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.