Chemistry A Level

Chemistry in the 6th Form is one of the most challenging but rewarding courses on offer. The course is a 2-year course that will result in an A-level in Chemistry.

Employers and universities recognise the skills of a Chemistry student and look favourably upon the possession of a Key Stage 5 qualification in this subject.

In order to take this course there is an entry requirement of 6 or above in Mathematics and grade 6 or above in Chemistry and a grade 5 in a second science or 5-6 in combined science.

A- level Chemistry Person Specification

• Have an interest and enjoyment in Chemistry.
• Enjoy carrying out investigations using imaginative and logical thinking.
• Think abstractly to explain unfamiliar phenomena using their knowledge of Chemistry.
• Have a stong mathematical ability
• Be organised and able to plan and schedule your work
• Be resilient and self-motivated

How will I be assessed?

There are three written papers, Paper 1, 2 and 3, that are taken at the end of the two year course.

What will I study?

Year 1 Units	Year 2 Units
Physical Chemistry including Atomic Structure, bonding & energetics Inorganic Chemistry including study of Group 1 and 2 elements; periodicity Organic chemistry including alkanes, alkenes and alcohols Relevant practical skills	Additional units from organic, inorganic and physical chemistry For example, optical isomerism, aldehydes, ketones and aromatic chemistry

Assessment

A Level

Three exams will be taken, Paper 1, 2 and 3, at the end of the two year course.

Exam	Course Content Examined	Details of Exam
Paper 1	Assesses relevant physical chemistry topics, inorganic chemistry and practical skills	2 hour exam (35% of final mark)
Paper 2	Assesses relevant physical chemistry topics, organic chemistry and practical skills	2 hour exam (35% of final mark)
Paper 3	Assesses content of the all topics from across the specification, data analysis & any relevant practical skills.	2 hour exam (30% of the final mark)

What will you study?

Year 1 Chemistry Topics
Physical Chemistry	Atomic structure Amount of substance Bonding and Structure Energetics Kinetics
Inorganic Chemistry	Periodicity Group 2 Group 7
Organic Chemistry	Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Nomenclature Alkanes Halogenoalkanes Alkenes Alcohols Organic Analysis

 

Year 2 Chemistry Topics
Physical Chemistry	Chemical equilibria Oxidation and reduction
Inorganic Chemistry	Properties of period 3 elements Transition metals Metals in aqueous solution
Organic Chemistry	Isomerism and Carbonyl compounds Aldehydes and ketones Carboxylic acid derivatives Aromatic chemistry Amines Polymers Amino acids, proteins and DNA Organic synthesis NMR Chromatography

What skills will I gain from this course?

• Calculating and applying formulae to numerical data
• Gathering and analysing data
• Evaluative skills
• Practical skills
• Team building skills

Specimen papers and course information available

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level-7404-7405

Entry Requirements

In order to take this course there is an entry requirement of 6 or above in Mathematics and grade 6 or above in Chemistry and a grade 5 in a second science or 5-6 in combined science.

Chemistry Career Prospects

Chemistry is very logical and develops excellent organisational and analytical skills. As such employers of all kinds (scientific and non-scientific) value Chemistry qualifications. Below are just some of the jobs open to students of A Level Chemistry.