You have to learn a lot of organic reactions for AQA A-level Chemistry. Some of them you need to know the mechanism for, some of them you don’t. In this post, I’ll give you a list of the reactions you need to know. For the ones marked with a * you need to know the […]
In this post you will find links for all my Inorganic chemistry resources for A level Chemistry. Most of these are elsewhere on this site, but the free Period 3 workbooks is available from from my TES shop. Inorganic chemistry workbooks Period 3 elements and their oxides workbook Inorganic chemistry multiple choice questions Transition metals […]
In this post you’ll find links for all my organic chemistry resources for A level Chemistry, including my free introduction to organic chemistry workbook, organic chemistry multiple choice questions and organic chemistry tutorials. Organic chemistry resources for A level Chemistry Organic chemistry lessons Framework for learning the organic chemistry reactions tutorial How to calculate the […]
Strong acid calculations are really easy if you learn them the right way. This post gives you notes on how to do the calculations for A-level chemistry and includes worked examples for both monoprotic/monobasic and diprotic/dibasic strong acids. Strong acid calculations for A level Chemistry For all pH calculations, learn these equations and symbols: pH […]
In this post you will find links for all my Physical chemistry resources for A level Chemistry. Most of these are elsewhere on this site, but the physical chemistry workbooks are available from my TES shop. Full list of Physical chemistry resources for A level Physical chemistry tutorials Avogadro’s number calculations tutorial Writing equations for […]
This quiz consists of 10 Introduction to organic chemistry multiple choice questions for the AQA AS and A-Level Chemistry specification. The questions are a similar style and level of difficulty to the multiple-choice questions you’ll be given in the AQA Chemistry exams. Though they’re based on the AQA specification, they’re also appropriate for students studying […]
When you start learning organic chemistry it can be quite daunting. You have to learnt the IUPAC system of nomenclature; how to draw many different types of formulae; and more types of isomers than you could have ever imagine existed. The good news is you have 16 chapters of organic chemistry to study (for AQA […]
IMPORTANT: these significant figures multiple choice questions are aimed at chemistry students. If you need to practice significant figures for A-level maths these are not the best questions for you. This quiz contains 10 multiple choice questions to help you test your knowledge and understanding of significant figures and rounding, to help you prepare for […]
10 multiple choice questions to help you test your knowledge and understanding ion charges and formulae, and prepare for A-level Chemistry. All of the questions are answerable based on what you learned at GCSE, so if you struggle to answer any of them you have a gap in your knowledge that you need to fill […]
If you’re starting A-level Chemistry in the autumn (or maybe even earlier since the GCSEs have been cancelled) now is the time to work on your basic Chemistry skills and step them up to A-level standard. To succeed with A-level chemistry, you need a really solid understanding of basics like formulae of compounds, ion charges, […]
10 multiple choice questions to help you test your knowledge and understanding of the basics of Chemistry, and prepare for A-level Chemistry. All of the questions are answerable based on what you learned at GCSE, so if you struggle to answer any of them you have a gap in your knowledge that you need to […]
Infrared spectroscopy exam tips for A-level Chemistry. You can learn more about infrared spectroscopy by using my “Organic analysis” workbook, available here. Infrared spectroscopy exam tips When interpreting spectra, make use of all data you have about the compound. If you’re given the molecular formula, or information about any reactions that the compound does, it […]
How to tackle longer calculation questions for A-level Chemistry If you’re not confident with calculation questions, the sight of a 6 mark calculation question is likely to send you into a panic. But the truth is, if you approach them in an organised and systematic way, they’re very easy marks. In this post I’ll teach […]
Advice for year 12 A-level Chemistry students following the school closures in March 2020. The reality of the schools closing has come as a bit of a shock to all of us, even though it became increasingly obvious that it was inevitable. Based on the year 12 students I’ve spoken to in the last few […]
This quiz consists of 10 Avogadro’s number multiple choice questions for the AQA AS and A-Level Chemistry specification. Some of these questions are pretty basic and will give you a chance to make sure you understand the calculations. Others are more similar to the style and level of difficulty of the multiple choice questions you’ll […]
At the moment many of you are unexpectedly studying at home. If that applies to you, I have something that will help: A-level Chemistry workbooks for self-study. Who these workbooks are for These workbooks are for the AQA AS and A-level specification and they will solve the problem of ‘I know I need to make […]
Avogadro’s number calculations are pretty straight forward but many students are a little wary of them. I think the problem is a mixture of them not being covered at school, and them not coming up on the exams often enough to give you chance to get your head around them. This tutorial will cover the […]
I’m writing this post at the start of the coronavirus mess and it’s becoming clear that, one way or another, we’re all going to be spending a lot of time at home. Whether you’re preparing for GCSE or A-level exams this year, or just trying to keep on top of things for 2021 exams, now […]
When you’re doing Hardy-Weinberg calculations for A-level Biology you need to make sure you fully understand what the two equations mean and can match up the information you’ve given to the equations. This is what we’ll cover in this tutorial. The two equations of the Hardy-Weinberg principle You have two equations to work with. Equation […]
If you learn how to avoid procrastination your study time will be more effective, and quite frankly, less miserable. I’m speaking from experience here. I wasted so much time faffing around when I should have been studying, and all it did was frustrate me and meant I spent even more time ‘revising’ than I needed […]
Many A-level students struggle with timing in the exam, and if you’ve recently sat your mock exams you might have found that you’re one of them. It’s important that you spend an appropriate amount of time on exam questions for 2 reasons. (This is obvious) If you spend too long on questions you’ll either have […]
Need help with nomenclature? Download my FREE introduction to organic chemistry independent study workbook (for the AQA A-level chemistry specification but useful for all exam boards) Organic nomenclature is an important part of A-level Chemistry but something that a lot of students are unsure of. Learning the rules is one thing, but dealing with the […]
I`m willing to bet that on more than one occasion you`ve struggled to figure out why your answer is wrong when you`re pretty sure that you`ve done everything right. Obviously, what you`re likely to have done wrong depends on the calculation you are doing. But there are lots of common mistakes that everyone makes at […]
This is the fourth in a series of posts to help you learn how to approach problems in Chemistry, show you easy ways to do the hard stuff and help you avoid common mistakes. If you missed A-level Chemistry tips 1-10 you’ll find them here, if you missed tips 11-21 they’re here and tips 31-40 are here. […]
If you’re asked to calculate the number of stereoisomers a compound forms in the exam, you’ve got 2 choices: either do it the long way round and draw them all out until you’re convinced you’ve got them all, or you can follow this quick tip that will allow you to calculate it in 2 seconds […]
I’ve written about the mistake that A-level Biology students make with exam technique and I’ve given you some detailed advice about specific aspects of A-level Biology exam technique here. I’ll give you some advice on Chemistry exam technique shortly. But whether you’re studying Biology or Chemistry, the most important part of your exam technique is […]
When it comes to A-level Biology exam technique, most students don’t really know where they’re going wrong, or what to do about it. This post follows on from the introductory post, which describes a major mistake that many students make with exam technique. Here, I’ll give you 5 A-level Biology exam technique tips that will […]
Whenever you get a question wrong, you need to make sure you get to the bottom of what specific mistake you’re actually making so that you can work on it. In this video lesson, you’ll see how a simple mistake with an A-level Chemistry calculation can have more than one cause, and how you’ll need […]
To succeed with A-level Biology, exam technique is crucial. But when you start studying A-level Biology, the first thing you realise is that there is A LOT of content to learn. So, you focus on learning the content. Then, you do your topic tests and you do your mocks, and you start to notice that the […]
A-Level Chemistry tips 21-30 This is the third in a series of posts to help you learn how to approach problems in Chemistry, show you easy ways to do the hard stuff and help you avoid common mistakes. If you missed A-level Chemistry tips 1-10 you’ll find them here, and if you missed tips 11-21 […]
A-level chemistry what to revise between the summer of year 12 and 13. When you start A-level Chemistry it can be a bit of a shock to the system – you quickly realise that it’s nothing like GCSE! Unfortunately though, it can take a while for it to all start to fall into place, and […]
Here are 10 A-level Chemistry study tips to help you learn how to approach problems in Chemistry, show you easy ways to do the hard stuff and help you avoid common mistakes. If you missed the first 10 A-level Chemistry study tips they’re right here. Tip 11 When you’re working out the product of an […]
A-Level Chemistry tips 1-10. This is the first in a series of posts to help you learn how to approach problems in Chemistry, show you easy ways to do the hard stuff and help you avoid common mistakes. Tip 1 When balancing equations, leave the Hydrogens and Oxygens until last. You’ll often find that they […]
This quiz consists of 10 Bonding multiple choice questions for the AQA AS and A-Level Chemistry specification. The questions are a similar style and level of difficulty to the multiple-choice questions you’ll be given in the AQA Chemistry exams. Though they’re based on the AQA specification, they’re also appropriate for students studying other exam boards. […]
This quiz consists of 10 Amount of substance multiple choice questions for the AQA AS and A-Level Chemistry specification. The questions are a similar style and level of difficulty to the multiple-choice questions you’ll be given in the AQA Chemistry exams. Though they’re based on the AQA specification, they’re also appropriate for students studying other […]
When it comes to making notes, A-Level chemistry students often have 2 problems: Not knowing what they actually need to make Not making notes on something because they don’t realise it’s important, or because they haven’t been taught it at school. To solve these problems for the thermodynamics topic at least, here’s an 18 -page […]
Starting a postgraduate course in science education was a huge culture shock for me. As a science graduate I was used to writing very concise, to-the-point reports and all of a sudden I had to write what felt like flowery, waffly, humanities-type essays and I didn`t have a clue where to start. I wasn’t the […]
The reactions of acids pop up throughout A-Level Chemistry. You met them all at GCSE. Yet, I bet if I asked you to write an equation for one of them right now, half of you wouldn’t be able to do it. In fact, probably more than half. The problem is, you don’t really get taught […]
This quiz consists of 10 Energetics multiple choice questions for the AQA AS and A-Level Chemistry specification. The questions are a similar style and level of difficulty to the multiple-choice questions you’ll be given in the AQA Chemistry exams. Though they’re based on the AQA specification, they’re also appropriate for students studying other exam boards. […]
This quiz consists of 10 Transition Metals multiple choice questions for the AQA AS and A-Level Chemistry specification. The questions are a similar style and level of difficulty to the multiple-choice questions you’ll be given in the AQA Chemistry exams. Though they’re based on the AQA specification, they’re also appropriate for students studying other exam […]
This quiz consists of 10 Acids, Bases and Buffers multiple choice questions for the AQA AS and A-Level Chemistry specification. The questions are a similar style and level of difficulty to the multiple-choice questions you’ll be given in the AQA Chemistry exams. Though they’re based on the AQA specification, they’re also appropriate for students studying […]
This quiz consists of 10 Redox multiple choice questions for the AQA AS and A-Level Chemistry specification. The questions are a similar style and level of difficulty to the multiple-choice questions you’ll be given in the AQA Chemistry exams. Though they’re based on the AQA specification, they’re also appropriate for students studying other exam boards.
If you’re currently studying the atomic structure topic and you need a bit of guidance my atomic structure independent study workbook will help you. It guides you through the whole topic (including time of flight calculations). Get it from my TES shop. This quiz consists of 10 Atomic structure multiple choice questions for the […]
A-Level Chemistry multiple choice questions. In 2015, A-level Chemistry changed to a linear specification. This meant lots of changes to the format of the exams. One of the major changes was the introduction of multiple choice questions. This sounds like a good thing – multiple choice questions are a lot easier, right? Unfortunately, the multiple […]
FREE Introduction to organic chemistry workbook. Download from my TES shop here. This workbook includes a guide to learning the organic reactions, as well as nomenclature, isomerism and formulae. One mistake that a lot of students make when learning the A-Level Chemistry organic reactions is focusing too much on the mechanisms and not learning everything […]
If you’re studying A-level Chemistry and really struggling to take notes without copying the whole text book out, I have something that will help. My independent study workbooks will guide you through the topics and instruct you what to make notes on. They challenge you to apply your knowledge as you go so that you’ll […]
This is the final post of a 6 part series which will teach you how to study for A-Level Chemistry and Biology. We’re finally on the subject of revision. This is not going to be an exhaustive post on how to revise – exactly what you should at revision time is determined by what you’ve […]
This is part 5 of a 6 part series which will teach you how to study for A-Level Chemistry and Biology. In part 4, we talked about developing good study habits to help you successfully learn the content. A-level Chemistry and Biology aren’t just about learning the subject though, they’re also about learning how to […]
This is part 4 of a 6 part series which will teach you how to study for A-Level Chemistry and Biology. Your next challenge is to make sure you develop good study habits to keep yourself organised and motivated, and to make sure you avoid making mistakes with the way you approach your studies. This […]
This is part 3 of a 6 part series which will teach you how to study for A-Level Chemistry and Biology. In part 2 we talked about 2 of the most resources: the specification and the exam board endorsed textbooks. In part 3, we’ll talk about the most important resource of all: past papers, and […]
This is part 2 of a 6 part series which will teach you how to study for A-Level Chemistry and Biology. In part 1, we talked about letting go of the bad habits you picked up at GCSE and taking responsibility for your studies. In this post we’ll talk about 2 of the most important […]
This is part 1 of a 6 part series which will teach you how to study for A-Level Chemistry and Biology. We’ll start by talking about getting into the right mindset for studying. This is so much more important than it sounds. The two tips I’ll give you in this post are the foundation […]
Percentage change calculations appear in the AS or A-Level Biology exams pretty much every year and a lot of students struggle with them. For most of the Biology calculations, there isn’t really a formula or a method you can learn, you just have to rely on your problem-solving skills on the day. Fortunately, percentage change […]
How to study for A-level Chemistry and Biology. If you want to succeed at A Level you need to do four things: Learn the content Learn the skills that go with it, such as problem-solving and drawing graphs Learn how to apply all of this to exam questions Get yourself organised so that you can […]
