A Level Chemistry - hard?

Our school does the AQA specification at A-level and I'm considering taking it along with Business (Pre-U), Economics & RS.

What's it like to study? big workload? I'm doing well at GCSE but I realise that it's a big step up to AS chemistry. How much Maths is involved? (formulas e.t.c)...

Thanks in advance.

Reply 1

littleangel9914

15

Original post by Part A

Our school does the AQA specification at A-level and I'm considering taking it along with Business (Pre-U), Economics & RS.

What's it like to study? big workload? I'm doing well at GCSE but I realise that it's a big step up to AS chemistry. How much Maths is involved? (formulas e.t.c)...

Thanks in advance.

there is quite a bit of maths but once you get your head around a few main concepts the workloads isn't much different to gcse

Reply 2

foldingstars45

3

I'm doing this specification as AS level now.
My school recommends you get atleast a B in additional science/chemistry at GCSE to take chemistry at A Level. Personally, I find chemistry really interesting. I got an A at GCSE, and I'm finding it okay.
I wouldn't call the workload extreme - but I guess it would depend on your teacher. Bearly any extra reading around the subject is needed, but it could always be useful if you wanted to study chemistry further after A Level or if you just want to find out more about a topic :smile:

There is a fair amount of maths involved - more than is involved in biology, but considerably less than is involved in physics.
In the first unit you will be tested on, there is only 1 out of 6 chapters that involve calculations - but I'm guessing more math will be involved in later units. So you probably would be best taking chemistry if your getting a B or above in math :smile:

. I got an A* at GCSE in math and I don't find the math involved in Unit 1 particularly challenging.

The topics we have covered so far are dead interesting and I totally recommend it. Especially as it would be a subject that is a little different from the other subjects you said you are taking.
I might make a point though that IMO, people who take biology as well as chemistry may have a little advantage :smile:

good luck!

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 3

Beska

21

Probably about 40% of the course is maths or contains mathematical concepts, but it isn't too demanding in that sense. On the whole, the course has quite a large workload and a lot of concepts that need to be mastered, and it isn't a subject that can be memorised - it requires significant levels of understanding, at least for the higher grades. I only got a grade B at GCSE Maths but achieved ~90% in my chemistry AS, and indeed an 'A' at A2.

Reply 4

Part A

OP

18

Original post by Beska

Probably about 40% of the course is maths or contains mathematical concepts, but it isn't too demanding in that sense. On the whole, the course has quite a large workload and a lot of concepts that need to be mastered, and it isn't a subject that can be memorised - it requires significant levels of understanding, at least for the higher grades. I only got a grade B at GCSE Maths but achieved ~90% in my chemistry AS, and indeed an 'A' at A2.

I'm alright at maths I suppose and my dad teaches A-level Chemistry so I have him if I need any help - it's just the large workload and skimming through a textbook today, it looked quite complicated.

What percentage do you need to get a grade A at AS?

Reply 5

choccandy21

4

* subscribes* :biggrin:

Reply 6

jamedz

At AS the maths part only gets as far as rearranging equations. In terms of workload there is a lot as with any science, and you have to have a good understanding of certain sections to be good at others. It is all interlinked. At A2 the maths extends to basic logarithms with pH but it isn't as hard as it sounds. I havn't got to next module yet though which looks like there is more maths :P Also at A2 there is synoptic work, meaning that stuff you learn at AS will appear on A2 exams as well as the A2 material.

Reply 7

Beska

21

Original post by Part A

I'm alright at maths I suppose and my dad teaches A-level Chemistry so I have him if I need any help - it's just the large workload and skimming through a textbook today, it looked quite complicated.

What percentage do you need to get a grade A at AS?

It is very complicated if you glance at it - it is a subject that requires you to build on knowledge you've gained earlier on in the course. We always used to joke in my chemistry A2 class as we looked in the back of the revision guide - a page that contained the most complicated organic synthesis routes you've ever seen, with arrows flying all over the place - that we would never be able to learn it all. In the end, we pretty much did and most people got A*/A/B.

A grade 'A' at AS (and indeed at A2) is 80%.

Reply 8

jamedz

Original post by Part A

I'm alright at maths I suppose and my dad teaches A-level Chemistry so I have him if I need any help - it's just the large workload and skimming through a textbook today, it looked quite complicated.

What percentage do you need to get a grade A at AS?

80%

Reply 9

foldingstars45

3

Original post by Part A

skimming through a textbook today, it looked quite complicated.

i'd have definately thought that too before i started AS level. but you get to grips with it pretty easily once you start having 5 lessons per week!

Reply 10

Part A

OP

18

Original post by Beska

It is very complicated if you glance at it - it is a subject that requires you to build on knowledge you've gained earlier on in the course. We always used to joke in my chemistry A2 class as we looked in the back of the revision guide - a page that contained the most complicated organic synthesis routes you've ever seen, with arrows flying all over the place - that we would never be able to learn it all. In the end, we pretty much did and most people got A*/A/B.

A grade 'A' at AS (and indeed at A2) is 80%.

So how hard is it to get a A? Bearing in mind that I only plan to do this for AS and drop it?

Reply 11

Part A

OP

18

Original post by jamedz

At AS the maths part only gets as far as rearranging equations. In terms of workload there is a lot as with any science, and you have to have a good understanding of certain sections to be good at others. It is all interlinked. At A2 the maths extends to basic logarithms with pH but it isn't as hard as it sounds. I havn't got to next module yet though which looks like there is more maths :P Also at A2 there is synoptic work, meaning that stuff you learn at AS will appear on A2 exams as well as the A2 material.

Synoptic work? Please could you explain further? :smile:

Reply 12

qasidb

20

there's maths but not complicated maths.
when i was journeying through unit 1 of as chemistry, i was really poor. but then i found out over the past few days of revising the subject thouroughly that i'm actually pretty good at it. i've got my chem exams in january and was getting slightly scared about chemistry. but now, i find it a breeze.
but don't do what i did.
what you should do is as soon as you finish a chemistry lesson, go over what you learnt by doing questions on it so that you understand it. that's the easiest way through chemistry. that and practice papers.

Reply 13

Beska

21

Original post by Part A

So how hard is it to get a A? Bearing in mind that I only plan to do this for AS and drop it?

It's very hard to say. I would say that behind Further Maths, it is the most difficult A-Level. It requires a scientific mind and a scientific way of thinking, and an ability to apply pseudo-mathematical principles to non-mathematical situations.

For GCSE, I didn't excel at chemistry. Overall I got a grade A, which was later moved up to an A* (somehow they missed 30 marks...) however saying that, this was the highly criticised year that meant more than 50% of the questions on the exam were not on the syllabus! I only attained around 30% raw marks which equated to 100% in scaled marks, and an A*. At AS, I did very well and as I say got around 90% for my AS, with 100% in coursework. On a side note, at A2 I achieved 100% on coursework and 90% on one unit but completely flopped the final unit (50% or something) because I burnt out.

Original post by Part A

Synoptic work? Please could you explain further? :smile:

Synoptic means that a paper does not test a single unit (although it predominately focuses on it), but instead draws in aspects of other units that you have learnt. In chemistry, everything is synoptic - for example, you learn about formulae, chemical compositions, structure, etc. in the first unit but this is obviously basic stuff which is referred back to constantly, so you will find it in later exams. At AS, there is very little synoptic work.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 14

Mr.Messy

14

Its one of the toughest A-levels in my opinion. But don't let that deter you, if your willing to put the work in, you'll be fine.

The maths gets on my nerves, but if you practice at it then it will become easier than the actually theory.

Reply 15

llpokermuffinll

3

Original post by Part A

Our school does the AQA specification at A-level and I'm considering taking it along with Business (Pre-U), Economics & RS.

What's it like to study? big workload? I'm doing well at GCSE but I realise that it's a big step up to AS chemistry. How much Maths is involved? (formulas e.t.c)...

Thanks in advance.

Absolutely not! It's by far easier than a Chemistry Degree, which means it's easy!

Reply 16

wibletg

3

If you like a bit of a challenge, have a decent memory and can see things logically, then go for it. I do Maths, F maths, Physics and Chemistry and Chemistry is by far the hardest out of the lot - but it's the one I enjoy the most. There is a small bit of maths involved, but it's no harder than GCSE.

Reply 17

mkb230

2

Unit 4 is basically all Maths. So many calculations involving pH, Ka, Kp, etc.

Reply 18

golddust&lipgloss

10

i achieved 98% in my gcse chem exam.
a level chemistry is much more complex compared to it. infact i'd argue that a level chemistry is harder than a paedo in disneyland.

Reply 19

oHellno

12

I don't do AQA, and have just started Unit 2 so my opinion probably isn't that useful. But so far it's pretty straightforward. Just have to make sure you've got the concepts in your head :smile:

A Level Chemistry - hard?

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