Should I take OCR 'A' or Salters Chemistry course!?

My sixth form offers both... Really not sure which to pick!
IMO Salters looks more interesting but I've read (I think on here) a few times that it's a horrible course.

Advice please? :smile:

Reply 1

Rainbow-Dream

15

I've heard it's a bad course too. I'm taking the OCR A course and I don't think the exams are too bad (I'm averaging a B on the exams but c/w is bringing it down to a C), however the c/w has very high grade boundaries (last year 22/40 was an E) when it should have been 40% - so a massive mark up. (This is for the ISA btw).

OCR is easy

A for the love of God A. Salters is awful, I've never been so stressed about a piece of work in my life.

Reply 4

Right Guard 3.D

13

Original post by carehow

My sixth form offers both... Really not sure which to pick!
IMO Salters looks more interesting but I've read (I think on here) a few times that it's a horrible course.

Advice please? :smile:

From what I see when I look at the Salters spec, its more applied in the real world.

OCR A (I study it) is just the pure chemistry :biggrin:

Also, practical exams are easier than coursework :wink:

OCR A!

OCR A

OCR SALTERS B is a horrible course.. so for the love of science stick to OCR A.

Reply 7

charllysaur

1

If you have the choice I'd go for OCR A. I do that now but I did Salters for a while last year and it was horrible!

Reply 8

gozatron

16

A FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TAKE OCR A!!

You won't be forced to struggle with this 80 page coursework then!

Reply 9

ManPowa

7

Original post by gozatron

A FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TAKE OCR A!!

You won't be forced to struggle with this 80 page coursework then!

I know. The individual investigation for A2 salters is long winded and such a pain stake if it dont work out for you.

Can i ask, do Universities look at what exam board you are doing?
Personally, i think OCR salters B is a very difficult exam board to grasp and acheive
those A's compared to OCR A. And plus it has storylines (what Bullshi*) just to confuse everything and then the individual investigation.. What the hell, its like they want us to fail.
OCR A is just normal chemical ideas with normal coursework for both AS and A2. So in SALTERS B, i would think you do a hell of a lot more work, but will it be recognized??

Reply 10

Keckers

15

If you are completely insane do Salters.
If you intend to be suicidal half way through year 13, do Salters.

If not, do the other one.

Reply 11

doobucks

16

I've only done 15 pages of Salters coursework. I still don't know what I'm doing, what I'm trying to find out. Do A please.
The exams for B aren't hard though, but just do A because I have to do 20 more pages of coursework by the end of easter.

Reply 12

ManPowa

7

Original post by jam277

I've only done 15 pages of Salters coursework. I still don't know what I'm doing, what I'm trying to find out. Do A please.
The exams for B aren't hard though, but just do A because I have to do 20 more pages of coursework by the end of easter.

Whats your investigation?

Reply 13

gozatron

16

Original post by ManPowa

I know. The individual investigation for A2 salters is long winded and such a pain stake if it dont work out for you.

Can i ask, do Universities look at what exam board you are doing?
Personally, i think OCR salters B is a very difficult exam board to grasp and acheive
those A's compared to OCR A. And plus it has storylines (what Bullshi*) just to confuse everything and then the individual investigation.. What the hell, its like they want us to fail.
OCR A is just normal chemical ideas with normal coursework for both AS and A2. So in SALTERS B, i would think you do a hell of a lot more work, but will it be recognized??

If i remember rightly, i wasn't required to tell UCAS, and so my universities, what exam board i was taking so they would have no idea.

Its not worth the effort, edexcel chemistry has a nice course much more straightforward and if you have ever looked at one the their exams papers they have 15 or so multiple choice questions at the start of the paper.

Salters screws you about moreso by putting different weightings on each exam paper. 2 are worth 90 marks, 1 is worth 150 marks and 1 worth 120 marks. Maybe it would make sense if the marks increased the further you got to the end of the course? No. The F332 module is worth more the majorly synoptic F335 paper at the end of A2 and the Individual investigation is worth just as much as the F334 exam. I can't understand how an AS exam could be worth 1/4 of your entire A level in chemistry.

Reply 14

gozatron

16

Original post by jam277

I've only done 15 pages of Salters coursework. I still don't know what I'm doing, what I'm trying to find out. Do A please.
The exams for B aren't hard though, but just do A because I have to do 20 more pages of coursework by the end of easter.

I suffered the same thing, i completed the entire coursework and its probably being marked as i type and i still have no idea what i was really investigating or what my results showed me.

Reply 15

doobucks

16

Original post by ManPowa

Whats your investigation?

Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide with yeast catalyst. I can't find the activation enthalpy. So I don't know what to do now.

Reply 16

doobucks

16

Original post by gozatron

I suffered the same thing, i completed the entire coursework and its probably being marked as i type and i still have no idea what i was really investigating or what my results showed me.

Lol. At least you've done it. I might have to cheat.

Reply 17

SeaJay

9

Go for OCR mate! It's more straight forward. Salters is a bit scary, though I've heard it's better respected. x

Reply 18

linkaneo

Do Salters, I did OCR Chem and it made me want to kill myself (figuratively speaking).

Reply 19

ManPowa

7

Original post by jam277

Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide with yeast catalyst. I can't find the activation enthalpy. So I don't know what to do now.

Omgosh we got the same investigation lol.
But mine is the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by inorganic catalysts e.g manganese(IV) oxide. I dont know why you are using yeast. Does that specifically mention it.

And to find the activation enthalpy, use the arrheinus equation mate.

Should I take OCR 'A' or Salters Chemistry course!?

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