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How does A2 chemistry compare with AS

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Reply 20
Original post by manlike99
When did you start banging out past papers? I'm doing A2 chemistry this year, and how many times did you do them?


A month before the exams. Once per paper, any more is pointless. If you run out, use legacy papers or find some problems elsewhere (e.g. NMR problems are really easy to find online).
Original post by alow
A month before the exams. Once per paper, any more is pointless. If you run out, use legacy papers or find some problems elsewhere (e.g. NMR problems are really easy to find online).


Thanks a lot man, I take it you revised all year round? I'm going to revise AS again since reformed qualifications... sigh
Reply 22
Original post by manlike99
Thanks a lot man, I take it you revised all year round? I'm going to revise AS again since reformed qualifications... sigh


For A Level, the only revision I did was past papers. I did spend a lot of time learning other chemistry stuff though.
Original post by manlike99
When did you start banging out past papers? I'm doing A2 chemistry this year, and how many times did you do them?


Just thought I'd chuck my hat into the ring on this as well!

I started past papers for each of my a level exams (chemistry, maths and physics) about 3 weeks before each exam, normally planning it so I was doing 2 or 3 papers a week (possibly 1 or 2 papers open book if I felt like it) to begin with, building up to 2 or 3 papers on the day before the given exam.

I reckon past papers are all the revision you need, but that is providing you have a decent grip of the material you cover first time around!
Original post by alow
For A Level, the only revision I did was past papers. I did spend a lot of time learning other chemistry stuff though.


thanks man
Original post by MexicanKeith
Just thought I'd chuck my hat into the ring on this as well!

I started past papers for each of my a level exams (chemistry, maths and physics) about 3 weeks before each exam, normally planning it so I was doing 2 or 3 papers a week (possibly 1 or 2 papers open book if I felt like it) to begin with, building up to 2 or 3 papers on the day before the given exam.

I reckon past papers are all the revision you need, but that is providing you have a decent grip of the material you cover first time around!


Ah I see, do you reckon doing past papers for my Jan mocks would be using them up too early? Will I end up remembering answers aka the papers not being as useful later on? Thanks
Original post by manlike99
Ah I see, do you reckon doing past papers for my Jan mocks would be using them up too early? Will I end up remembering answers aka the papers not being as useful later on? Thanks


Yeah, I'd say not much point doing past papers for mocks, save them for the real thing. For mocks I used to just read over notes and check I didnt have any glaring misunderstandings :smile:
Original post by MexicanKeith
Yeah, I'd say not much point doing past papers for mocks, save them for the real thing. For mocks I used to just read over notes and check I didnt have any glaring misunderstandings :smile:


thanks mate, it's not too much a step up from AS is it?
Actually you decide how hard/easy it is depending on how you prepare for it. A2 chemistry is quite interesting, and I suggest you to practise well, read about the subject, and love what you do.

This will make you step higher than A2, appreciate the subject, and find it easy. Good luck.
Original post by manlike99
thanks mate, it's not too much a step up from AS is it?


I wouldn't say so! It's certainly a bit more difficult, but that's because it builds on AS.

I would agree with what's been said above that the exams at A2 are slightly trickier. Lots of discussion above about the NMR questions, the difficult bit about them isn't understanding proton or carbon-13 NMR, more the fact that they like to present the evidence then give you a space to discuss what you're working out (again, practise makes perfect with answering these question). In AS I'd say they have more of a tendency to hand hold you through a question step by step.

Anyway, I'd say I worked equally hard in AS and A2 and my results were slightly better in A2 so it can't be that much harder :tongue:, and by the time the exams come around hopefully at A2 you've been studying chemistry for an extra year so you're just a bit better at answering more challenging and thought provoking questions!

Sorry for the essay! :smile: hope it's helpful and coherent!
Original post by youreanutter
I do ocr a and got an a at as but thinking to drop chemistry now as i heard a2 is the hardest a2 ever and if i keep it it would mean i do all 4
however i do enjoy chemistry i want to know what is a2 like


Ive currently done Electrochemistry, P block chemistry and some new style calculations for A2. I achieved 98% UMS at AS, and honestly, there isn't really any jump. If you just maintain your work effort you'll maintain an A grade.
Original post by MexicanKeith
I wouldn't say so! It's certainly a bit more difficult, but that's because it builds on AS.

I would agree with what's been said above that the exams at A2 are slightly trickier. Lots of discussion above about the NMR questions, the difficult bit about them isn't understanding proton or carbon-13 NMR, more the fact that they like to present the evidence then give you a space to discuss what you're working out (again, practise makes perfect with answering these question). In AS I'd say they have more of a tendency to hand hold you through a question step by step.

Anyway, I'd say I worked equally hard in AS and A2 and my results were slightly better in A2 so it can't be that much harder :tongue:, and by the time the exams come around hopefully at A2 you've been studying chemistry for an extra year so you're just a bit better at answering more challenging and thought provoking questions!

Sorry for the essay! :smile: hope it's helpful and coherent!


Don't apologise! thanks so much man I really appreciate it :smile: Really need that A in chem.
It's way harder !!!
Original post by youreanutter
I do ocr a and got an a at as but thinking to drop chemistry now as i heard a2 is the hardest a2 ever and if i keep it it would mean i do all 4
however i do enjoy chemistry i want to know what is a2 like



The exams are INSANELY hard, but you have to remember that you're competing with others. As long as you work hard enough to get the differentiating questions, you should be good. Past papers are your friend. Also chemistry were the only AS exams that I would still class as difficult so if you got an A in those you shouldn't have trouble. Good luck :smile:
Original post by alow
They really don't. The vast majority of questions are the same techniques that are in almost every paper.



Yes I did. It was a fairly straightforward NMR question, if you had done lots of practice it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. There are literally thousands of spectra you can look at, so there's no excuse for not having done enough practice. Also the spectra in exams are not real spectra so have a perfectly flat baseline, no peaks for impurities, perfect splitting and are chosen such that there should be no ambiguous assignments, making them even easier.


straightforward? come on dude maybe for 1% of students it was a massive step up from previous papers
It really depends how much work you put in and how you work. I got a C at AS but then got an A overall for the A level. Got the C because I mainly revised AS using past papers but changed at A2 so I was using more sources so my advice to you - make sure you revise using lots of resources such as books, videos, websites, as well as past papers, and you will be fine
Reply 36
Original post by admirableyellow
straightforward? come on dude maybe for 1% of students it was a massive step up from previous papers


It's a computer generated NMR (so no impurities, perfect baseline, etc.) specifically designed so that there wasn't anything counterintuitive. If you have done lots of NMRs (which you should have) it's a pretty simple one.

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