The AS level Chemistry exam consists of three components. Paper 1 assesses knowledge and understanding of facts, concepts, vocabulary, theories and scientific methods. It contains 40 multiple-choice questions and is taken over 1 hour and 15 minutes. Paper 2 additionally assesses candidates’ handling, applying, and evaluating of biological information, data, models and problems. It consists of structured questions and is taken over one hour and 15 minutes. Paper 3 assesses advanced practical skills through practical lab work taken over 2 hours.
The A Level Chemistry exam requires an additional two components. Paper 4 consists of structured questions taken over 2 hours. Paper 5 is an additional practical exam that focuses on planning, analysis, and evaluation taken over 1 hour and 15 minutes. Both components assume students have strong prior knowledge of AS Level content and then introduce new content (see Skills Measured). Marks from Papers 1-3 from the AS Level are carried forward and combined with Papers 4 and 5 to comprise the complete assessment at the A Level.
The examination has three assessment objectives. 1) Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific phenomena, facts, laws, definitions, concepts and theories; scientific vocabulary, terminology and conventions (including symbols, quantities and units); scientific instruments and apparatus, including techniques of operation and aspects of safety; scientific quantities and their determination; scientific and technological applications with their social, economic and environmental implications; and provide reasoned explanations for phenomena, patterns and relationships. 2) Candidates should be able to handle, apply and evaluate information in words or using other forms of presentation (e.g. symbols, graphical or numerical) to a) locate, select, organise and present information from a variety of sources, b) translate information from one form to another, c) manipulate numerical and other data, d)use information to identify patterns, report trends and draw conclusions, e) give reasoned explanations for phenomena, patterns and relationships, f) make predictions and construct arguments to support hypotheses, make sense of new situations, g) evaluate hypotheses, h) demonstrate an awareness of the limitations of chemical theories and models, and i) solve problems. 3) Candidates should also be able to plan experiments and investigations; collect, record and present observations, measurements and estimates; analyse and interpret experimental data to reach conclusions; and evaluate methods and quality of experimental data, as well as suggest improvements to experiments.