You can only ever really scrape and A*. If you got over 90% then its an A* as good as any other. Everyone loses a few marks here and there which is why A*s are often luck imo.
It is possible to absolutely smash the exams and get A*s though, I could have probably dropped >25 marks in chemistry exams and still got an A*. 90-100 is as big of a gap as 80-90.
It is possible to absolutely smash the exams and get A*s though, I could have probably dropped >25 marks in chemistry exams and still got an A*. 90-100 is as big of a gap as 80-90.
Its been a while since my GCSEs. There are some exams you can reliably get 90+% in but I don't think you can ever be certain i could put a paper in front of you and you could get 100% every time. We all make stupid mistakes and they can easily cost you the A*
Also, 80-90 is actually often a bigger gap than 90-100. The way the mark scheme works 1% marks =/= 1% grade. (At A level at least, i didn't look into it as much at GCSE but id be surprised if it were different since they have quotas to meet) Sometimes you can get 70/72 and get 100%, sometimes 71/72 is 95%.
Its been a while since my GCSEs. There are some exams you can reliably get 90+% in but I don't think you can ever be certain i could put a paper in front of you and you could get 100% every time. We all make stupid mistakes and they can easily cost you the A*
Also, 80-90 is actually often a bigger gap than 90-100. The way the mark scheme works 1% marks =/= 1% grade. (At A level at least, i didn't look into it as much at GCSE but id be surprised if it were different since they have quotas to meet) Sometimes you can get 70/72 and get 100%, sometimes 71/72 is 95%.
If you've practiced well enough, you can guarantee 95%+.
If you've practiced well enough, you can guarantee 95%+.
Out of only 200 marks? I think its very easy to drop ~10 marks here and there from very stupid mistakes.
Maybe its because I've almost completely forgotten GCSEs. All I remember is that I did essentially no work for them. At A level, however, I'd never bet money on getting 95+% because its far too easy to accidentally drop a - sign, draw a diagram a bit wrong or just misread a question which can alone cost you more than 10%.
Out of only 200 marks? I think its very easy to drop ~10 marks here and there from very stupid mistakes.
Maybe its because I've almost completely forgotten GCSEs. All I remember is that I did essentially no work for them. At A level, however, I'd never bet money on getting 95+% because its far too easy to accidentally drop a - sign, draw a diagram a bit wrong or just misread a question which can alone cost you more than 10%.
For both GCSEs and A Levels it's possible to guarantee it. You just have to work out what the examiners are looking for.
When I sat my A Level Chemistry exams I could guarantee whatever the paper had in it, I was getting 95%+.
For both GCSEs and A Levels it's possible to guarantee it. You just have to work out what the examiners are looking for.
When I sat my A Level Chemistry exams I could guarantee whatever the paper had in it, I was getting 95%+.
Well, maybe you've a lot more attention to detail than I do but I don't think anyone I knew would reply "yes" if you asked them "can you reliably get 95+%" although maybe that's just modesty.
Well, maybe you've a lot more attention to detail than I do but I don't think anyone I knew would reply "yes" if you asked them "can you reliably get 95+%" although maybe that's just modesty.
If you study the markschemes it's more than doable, especially when the exams have low boundaries. For example one of my papers had 90/100 as the 150/150 UMS boundary and I would be surprised if I got less than 98 on that paper.
I want to take A level chemistry but I really didn't enjoy GCSE Maths. With a lot of my own revision I managed to get a B but I don't think I'd cope at AS/A2 in maths, should I reconsider taking chemistry?
I want to take A level chemistry but I really didn't enjoy GCSE Maths. With a lot of my own revision I managed to get a B but I don't think I'd cope at AS/A2 in maths, should I reconsider taking chemistry?
If you are genuinely interested in Chemistry then I advise you still take Chemistry. The maths is not that hard in Chemistry in AS its mostly applying rearranging formulas tbh.
If you are genuinely interested in Chemistry then I advise you still take Chemistry. The maths is not that hard in Chemistry in AS its mostly applying rearranging formulas tbh.
Does it get harder at A Level? I am motivated to put in the work
I did Chemistry to A2 and got an A, and I dropped maths at GCSE! Personally I found that the maths needed wasn't hard at all, there was no need to take A level to cope (btw I was on AQA)