Advice A Level Chem

Hey,
In my recent mock I got 62% in a AS paper (C).
I need an A for my university course…
First of all is it possible to go up two grades if I put in the work…
I am using flashcards and practice questions to revise and I seem to lose marks on small things but throughout the paper…
I’m really worrying that I won’t get the A and I am willing to do hours everyday if that’s what it will take- I just want to make sure I’m doing the right things.
Thanks so much for reading !!!

Hey,
In my recent mock I got 62% in a AS paper (C).
I need an A for my university course…
First of all is it possible to go up two grades if I put in the work…

I am using flashcards and practice questions to revise and I seem to lose marks on small things but throughout the paper…
I’m really worrying that I won’t get the A and I am willing to do hours everyday if that’s what it will take- I just want to make sure I’m doing the right things.

Thanks so much for reading !!!

Which board are you with? I may be able to recommend some resources.
You can go up two or three grades within a year, but it does require consistent hard work. It also requires a good understanding of what examiners want from you, so after doing a past paper (under timed conditions!), not only should you mark it yourself (getting help from your teacher if in doubt), you should also refer to the examiner’s report as it may explain why your answer was wrong since many other candidates are likely to have made either the same or similar mistakes.
I would urge you not to study excessively and to find a sensible work-life balance. You don’t actually benefit from studying for hours continuously as your brain typically begins to lose focus somewhere between 30 minutes and 45 minutes into studying. As such, splitting your studying into 45-minute sessions with 30-minute breaks between for a drink (and a snack) is advised.

Hi, if you don't mind could you please tell me some resources I'm in yr13 doing OCR A!!

Hiya there,
Thanks for reaching out and its great to hear you're thinking about your HE choices already. May I ask what course you're wanting to go into?
I would say yes, you can absolutely go from a C to an A in a few months if you put the work in. Its important that you understand the topics you are not quite getting the marks on so you can work on them and why you are missing out on marks elsewhere. Perhaps ask your teacher for advice on what they expect to see for an A. Plus, consider using past papers and make flashcards out of the toughies with model answers on the back so you can practice questions like that in your revision.
When I did A Level chem I started out getting quite low grades because I'd run out of time. However, in year 13 I started staying an extra hour to hour and a half after lessons in the learning centre each day (except Fridays 🙂 ) to do extra studying to make sure I was caught up and could work on areas I found difficult. It didn't feel like much each day as I was still home by half four to five, but it amounted to an extra 4-6 hours a week of revision and helped me improve my grade to an A.
I hope this helps but please let us know if you need any more advice!
Holly
University of Bath

Which board are you with? I may be able to recommend some resources.
You can go up two or three grades within a year, but it does require consistent hard work. It also requires a good understanding of what examiners want from you, so after doing a past paper (under timed conditions!), not only should you mark it yourself (getting help from your teacher if in doubt), you should also refer to the examiner’s report as it may explain why your answer was wrong since many other candidates are likely to have made either the same or similar mistakes.
I would urge you not to study excessively and to find a sensible work-life balance. You don’t actually benefit from studying for hours continuously as your brain typically begins to lose focus somewhere between 30 minutes and 45 minutes into studying. As such, splitting your studying into 45-minute sessions with 30-minute breaks between for a drink (and a snack) is advised.

I’m with OCR A - I have made my own year 1 and year 2 flashcards on anki which I have learnt but I think I’m spending to much time on learning those rather than applying the knowledge on practice questions - I am really trying to pace myself but so worried I won’t get an A as I’ve applied to medicine.

are you in year 12 or year 13?

Year 13 still at the C I’ve put in hours of work I don’t know what’s going wrong