Board: Edexcel

Specification: AS GCE 8CH01 and A2 9CH01

Introduction

Studying the GCE in Chemistry should be a practical experience for students. This specification contains practical activities embedded within each unit, to reflect the nature of chemistry. This will increase students’ enjoyment and understanding of chemistry together with providing them with the skills needed to study science at higher levels.

The practical skills assessment at Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level reflect the types of practical activities that students would be familiar with as part of their teaching and learning. These are designed to be assessed alongside the teaching of the units. However, they are flexible and can be taken at any point during the Advanced Subsidiary or Advanced Level course.

The specification enables motivating contemporary chemistry contexts to be included in the teaching and learning programme. It is designed to motivate both teachers and students, to encourage more students to study chemistry and to encourage teachers to update the content that they deliver.

Students will study aspects of chemistry that are often in the media and affect their lives. It is important that students have the necessary knowledge and understanding to explain many different aspects of contemporary chemistry. These areas include:

• climate change

• green chemistry

• pharmaceuticals

• chemistry research.

These contexts are given as examples within the units so they can be updated or expanded upon by teachers over the lifetime of this qualification.

The content of this specification includes the fundamental key concepts of chemistry needed for progression into higher education and employment. However, it has been streamlined to allow students enough time to study the units in depth. This ensures that the teaching and learning experience is enjoyable.

Three separate activities testing students’ laboratory skills in three different ways. The three activities must cover the areas of physical, organic and inorganic chemistry.