Chemistry
Studying Chemistry is becoming increasingly important as we try to find answers to many of today’s most pressing questions, whether it is climate change or the use of plastics. It gives you an understanding of what everything, living and non-living, is made up of and helps to develop analytical and problem solving skills, so it is highly valued by top universities and can lead to a large variety of careers.
Requirements
Students wishing to study Chemistry at A level should have achieved a minimum of Grade 7 in GCSE Chemistry or Grade 77 in GCSE Combined Science. A Grade 6 or above in Maths and English Language is also required.
Course Structure (Year One)
The first year focuses on observing and describing what happens in chemistry. Ten topics are studied which cover the fundamentals of chemistry, including:
- Atomic structure, bonding and the periodic table
- Redox reactions
- Amount of substance and modern analytical techniques
- Inorganic chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Reaction equilibrium and particle kinetics
Course Structure (Year Two)
The second year focuses on why chemistry behaves as it does. The fundamental ideas from the first year are studied again but in greater depth to explain why they happen. A greater emphasis on organic chemistry is seen in the second year.
How the course is assessed:
At the end of the two year course, students will sit three externally marked papers:
- Paper 1: Advanced inorganic and physical chemistry
- Paper 2: Advanced organic and physical chemistry
- Paper 3: General and practical principles in chemistry
Question papers are a combination of multiple choice and structured questions.