Chemistry A Level

Applications Open: - 3rd November 2025

Applications Close: - To be confirmed

Entry Requirements: - 5 GCSEs Grade 9-4 - Some requirements vary slightly dependent on course.

How to Apply: - Please apply via Applica here

About the Course

Board: OCR (A)

You are the stuff that stars are made of. Chemistry is the study of all chemical substances and how to change one chemical into another. The food you eat, the air you breathe, your own body, your mobile phone, the plants and streets around you are made of chemicals. As you want inexpensive products, chemistry helps to decrease economic costs, and as you want a safe environment, chemistry helps to decrease pollution by detecting the toxins, and by destroying them.

If you like logical problems, and thinking hard – really using your brain – then Chemistry is for you. If you want to know what makes up the world around you, you are a natural chemist.

Mobile phones are small because chemists developed more efficient batteries, and new pigments for the screens. Clothes are more light weight and colourful (or a darker black!) than those of our ancestors. Cars go further on a litre of fuel due to the study of chemical combustion.

Chemistry is also always helping us to develop new products and processes. In the car industry, for example, companies are working on fuel cells to power your car more efficiently, new fuels from plant material and new alloys to make vehicles lighter. Studying Chemistry would complement A levels such as Biology, Physics, History, Geography, English and Modern Languages.

This subject MUST be studied by students who wish to take Medicine, Veterinary Medicine/ Science, Dentistry or Pharmacy at University

Units of Study

Module 1 – Development of practical skills

Skills of planning, implementing, analysis and evaluation

Module 2 – Foundations in chemistry

Atoms, compounds, molecules and equations

Amount of substance

Acid–base and redox reactions

Electrons, bonding and structure.

Module 3 – Periodic table and energy

The periodic table and periodicity

Group 2 and the halogens

Qualitative analysis

Enthalpy changes

Reaction rates and equilibrium (qualitative).

Module 4 – Core organic chemistry

Basic concepts

Hydrocarbons

Alcohols and haloalkanes

Organic synthesis

Analytical techniques (IR, MS).

Module 5 – Organic chemistry and analysis Aromatic compounds

Carbonyl compounds

Carboxylic acids and esters

Nitrogen compounds

Polymers

Organic synthesis

Chromatography and spectroscopy (NMR).

Students should have achieved at least two grades of 6 or above in Combined or Triple Science Questions in the examinations will require Maths to at least a GCSE Grade 6 standard.

This subject MUST be studied by students who wish to take Medicine, Veterinary Medicine/ Science, Dentistry or Pharmacy at University