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How hard is A level Chemistry

Wanted to do A level maths but the bridging work for September is quite difficult so I was thinking about Chemistry because I either wanted to do Maths or a Science, is the content in A level Chemistry similar to that in GCSE and is it loads harder?

Reply 1

Ano123

It's good. A lot of the fundamentals are built from GCSE knowledge. One stuff at GCSE does not appear at A-level. Have a look at the specifications.
Maths is definitely easier than chemistry though.

Reply 2

mr.purplelambkin

My opinion, maths is easier than chemistry because you don't have to memorise all that stuff they throw at you. But then again, you tend to put more hours in maths because practising maths is the only way to get good at it.

But after putting in those hours, you will feel most confident about maths on the day of your exam; unlike Chemistry, where you never know what kind of nasty question they'll throw at you to test your memory on obscure knowledge.

(I finished both a levels this year.)

Edit: Things from GCSEs that were built upon:
- If you took triple award, you'll recognise moles,
- Acid/Base equations incl products might help,
- Haber process used as an example to explain equilibria, how the iron catalyst works etc,
- REDOX or Oil Rig; half equations -seen in electrolysis, i think- necessary to balance equations and explain reactions using them
- the periodic table

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(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 3

melissa-23

Please do not be complacent about A Level Chemistry. It is very difficult however, if you start early, work hard, have a good maths knowledge (because there is quite a lot of maths in it) then you will be okay. I got an A* in GCSE Chemistry and now I am expecting an E at AS Level. I started working hard too late and I'm terrible at maths so I guess that was my downfall. Please don't make the same mistake and be prepared. Also, do LOTS of past papers

Reply 4

PlayerBB

I believe each person will comment differently on which one is easier, it's up to you, which one you enjoyed most in GCSE, which one you found easier to learn! For me, A-level chemistry was a bit easier than maths, however, you need to put 3 times much work in A-levels than in GCSE if you want the high grades and even if you think that chemistry is easier, it still needs your time and dedication to achieve the grades!

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(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 5

Real_jenn

Oh wow this has almost put me of chemistry

Reply 6

Kevin De Bruyne

Having done both, I would say maths is easier, as is bridging the gap for maths vs chemistry. Chemistry requires more in terms of knowledge and understanding, whereas maths is mostly understanding, and okay once you get the hang of it. Both require a lot of work, which is key to doing well.

Reply 7

asdfgghjkl

Chemistry is 100% doable, as long as you put the hours in & most importantly, properly understand the content. Past papers are also vital to acheiving a good grade.

Reply 8

coboyle098

I just finished A2 and did both Maths and Chemistry and in my opinion, Maths was harder. Simply because I enjoyed Chemistry much more so I didn't mind putting the time into it and I actually enjoyed studying it, whereas maths was quite mundane and boring doing the same type of questions over and over again.
A Level Chemistry is quite different from GCSE, in that it isn't so much rote learning, but more so grasping concepts and applying them to different scenarios. It is quite challenging but I find it very rewarding when I do well or understand complex questions :smile:

I'm from Northern Ireland and my exam board was CCEA so I'm not sure what you covered at GCSE, but for me the familiar topics were: oxidation/reduction, moles, some of atomic structure and some of organic chemistry (mainly alkanes/alkenes) :smile:

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Reply 9

oShahpo

Chemistry is hard because you MUST read a lot around the subject and investigate further on everything (unless you have a really good teacher) to achieve an A*.

Reply 10

longsightdon

I find it easier than maths personally.

Reply 11

username3716340

Original post by HFancy1997

I got a C in GCSE chemistry and A in AS and currently predicted A*/A in A2. Work hard and understand the topics for chemistry and its easy. But maths is slightly harder and harder to understand for the majority which is why id say chem is easier

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fam im in my first year and maths is hella easy. just did my mock. got A for maths and E for chem