Does the AQA GCSE specifications include everything I need to know for the tests?

Do the AQA specifications (especially the sciences) that can be found on the official AQA website cover everything I need to know for the tests? I want to create revision notes out of them, and the specifications are far shorter than the textbooks for the sciences (Chemistry, Biology, Physics), so it would be easier to memorize, the textbooks seem to give too many examples and just waffle about.. (and is the specification used for creating test papers as well as teaching?) Any help would be nice, thanks in advance..

Specifications (sciences):

Chemistry: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/chemistry/specifications/AQA-8462-SP-2016.PDF

Biology: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/biology/specifications/AQA-8461-SP-2016.PDF

Physics: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/physics-8463

Is this for GCSE? If so I literally only learnt the specifications and did past paper questions and managed to get A*s in all 3, it's what I'd recommend!

Yes. That's the whole point of the specification. They can't exactly examine you on something that's not on there, because teachers plan their core content around that document.

The textbook will explain things in depth so you actually understand the material. It will also include some 'for your own interest' material in order to provide some real-world context to what you're actually learning.

Oh ok, thanks for that helpful clarification! But I've heard some people say that some questions in the exams aren't in the spec? Doesn't sound right , but I just want to know your thoughts on that.

People who say that generally haven't understood learnt the material properly and instead relied on memorisation. People think application type questions are 'not in the spec', but they are. If you have a good understanding of the material in the specification, they you'll have no trouble

Sorry for the noob-ish question I'm going to ask, but what exactly are application type questions, what are they like? And how do people who simply just memorize fail to properly understand and answer these types of questions? (and thanks for the rep XD)

The application type question might give you a certain scenario/experiment, but worded in a way that isn't exactly typical, but the underlying science required to answer that particular question is something that you've learnt before.

The reason why people who purely memorise fail to answer those questions (not all people, but some) is because they aren't able to spot what the question is asking for.

Hope that makes sense.

Ohhh.. Ok, that makes sense. Thank you so much for giving up your time to help me

You're welcome

Once you've done enough past papers, you'll get the hang of it

You're welcome

Once you've done enough past papers, you'll get the hang of it

So one final thing to clarify so I start revising the following way: if I just learn all the content in the specification, and follow the objectives set in the specification (e.g. 'Students should be able to use the nuclear model to describe atoms.') by referring to a textbook, that will cover everything I need to know for the AQA GCSE Science exams? There also seems to be some questions in the 'AQA GCSE Science Third Edition textbooks (by Oxford)' that do not follow and can't be answered the spec? (really sorry for the pestering)

It should do

Ok.. I'm going to post examples of the textbook questions and parts of the spec in the morning. Thank you again for your cooperation.