A-LEVEL CHEMISTRY AQA

Your A-Level grade will be based on written examinations. However, to pass you must undergo an assessment of practical skills. These are:

• Make up a volumetric solution and carry out a simple acid–base titration
• Measurement of an enthalpy change
• Investigation of how the rate of a reaction changes with temperature
• Carry out simple test-tube reactions to identify:
  *cations – Group 2, NH4+
  *anions – Group 7 (halide ions), OH–, CO3 2–, SO4 2–
  
• Distillation of a product from a reaction
• Tests for alcohol, aldehyde, alkene and carboxylic acid

Topic 1: Physical Chemistry

Module 1: Atomic structure

Module 2: Amount of substance

Module 3: Bonding

Module 4: Energetics

Module 5: Kinetics

Module 6: Chemical equilibria, Le Chatelier’s principle and Kc ATP

Module 7: Oxidation, reduction and redox equations

Module 8: Thermodynamics

Module 9: Rate equations

Module 10: Equilibrium constant Kp for homogeneous systems

Module 11: Electrode potentials and electromechanical cells

Module 12: Acids and bases

Topic 1: Physical Chemistry

Module 1: Periodicity

Module 2: Group 2, the alkaline earth metals

Module 3: The Halogens

Module 4: Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides

Module 5: Transition metals

Module 6: Reactions of the ions in aqueous solution

Topic 3: Organic Chemistry

Module 1: Introduction to organic chemistry

Module 2: Alkanes

Module 3: Halogenoalkanes

Module 4: Alkenes

Module 5: Alcohols

Module 6: Organic analysis

Module 7: Optical isomerism

Module 8: Aldehydes & ketones

Module 9: Carboxylic acids and derivatives

Module 10: Aromatic chemistry

Module 11: Amines

Module 12: Polymers

Module 13: Amino acids, proteins and DNA

Module 14: Organic synthesis

Module 15: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Module 16: Chromatography

The AQA A-Level Chemistry qualification is gained once all 3 exam papers are successfully completed and six practical assessments. These exams are administered by the AQA and assessment centre details will be included with your course, as well as practice papers so that you are more than prepared for your assessments. You will need to contact your local examination centre to work through your coursework requirements.

The practicals are not marked, but you will need to be observed by an examination centre to demonstrate competence in the different techniques. The practicals are usually held in Spring of each year, while the written exams are in May/June.

In addition, there will be a number of tutor marked assessments (TMAs) to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the course materials, with the tutor sending comments to guide you through any areas of potential difficulty, as well as a range of self-assessments that are indicators that you understand the materials as you work through them. These are for your own information, and do not need to be shown to your course tutor.