Here is a summary of the AQA AS and A-level Chemistry Specification:
Overview
- Exam Board: AQA
- Specification Codes: AS (7404) / A-level (7405)
- First Teaching: From 2015
- First Exams: 2016 onwards
- Assessment: Linear (all exams at end of course)
Course Structure
Three Core Disciplines
- Physical Chemistry
- Atomic structure, bonding, energetics, kinetics, equilibria, thermodynamics (A-level), electrochemistry (A-level), acids/bases (A-level).
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Periodicity, Group 2 & 7, transition metals (A-level), reactions of ions in aqueous solution (A-level).
- Organic Chemistry
- Alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, halogenoalkanes, analysis, spectroscopy, polymers (A-level), biochemistry (A-level), organic synthesis (A-level).
Assessment Format
AS Level (2 papers)
- Paper 1: Physical + Inorganic Chemistry (1.5h, 80 marks)
- Paper 2: Physical + Organic Chemistry (1.5h, 80 marks)
- No practical endorsement (skills assessed in written papers).
A-level (3 papers)
- Paper 1: Physical + Inorganic Chemistry (2h, 105 marks)
- Paper 2: Physical + Organic Chemistry (2h, 105 marks)
- Paper 3: Synoptic content + practical skills/data analysis (2h, 90 marks)
- Practical Endorsement: Separate teacher-assessed competency (pass/fail).
Practical Work
AS: 6 required practicals
- E.g., titration, enthalpy measurement, qualitative analysis, distillation.
A-level: 12 required practicals
- Adds rate determination, electrochemical cells, pH curves, chromatography, organic synthesis.
Skills Assessed
- Apparatus handling, data analysis, experimental design, safety.
- 15% of written exam marks relate to practical skills.
Mathematical Requirements
- ≥20% of exam marks involve maths.
- Skills include: unit conversions, logarithms, graphs, algebra, geometry (molecular shapes).
- Equivalent to GCSE Higher Tier standard.
Key Features
- Co-teachable: AS content is a subset of A-level.
- Emphasis on practicals: “Practical work at the heart of chemistry.”
- Real-world relevance: Applied contexts, environmental/industrial examples.
- Skills development: Problem-solving, data interpretation, independent research.