Chemistry

AQA A-Level Chemistry (7405) is structured as three strands — physical, inorganic and organic chemistry — taught in parallel across two years rather than in sequence. Paper 1 covers inorganic and relevant physical topics, Paper 2 covers organic and relevant physical topics, and Paper 3 draws on everything, including practical skills, and opens with 30 multiple choice questions.

Two areas account for most of the marks students lose. The first is the quantitative physical chemistry — equilibrium constants, Born-Haber cycles, entropy and free energy, and rate equations — where a single error propagates through a long calculation. The second is organic synthesis, where students are given an unfamiliar starting material and a target and must devise the route themselves, which cannot be done by recall alone.