
BHS Sixth Form Options 2025
CHEMISTRY
EXAM BOARD: EDEXCEL
What does the course involve:
The A Level course builds upon the foundations of Chemistry studied at GCSE. There is no coursework but core practical tasks are used to assess the Certificate of Practical Competency, a key skill that is often desired by university courses.

FOR STUDENTS
INTERESTED IN:
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Practical chemistry
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Contemporary science
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Understanding the environment
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Materials science
Paper 1
For both Year 12 and Year 13, paper 1 covers inorganic and physical chemistry.
Topics include:
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​Atomic structure and the periodic table
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Bonding
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Redox
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Amount of a substance (moles)
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Equilibria
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Energetics
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Transition metals
Paper 2
For both Year 12 and Year 13, paper 2 covers organic and physical chemistry.
Topics include:
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​Organic chemistry
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Kinetics
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Analytical techniques
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Methods of purification
Paper 3
This is a synoptic paper and covers all topics. It will also include questions about practical skills required for the specification.
A minimum of 20% of all marks across the three papers comes from maths based questions. For this reason, it is important that students have achieved at least a Grade C in GCSE Maths.
POSSIBLE
CAREER PATHS:
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Chemistry and chemical engineering
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Medicine
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Veterinary practice
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Biochemistry
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Pharmaceutical science