OCR-A A-Level Biology and Chemistry: help me please!!!!!

Hi so for context as my username suggests I am retaking 2 of my a levels - bio and chem, after quite the disappointment last year

I really need help since it's coming closer to my exams, I'm starting to make past papers a regular practice from now, but I can't help, especially in Biology, but feel as though my exam technique is a bit off. With really application type questions I always feel like I'm guessing if that makes sense? It's really uncomfortable especially when you know you've made up the answer and it's probably most definitely wrong - marks down the drain. Last year and this year I've been looking at key marking points, turning questions I've gotten wrong into flashcards etc. but I still feel this insecurity with my exam technique. I feel like I might be overthinking it too, I did really well in Year 12 with As/A*s in both without so much emphasis on exam technique but idk something just feels off is the best way I can describe it. It really sucks having to do this again, but I'm so ready for it to be over.

Please please please if anyone's done bio and chem at a-level and gotten A*s do you have any tips that will help boost my grade, thank you <3

Reply 1

Aimzy273

12

Original post by retakingalevelsx

Hi so for context as my username suggests I am retaking 2 of my a levels - bio and chem, after quite the disappointment last year
I really need help since it's coming closer to my exams, I'm starting to make past papers a regular practice from now, but I can't help, especially in Biology, but feel as though my exam technique is a bit off. With really application type questions I always feel like I'm guessing if that makes sense? It's really uncomfortable especially when you know you've made up the answer and it's probably most definitely wrong - marks down the drain. Last year and this year I've been looking at key marking points, turning questions I've gotten wrong into flashcards etc. but I still feel this insecurity with my exam technique. I feel like I might be overthinking it too, I did really well in Year 12 with As/A*s in both without so much emphasis on exam technique but idk something just feels off is the best way I can describe it. It really sucks having to do this again, but I'm so ready for it to be over.
Please please please if anyone's done bio and chem at a-level and gotten A*s do you have any tips that will help boost my grade, thank you <3

hiya, i did ocr a level bio and got an A*. i did LOADS of past papers. i marked my answers and wrote the corrections etc in a different colour. i would then watch youtube videos and/or use my own notes to fill in any knowledge gaps. having notes with text AND diagrams is key for helping to retain information. and i would redo all the past papers until i got all the questions right. and over this process actually, yes some of it was memory but i did actually show an overall improvement in my ability to approach application qs. i completely understand your struggle; i think the mark schemes are horrid lol

Reply 2

Aimzy273

12

Original post by retakingalevelsx

Hi so for context as my username suggests I am retaking 2 of my a levels - bio and chem, after quite the disappointment last year
I really need help since it's coming closer to my exams, I'm starting to make past papers a regular practice from now, but I can't help, especially in Biology, but feel as though my exam technique is a bit off. With really application type questions I always feel like I'm guessing if that makes sense? It's really uncomfortable especially when you know you've made up the answer and it's probably most definitely wrong - marks down the drain. Last year and this year I've been looking at key marking points, turning questions I've gotten wrong into flashcards etc. but I still feel this insecurity with my exam technique. I feel like I might be overthinking it too, I did really well in Year 12 with As/A*s in both without so much emphasis on exam technique but idk something just feels off is the best way I can describe it. It really sucks having to do this again, but I'm so ready for it to be over.
Please please please if anyone's done bio and chem at a-level and gotten A*s do you have any tips that will help boost my grade, thank you <3

oh and take note of the wording of mark schemes, command words, and look at the style of the answers for different types of questions and see what they give marks for. what do they consider vague? what do they consider irrelevant to the question? etc (they being the examiners) and practice recognising which topic(s) the application qs are subtly asking you about…!

Reply 3

retakingalevelsx

OP

10

Original post by Aimzy273

oh and take note of the wording of mark schemes, command words, and look at the style of the answers for different types of questions and see what they give marks for. what do they consider vague? what do they consider irrelevant to the question? etc (they being the examiners) and practice recognising which topic(s) the application qs are subtly asking you about…!

wow this is so helpful thank you so much ❤️ and congrats on your A*! what are you up to now?

Reply 4

Aimzy273

12

Original post by retakingalevelsx

wow this is so helpful thank you so much ❤️ and congrats on your A*! what are you up to now?

you’re very welcome 🙂 I’m in my final year studying psychology, aiming to train as a CBT therapist in the next 2 years or so!

Reply 5

goaway1239846

5

hello! i'm basically copying and pasting another one my posts about ocr a chem if that's okay.

•

I found the ocr a a level to be virtually a pure memorisation game - evidenced by the ridiculous grade boundaries (80%+ for an A last year i think?). So this means knowing e.g. colours of TM complexes; chemical/analytical tests; synthetic pathways etc. inside out.

•

I used flashcards A LOT to learn the TM colours and chemical tests! It would work too for the synthetic pathways.

•

For the wordy questions, you just need to know what to write that will get marks. it's been a while now and i can still remember the mark scheme for explaining why phenol/phenylamine is more reactive than benzene off by heart:

•

in phenol/ylamine a lone pair of electrons on O/N is (partially) delocalised into the pi (ring) system

•

this increases the electron density in the pi system of phenol

•

so phenol polarises electrophiles more greatly/is more susceptible to electrophilic attack

•

(the most common way that you'd drop a mark here is missing the second point out - tbh it's ott but you have to say it for ocr to give you a mark)

•

that one came up SO much (usually in the guise of another aromatic compound with O or N directly bonded to the ring) that i still remember it. But effectively i also memorised the ms for every other (wordy) question that they ask...

•

...almost every question in the real thing will have been asked in a previous year... you just need to know what the mark scheme is looking for (e.g. the mark for protonating amines in acidic conditions and many others).

•

(in terms of proper application marks on non-syllabus content: 1/2 marks absolute max in p1/p2, usually none; perhaps 5-10 in p3? You can definitely get an A* off pure memorisation/syllabus knowledge tbh...)

Reply 6

retakingalevelsx

OP

10

Original post by goaway1239846

hello! i'm basically copying and pasting another one my posts about ocr a chem if that's okay.

•

I found the ocr a a level to be virtually a pure memorisation game - evidenced by the ridiculous grade boundaries (80%+ for an A last year i think?). So this means knowing e.g. colours of TM complexes; chemical/analytical tests; synthetic pathways etc. inside out.

•

I used flashcards A LOT to learn the TM colours and chemical tests! It would work too for the synthetic pathways.

•

For the wordy questions, you just need to know what to write that will get marks. it's been a while now and i can still remember the mark scheme for explaining why phenol/phenylamine is more reactive than benzene off by heart:

•

in phenol/ylamine a lone pair of electrons on O/N is (partially) delocalised into the pi (ring) system

•

this increases the electron density in the pi system of phenol

•

so phenol polarises electrophiles more greatly/is more susceptible to electrophilic attack

•

(the most common way that you'd drop a mark here is missing the second point out - tbh it's ott but you have to say it for ocr to give you a mark)

•

that one came up SO much (usually in the guise of another aromatic compound with O or N directly bonded to the ring) that i still remember it. But effectively i also memorised the ms for every other (wordy) question that they ask...

•

...almost every question in the real thing will have been asked in a previous year... you just need to know what the mark scheme is looking for (e.g. the mark for protonating amines in acidic conditions and many others).

•

(in terms of proper application marks on non-syllabus content: 1/2 marks absolute max in p1/p2, usually none; perhaps 5-10 in p3? You can definitely get an A* off pure memorisation/syllabus knowledge tbh...)

this is perfect thank you so much!! <3

OCR-A A-Level Biology and Chemistry: help me please!!!!!

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