CHEMISTRY
LEVEL 3: A LEVEL
EXAMINING BOARD: OCR A
Chemistry will give you an in-depth understanding of key chemical concepts and provide you with problem-solving skills and knowledge that are highly sought after by top universities and employers.
As your understanding develops, you will appreciate the importance of the subject to everyday life, learning about drug development, atmospheric chemistry, electrochemical cells and industrial catalysis.
You will develop your practical skills, carrying out sophisticated techniques and handling hazardous chemicals.
This course is aimed at students with a strong academic background in mathematics and science. You should have an interest and enthusiasm for the subject and enjoy practical work.
EnRICH opportunities include visits by guest lecturers, university trips, international trips and the chance to participate in the Chemistry Olympiad and other Chemistry competitions.
Year 1 Topics
- Physical Chemistry: moles calculations, equilibria, structure & bonding, and enthalpy changes
- Inorganic Chemistry: group 2 and group 7 chemistry
- Organic Chemistry: alkanes, alkenes, haloalkanes and alcohols.
Year 2 Topics
- Physical Chemistry: thermodynamics, kinetics and pH calculations
- Inorganic Chemistry: transition metals
- Organic Chemistry: carboxylic acid derivatives, nitrogen chemistry, benzene, polymers and organic analysis.
As a minimum, you will need (or equivalent to):
- GCSE Mathematics grade 6
- GCSE English Language grade 4
- GCSE Chemistry/Double Science grade 6
- plus two more GCSEs at grade 4
It is recommended you have:
- GCSE English Language or Literature grade 5 or above
It is not recommended to combine this subject with Applied Science, as the courses contain similar content.
There are three exams at the end of the course:
- Periodic Table, Elements and Physical Chemistry – 37% of A Level (100 marks, two hours and 15 minutes)
- Synthesis and Analytical Techniques – 37% of A Level (100 marks, two hours and 15 minutes)
- Unified Chemistry – 26% of A Level (70 marks, one hour and 30 minutes)
You will also achieve a separate Practical Endorsement in Chemistry through an accumulation of the practical work you do during the course.
Chemistry facilitates entry onto competitive degree courses such as Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry.
You would also be able to consider degrees and higher apprenticeships in Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biomedical research and Chemical engineering.
Alongside scientific pathways, Chemistry can also lead you into careers that will respect your excellent problem-solving and numeracy skills such as Law, Economics, Accounting and Computer Science.
Will I need to be good at Mathematics?
Chemistry is a highly mathematical subject so studying A Level Maths will be beneficial to your Chemistry A Level.
We highly recommend you choose Maths if you are aspiring towards Veterinary, Medicine or Oxbridge.
I like practical work, will I enjoy Chemistry?
You will do a lot of practical work during the course, so it is good to enjoy this side of learning. However, you also need to be prepared to learn the content, develop your problem-solving and hone your attention to detail as well.
Is A Level Chemistry hard?
It will challenge you but we support you to develop your independent learning skills and your resilience so that you can cope with the demand.