How to Get a Grade 9 in GCSE Chemistry

Classwork Tips

Fundamental concepts

In GCSE Chemistry, topics are often interconnected, with one leading on to the next. For example, you will have found that your GCSE course began by studying atomic structure. Getting to grips with this is crucial because later on you study bonding, which then helps you grasp the properties of different substances, and so on. If you fail to understand the fundamental concepts from the start, it’ll hold you back when you tackle more advanced topics further down the line.

Seek help from teachers and tutors

Aspects of the Chemistry course can be tricky, and inevitably you will find some topics more difficult to grasp than others. Always ask your teachers! Stay behind and get them to go through it again if needs be. It’s better to address the misunderstanding earlier on than to leave it to the more stressful revision periods.

Don’t fall behind

It's normal to miss a lesson once in a while due to reasons beyond your control. But it's crucial to make sure you catch up! You can either ask a friend if you can copy their notes, or get the name of the topic you missed from your teacher and use revision guides or textbooks to help you get back on track. Save My Exams offers detailed revision notes that can also be a great resource for catching up.

Revision Tips

Make a revision timetable

A question I get asked on a regular basis by students is: ”How should I revise Chemistry?”

Well, there's no one-size-fits-all answer, but the key is to cover all the topics! My advice is to thoroughly understand the exam specification and identify which topics are covered in each paper. Use this information to create a revision timetable that ensures you cover all the content by the time each exam paper rolls around. I've noticed that students often focus on the topics they like and excel in. Creating a revision timetable can help prevent this and ensure you dedicate time to those more challenging topics.

Practise past papers

Practise, Practise, Practise!

It’s not enough to be able to recall the content in your course; you must also be able to apply that content knowledge to exam questions. Although exam boards cover the same topics, there will be nuances in what they award marks for. Save My Exams has plenty of past papers online for most GCSE exam boards. As you work your way through them, you’ll encounter similar questions and become familiar with what the mark scheme is expecting of you.

Use online resources

There are an abundance of resources out there that aim to make your revision as easy as possible. Save My Exams not only has past papers, but banks of questions broken down by topic. This is great practice if you are struggling with a particular area of the course.

Exam Technique

Just like in any other subject, mastering how to approach exam questions is essential for achieving a Grade 9 in Chemistry.

Command words

Understanding the various command words used in GCSE Chemistry exams is crucial for ensuring you incorporate the appropriate level of detail in your answers. A range of command words from different examination boards are found below:

Extended response questions

As a GCSE Chemistry examiner, I encounter a wide range of responses to this type of question each year. It's evident which students have taken the time to grasp the mark schemes and those who haven't. Extended response questions typically range from four to six marks, depending on the topic and exam board. They often require students to outline a method or evaluate information. They're unique in that your answer is first graded by level, then assigned a mark within that level.

For instance, to achieve the highest level answer for AQA extended questions (focused on writing a method), the following criterion needs to be met:

• "Level 3: The design/plan would lead to the production of a valid outcome. All key steps are identified and logically sequenced."

This means your method must actually work and lead to results. All the steps must be present and also in the correct order.

A Level 3 answer on an “evaluate” question looks like this:

• "A detailed and coherent argument is provided which considers a range of issues and comes to a conclusion consistent with the reasoning."

Many students fall short of a Level 3 response because, despite including arguments for and against, they fail to provide a justified conclusion.

As an examiner, I always advise students to use bullet points for these answers. This approach yields a more concise answer with less filler, repetition, and makes it easier for the examiner to award you marks!

How many marks is the question?

In GCSE Chemistry, questions typically vary from 1 to 6 marks. The number of marks allocated reflects the level of detail expected in your response. Don't be misled by the number of lines provided for your answer. I have seen many students overfill space with unnecessary or incorrect information, even when they've already covered what's required in the first sentence. You can end up losing marks for contradicting yourself and you’re wasting time!

Variables

Not just applicable for GCSE Chemistry but in all three of the sciences, you must be able to identify the independent, dependent, and control variables for a given investigation.

• Independent variable: what you change

• Dependent variable: what you measure

• Control variable: what you keep the same

Some exam boards have strict criteria regarding what they will and won’t accept. For instance, specifying the “amount” rather than the “volume” of hydrochloric acid could result in a lost mark. Be sure to consult the mark schemes for your exam board to check their requirements.

Use your Periodic Table!

You will always be provided with a printed copy of this in your exam. It is important that you familiarise yourself with the specific one for your exam board as the layout can vary between them. Using this version of the Periodic Table when you are revising will enable you to find information quickly in an exam and save time. I always recommend to students that they begin with drawing the “staircase”, which separates metals and non-metals.

Make sure you use the correct Periodic Table for your exams to revise from. It can be tricky to work out which one to use, so check out my blog on the Periodic Table which sets out the differences between the versions used by each exam board.

Learn your ions

Gone are the days of being provided with a detailed data sheet! Since you won;t have this type of resource in the exam, make sure you invest time learning the formulae of simple (e.g. Cl-) and complex (NO3-) ions. You can expect to be asked to write balanced symbol equations. Not knowing how to deduce formulae will make this very tricky! It is these skills that will set you apart from other students.

FAQs

Is getting a Grade 9 in GCSE Chemistry hard?

Chemistry is often perceived as one of the more challenging subjects at GCSE. There is a large volume of content and application is just as important as recall. However, with dedication and perseverance in grasing the specification, content and exam-paper style, achieving a Grade 9 is well within your reach. Self reflection is key; are you spending adequate time revising and are your revision strategies effective? If not, it might be time to make a change. For a comprehensive guide on the best revision techniques, backed by scientific research, check out this article from one of Save My Exams’s experts on how to revise for Chemistry GCSE.

What percentage is a Grade 9 in GCSE Chemistry?

Grade boundaries are overseen by Ofqual, a group of senior examiners from every exam board who are experts in their subject. Although exam boards strive to maintain the difficulty level of the paper each year, there may be instances where a paper proves more challenging, resulting in a lower percentage required to attain a Grade 9. For AQA GCSE the percentages to secure a Grade 9 have varied from 68% to 75%.

How important is memorisation in GCSE Chemistry?

There are elements of Chemistry GCSE that require rote learning, such as definitions and equations, but understanding the underlying concepts is equally important. If you have a deeper understanding of the subject, you will be able to apply your knowledge to different scenarios: a key skill to achieving a Grade 9. So while memorisation is important, it should be coupled with understanding and application.