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Edexcel a2 chemistry revision for the may/june 2012 exam :)

Helloo :smile:

This thread is for all those doing this exam...we can discuss some topics you have a problem, share resources and do some revision :smile:

Good Luck!

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Reply 1
Original post by aqua05
Helloo :smile:

This thread is for all those doing this exam...we can discuss some topics you have a problem, share resources and do some revision :smile:

Good Luck!


Hi, I'm taking Edexcel Unit 4 and Unit 5 in June 2012. Starting making revision notes/mindmaps now using the Edexcel student's book, George Facer Book and CGP book.

If anyone's interested in some good online resources for A2 Chemistry:
-Chemguide
-Knockhardy
-Rod Beavon's pages (chief examiner)
-Tips on surviving your Chemistry A-Level, written by a successful student

I'm doing Unit 5 in class at the moment - doing electrochemistry/redox and organic synthesis. Transition metals, arenes and organic nitrogen chemistry all done!

Good luck!
Reply 2
Thanks a ton for opening this thread...and thanks for those threads too....really helpful...I'm going to attend whole AS and A2 chemistry this june..sitting on A2 exam for the first time,but I did AS on last january exam...I don't think I'll get an A* so want to try for the last time,..
Reply 3
Original post by Cetacea
Hi, I'm taking Edexcel Unit 4 and Unit 5 in June 2012. Starting making revision notes/mindmaps now using the Edexcel student's book, George Facer Book and CGP book.

If anyone's interested in some good online resources for A2 Chemistry:
-Chemguide
-Knockhardy
-Rod Beavon's pages (chief examiner)
-Tips on surviving your Chemistry A-Level, written by a successful student

I'm doing Unit 5 in class at the moment - doing electrochemistry/redox and organic synthesis. Transition metals, arenes and organic nitrogen chemistry all done!

Good luck!


This sites are super :biggrin:
thankss :biggrin:
I'm super it will be helpful to many of us..

Original post by cisne
Thanks a ton for opening this thread...and thanks for those threads too....really helpful...I'm going to attend whole AS and A2 chemistry this june..sitting on A2 exam for the first time,but I did AS on last january exam...I don't think I'll get an A* so want to try for the last time,..


No problem :smile:
I'm really panicking about the A2 chem exam !
I'm mainly studying from the George facer textbook...I have the Edexcel one as well... but i'll only do the topics which i find more difficult to understand..how about youu ?

Goood Luck again:smile:
Reply 4
Original post by aqua05
This sites are super :biggrin:
thankss :biggrin:
I'm super it will be helpful to many of us..



No problem :smile:
I'm really panicking about the A2 chem exam !
I'm mainly studying from the George facer textbook...I have the Edexcel one as well... but i'll only do the topics which i find more difficult to understand..how about youu ?

Goood Luck again:smile:


What units are you sitting in the summer?
Reply 5
Original post by 1platinum
What units are you sitting in the summer?


all the A2 units...
chem u4,u5 & u6
youu ?
Reply 6
Original post by aqua05
all the A2 units...
chem u4,u5 & u6
youu ?


Unit 4 and 5. What's Unit 6?
Reply 7
Original post by 1platinum
Unit 4 and 5. What's Unit 6?


I'm international candidate so we have to do unit 6 instead of the practicals/coursework you have to do :smile:

Its a separate module to study.. its basically written practical
Reply 8
Original post by aqua05
This sites are super :biggrin:
thankss :biggrin:
I'm super it will be helpful to many of us..



No problem :smile:
I'm really panicking about the A2 chem exam !
I'm mainly studying from the George facer textbook...I have the Edexcel one as well... but i'll only do the topics which i find more difficult to understand..how about youu ?

Goood Luck again:smile:



I have some revision giudes plus the edexcel one.....Edexcel book isn't very good for me to study so I'm totally depending upon my revision guides..one one revisionguide for one one unit..my cousin scored A ,she used those revision guides..I'm walking on that path,actually,.....wish to score a high grade in A'level and make my parents proud:smile:
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by cisne
I have some revision giudes plus the edexcel one.....Edexcel book isn't very good for me to study so I'm totally depending upon my revision guides..one one revisionguide for one one unit..my cousin scored A ,she used those revision guides..I'm walking on that path,actually,.....wish to score a high grade in A'level and make my parents proud:smile:



Even i don't actually prefer the edexcel text book...
I love the george facer one :smile:
Which revision guides are you talking about ?? (i mean the name of it:smile:)
Reply 10
Original post by aqua05
Even i don't actually prefer the edexcel text book...
I love the george facer one :smile:
Which revision guides are you talking about ?? (i mean the name of it:smile:)


Unit 1:The core principles of chemistry(ISBN 978-955-5138-0-1)
Unit 2: Application of core principles of chemistry (ISBN 978-955-51389-1-8)
Unit 4: General principles of chemistry (ISBN 978-955-1947-01-9)
Unit 5: General principles of chemistry-II (ISBN 978-955-1947-02-6)
Unit 3 & 6: Chemistry laboratory skills-I & II (ISBN 978-955-1947-03-3)
All by Shirly Bandarawatta, for edexcel new syllabus

Orders and enquiries
[email protected]
[email protected]
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by cisne
Unit 1:The core principles of chemistry(ISBN 978-955-5138-0-1)
Unit 2: Application of core principles of chemistry (ISBN 978-955-51389-1-8)
Unit 4: General principles of chemistry (ISBN 978-955-1947-01-9)
Unit 5: General principles of chemistry-II (ISBN 978-955-1947-02-6)
Unit 3 & 6: Chemistry laboratory skills-I & II (ISBN 978-955-1947-03-3)
All by Shirly Bandarawatta, for edexcel new syllabus

Orders and enquiries
[email protected]
[email protected]


Thanks :smile:
But don't think ordering would be possible :frown:
This book is available in maldives...
Thought you bought it from amazon or UK
I'm retaking my AS (3 UMS off an A -.-) and I'm pretty sure I mucked up my Unit 4 last month, so... taking the whole thing, except for the practicals.

Good new is that I'm ready for unit 1! :P
Reply 13
I'm taking unit 5 and retaking some practicals! not even started unit 5 properly with my teachers yet though. Think im ganna have to learn it all myself again :frown:

btw what do you think would be the best place/ topic to start in unit 5?
Reply 14
Original post by aqua05
Even i don't actually prefer the edexcel text book...
I love the george facer one :smile:
Which revision guides are you talking about ?? (i mean the name of it:smile:)


I agree with you, the edexcel text book isn't any good.

George facer is the best.

I don't know about any revision guides, i didn't used those things. But i do advice to do a lot of past papers, even the old ones. Don't do the questions(in the old past papers) which are not in the spec, if you are not sure which type of questions aren't in the new spec then ask your teacher.

Also use the mark scheme a lot for chemistry, i will advice you to learn the definitions and details about reactions, like conditions etc from the mark scheme. Books don't always give the same conditions for reactions, they differ, so it will be best to use the mark scheme to ensure that what you are learning is correct.

Also don't take A2 chemistry as easy as AS chemistry, A2 is much harder than AS.

By the way, i am not taking any exams in chemistry. I did edexcel chemistry last year, achieved an A* :smile: (AS: 300/300 A2 272/300).

Best of luck for your exams:smile:
Reply 15
Original post by raheem94
I agree with you, the edexcel text book isn't any good.

George facer is the best.

I don't know about any revision guides, i didn't used those things. But i do advice to do a lot of past papers, even the old ones. Don't do the questions(in the old past papers) which are not in the spec, if you are not sure which type of questions aren't in the new spec then ask your teacher.

Also use the mark scheme a lot for chemistry, i will advice you to learn the definitions and details about reactions, like conditions etc from the mark scheme. Books don't always give the same conditions for reactions, they differ, so it will be best to use the mark scheme to ensure that what you are learning is correct.

Also don't take A2 chemistry as easy as AS chemistry, A2 is much harder than AS.

By the way, i am not taking any exams in chemistry. I did edexcel chemistry last year, achieved an A* :smile: (AS: 300/300 A2 272/300).

Best of luck for your exams:smile:


Hiii :smile:
Thank you so much for the advice :biggrin: Wow! A* in chem :biggrin: Wooooo..!! :biggrin: thats amazing ! :smile:
You only used george facer text book for revision right ??

Thank youu...i really need that :smile:
Reply 16
Original post by aqua05
Hiii :smile:
Thank you so much for the advice :biggrin: Wow! A* in chem :biggrin: Wooooo..!! :biggrin: thats amazing ! :smile:
You only used george facer text book for revision right ??

Thank youu...i really need that :smile:


I used to use my teacher notes for studying chemistry, they were very helpful. If i didn't used to understand any concept from the notes then i used to refer to the books, edexcel student book, george facer and the black covered one(i don't remember its name). At first, i used to refer to george facer then if i still fail to clear my concept then i used to refer to the other two books. Out of the three books the one i found the worst was the edexcel while the best was the george facer one.

After clearing all my concepts, i did a decade past papers for every unit.

I never even completed reading half of the book, i just used them as a reference to clear my concepts if i had any doubt.

Actually i took chemistry seriously a month before the exam, after i had completed my maths preparation( i got an A* :smile: in maths aswell) so i didn't needed to any revision because everything was in my mind because i had solved a lot of past papers. I like maths much more than chemistry so it was difficult for me to concentrate on chemistry, but when the exams of chemistry neared then i started studying with the skin of my teeth.

Btw, which grade are you aiming for?
Reply 17
Original post by raheem94
I used to use my teacher notes for studying chemistry, they were very helpful. If i didn't used to understand any concept from the notes then i used to refer to the books, edexcel student book, george facer and the black covered one(i don't remember its name). At first, i used to refer to george facer then if i still fail to clear my concept then i used to refer to the other two books. Out of the three books the one i found the worst was the edexcel while the best was the george facer one.

After clearing all my concepts, i did a decade past papers for every unit.

I never even completed reading half of the book, i just used them as a reference to clear my concepts if i had any doubt.

Actually i took chemistry seriously a month before the exam, after i had completed my maths preparation( i got an A* :smile: in maths aswell) so i didn't needed to any revision because everything was in my mind because i had solved a lot of past papers. I like maths much more than chemistry so it was difficult for me to concentrate on chemistry, but when the exams of chemistry neared then i started studying with the skin of my teeth.

Btw, which grade are you aiming for?


I'm actually aiming for an A* as well.. I need an A* in either bio or chem... so really have to work hard
Hopefully...i get the grade :smile: **fingers crossed**
That's like the same advice one of mates gave me as well... doing loads & loads of past papers :smile:
Thank you so much for your advice...really appreciate it :biggrin:
Are you doing medicine in uni ? You're so smart :wink:
Reply 18
Original post by aqua05
I'm actually aiming for an A* as well.. I need an A* in either bio or chem... so really have to work hard
Hopefully...i get the grade :smile: **fingers crossed**
That's like the same advice one of mates gave me as well... doing loads & loads of past papers :smile:
Thank you so much for your advice...really appreciate it :biggrin:
Are you doing medicine in uni ? You're so smart :wink:


I am currently doing the second year of A-level. I am doing complete A-level in further maths and physics this year. In my first year i did complete A-level in chemistry and maths.

Good luck for you exams :smile:
Reply 19
why doesn't [Zn(NH3)6]4+ ever form

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