What should I revise for OCR A Level chemistry Paper 2 (2026)?
How did Paper 1 go? Hopefully there weren’t too many nasty surprises – if it didn’t go to plan, the best thing is always to focus on moving forwards! In this post, we’ll look at the content you should revise for OCR A Level* chemistry Paper 2, including the topics that almost always come up, predictions for 2026, and common areas that students find difficult.
You can purchase predicted papers and practice papers for OCR A Level chemistry using the link below.
If you want a complete revision package that’s designed to focus on exam technique and essential topics (especially if you are aiming for A-A* grade), my A Level chemistry Exam Prep Hub includes not only all the predicted papers for the last three years (with video walkthroughs) but also a large selection of practice assessments – all with video walkthroughs and unseen questions to give you a more realistic ‘exam feel’.
Because Paper 1 is over, the predicted papers, exam classes and recordings are all now on sale!
Topics included in A Level chemistry OCR A Paper 2
Paper 2 (synthesis and analytical techniques) focuses pretty much entirely on organic chemistry from modules 4 and 6, but it can also draw in elements from modules 1 and 2. You can get a comprehensive list of topics on the OCR specification, but the topics that can be covered are:
- ALL of the organic functional groups and reactions
- Organic synthesis
- Organic analysis
- Calculations*
- Bonding and structure*
- Relevant practical skills**
*Although these topics are included, they will be examined in the context of organic chemistry. So you could have a calculation to find the empirical formula of an organic compound or the percentage yield or atom economy of an organic reaction. You may also have questions related to types of bonds or bond angles within organic compound, and of course lots of questions related to intermolecular forces and the boiling points of organic compounds.
**Practical skills will focus on organic practical techniques, such as reflux, distillation, recrystallisation and purification of organic liquids. They could also include fundamental techniques such as titrations, for example to determine the identity of an organic acid – however titrations are much more likely to come up in Papers 1 and 3.
Need a recap and some useful tips for organic analysis? The video below is a free online class I gave to A Level students earlier this year:
What are the most common topics for OCR A chemistry A level Paper 2?
There are certain topics and types of question that are VERY LIKELY to come up and you should know these well, including:
- Carboxylic acids and esters (especially condensation and hydrolysis reactions)
- Alkanes, alkenes and isomerism
- Spectroscopy – especially NMR
- Testing for organic functional groups
- Empirical formulae calculations
- Percentage yield calculations
What’s most likely to come up for 2026 in OCR A chemistry A Level Paper 2?
Looking through past papers, I have a few extra predictions that you should focus on for this year’s paper:
- Reactivity of benzene and phenol
- Aspirin practical
- Comparison of mechanisms
- Environmental chemistry
- Preparation of amines
- Reactions of alcohols
The video below summarises my predictions for OCR A Level chemistry paper 2 for 2026 – remember these are just educated guesses, so make sure you revise thoroughly and check out the predicted papers and revision classes if you’d like some more support!
