underestimate how useful it is to revisit past content. At the start of new A Level chemistry topics, go back over your GCSE notes or revision guide to find out what you should already know. The most important GCSE topics to be clear on are calculations and quantitative chemistry, atomic structure, bonding and structure, and redox. When you’re in the middle of a topic, try to find just 10-15 minutes before each A Level chemistry lesson skimming over what you’ve already covered in the topic. Get into these small regular habits early on and don’t just wait for your teacher to tell you you’ve got a test coming up, or to set you homework questions.
To get a free A Level chemistry retrieval practice quiz – along with other useful revision resources – sign up to my weekly CHEMail!
2. Scientific vocabulary
The problem: there are a lot of new words, and they all have very specific meanings! In fact, there are a lot of technical terms and definitions at GCSE too, but the exam mark schemes are more strict at A Level and of course, because there is more content there are also more terms to learn.
The solution: most of this still comes down to retrieval practice. If you’re given a new definition for A Level chemistry (or are expected to recall one from GCSE), practice it regularly to make sure it sticks. Practising means writing out the definition from memory, not just reading it back to yourself. If you use flashcards, add the definition to your flashcards as soon as you come across it – don’t wait for the mock exam!
Download your free ‘Head Start to Chemistry A Level‘ guide to get a summary of the most important knowledge from GCSE, with a focus on chemical equations and formulae as well as calculations.
3. More calculations
The problem: if you found the calculations (quantitative chemistry) part of GCSE chemistry hard, it was one topic. For A level chemistry, mole calculations and related mathematical content makes up around a quarter of what you study. In theory, the maths very rarely goes beyond what you did at GCSE – rearranging formulae, standard form and significant figures – but you certainly can’t just ignore it and hope that it goes away!
The solution: if you know you get anxious about calculations, tackle it early. Start with GCSE past paper questions to recall what you’ve forgotten, as this makes up the foundation for everything you move on to. Like everything else, practising regularly and starting small will build confidence.
Try out your GCSE knowledge with my free course: Head Start to A Level Chemistry. The course includes practice quizzes and videos to help supplement the downloadable guide and accelerate your understanding of some of the most important concepts.
4. Loss of confidence
The problem: it’s easy to get overwhelmed at A Level. Other than the (perfectly valid) reasons listed above that might cause you to struggle, don’t underestimate the power of so-called ‘compare and despair’. At GCSE, you might have been in a set for science but even if you were in top set, there were probably plenty of students who weren’t that interested in science. You might also have moved from a secondary school to a new college or sixth form. It can seem like the people around you are adjusting better than you, causing you to panic more.
The solution: try to focus on your own progress, not others. Make the most of smaller class sizes by pushing yourself to ask questions more. Never underestimate how much control you have, or the power of small habits to make a big difference over time. Read more about how to make a great start to all your A Levels (not just chemistry).
You don’t need to go it alone – sign up to my free weekly CHEMail to give yourself a headstart and keep on top of retrieval practice, as well as free group classes and resources.
