A-Level guide
What are the AQA A-Level Chemistry required practicals, and how are they assessed?
Quick answer
AQA A-Level Chemistry has 12 required practicals, from titration to thin-layer chromatography. Teachers assess them against the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC) for a separate pass or fail endorsement. They are also tested in the written papers, where at least 15% of marks assess practical skills.
What are the 12 AQA A-Level Chemistry required practicals?
AQA lists 12 required practicals that every A-Level Chemistry student must carry out. These come from the AQA A-Level Chemistry (7405) specification:
| No. | Required practical |
|---|---|
| 1 | Make up a volumetric solution and carry out a simple acid–base titration |
| 2 | Measurement of an enthalpy change |
| 3 | Investigation of how the rate of a reaction changes with temperature |
| 4 | Simple test-tube reactions to identify cations (Group 2, NH4+) and anions (halide ions, OH–, CO3 2–, SO4 2–) |
| 5 | Distillation of a product from a reaction |
| 6 | Tests for alcohol, aldehyde, alkene and carboxylic acid |
| 7 | Measuring the rate of reaction by an initial rate method and by a continuous monitoring method |
| 8 | Measuring the EMF of an electrochemical cell |
| 9 | Investigating how pH changes when a weak acid reacts with a strong base, and a strong acid with a weak base |
| 10 | Preparation of a pure organic solid (and test of its purity) and a pure organic liquid |
| 11 | Simple test-tube reactions to identify transition metal ions in aqueous solution |
| 12 | Separation of species by thin-layer chromatography |
AQA says "a rich practical experience for students will include more than the 12 required practical activities". Schools often run extra experiments too.
If your child's school uses OCR or Pearson Edexcel, the list is different, so check that board's specification.
How are the required practicals assessed?
The required practicals are assessed in two separate ways: a teacher-assessed practical endorsement, and questions in the written exams. It helps to keep these apart.
| Practical endorsement | Written exams | |
|---|---|---|
| Who assesses it | Your child's teacher, during lab work | AQA examiners |
| What it tests | Hands-on skills you can only see in the lab | Understanding of methods, data and errors |
| Result | Reported separately as "Pass" | Counts towards the A to E grade |
| Affects A-Level grade? | No | Yes |
The practical endorsement (CPAC)
The AQA specification says the endorsement is "assessed by teachers" and "based on direct observation of students' competency in a range of skills that are not assessable in written exams".
Teachers use the Common Practical Assessment Criteria, or CPAC. These are shared by all exam boards. The five CPAC areas are:
- Follows written procedures
- Applies investigative approaches and methods when using instruments and equipment
- Safely uses a range of practical equipment and materials
- Makes and records observations
- Researches, references and reports
Each student must keep "an appropriate record of their practical work", which is usually a lab book. Students who meet the standard across all of the CPAC receive a "pass", reported on the certificate next to the A-Level grade.
The written exams
AQA says "at least 15% of the marks for all A-level Chemistry courses will require the assessment of practical skills". These questions can appear in any of the three papers.
Paper 3 has the biggest focus. According to the specification, it is a 2-hour exam worth 90 marks and 30% of the A-Level, including "40 marks of questions on practical techniques and data analysis". AQA also says written questions "may draw on, or range beyond, the practical activities included in the specification". So your child needs to understand why each step is done, not just remember it.
Why does the practical endorsement matter?
The endorsement matters because many universities ask for it for science courses. For example, King's College London's Medicine entry requirements say students taking linear A-Levels in England "will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all Science subjects". Imperial's Medicine page says something similar for offers.
AQA's guidance for private candidates says a student who has not received the endorsement is likely to have "not classified" recorded for it on their certificate. Always check the course page of each university your child is considering.
Which required practicals do students find hardest?
In my experience as a tutor, students find the practicals hardest when they involve calculations or careful technique. The ones that come up most in lessons are:
- Titration (RP1): reading a burette, choosing concordant results and calculating concentration
- Enthalpy change (RP2): heat loss, drawing a cooling curve and extrapolating back
- Rates (RP3 and RP7): choosing what to measure, and processing results into a graph or rate equation
- pH curves (RP9): reading the curve and linking it to choosing an indicator
- Organic preparation (RP10): reflux, distillation, separating funnel steps and melting-point tests for purity
These are also the practicals that link to the biggest calculation topics in the course.
How can my child do well in the practical questions?
The best way is to learn each practical as a story: what you do, why you do it, and what could go wrong. Here are my main tips.
Know the method and the reason for each step
For every practical, your child should be able to answer "why?" for each step. Why rinse the burette with the solution? Why use a water bath? Exam questions often ask exactly this.
Learn the apparatus by name and precision
Know the difference between a volumetric flask, a measuring cylinder and a pipette, and which is most precise. Questions often ask students to suggest better apparatus.
Practise uncertainty and error calculations
Percentage uncertainty, significant figures and sources of error appear often. Learn the standard method and practise it until it is automatic.
Keep a good lab book
Write the date, method, results and any changes made. A tidy lab book helps with the endorsement and makes revision much easier later.
Use past paper questions by practical
Group past exam questions by required practical. After a few, your child will see the same ideas come back each year in slightly different forms.
How LCB can help
Our science tutors teach A-Level Chemistry to your child's exam board, including the required practicals and the data analysis questions in Paper 3. Lessons are in small groups of 3 to 5, with the same tutor every week, and a monthly progress report for parents.
Our founders studied at Imperial College London, and our Head of Science holds a PhD from Imperial. Lessons run at our Barking centre or live online. A-Level plans start at £72 a month with no contract; see A-Level tutoring and pricing.
Our tutoring sessions focus on understanding methods, results and calculations. The practical endorsement itself is assessed by your child's school. Book a free assessment to find out where your child is losing marks.
For Biology students, read our guide to the hardest A-Level Biology topics.
Questions parents ask
- Are the required practicals the same at AS level?
- AS students carry out practicals too, but AQA's specification says there is no separate practical endorsement for AS qualifications. Practical skills are still tested in the AS written papers.
- Can my child fail the practical endorsement but still get an A*?
- The A-Level grade comes only from the written exams, so the two are reported separately. However, many science courses at university ask for a pass in the endorsement as well as the grade.
- What if my child missed some practicals through illness?
- Speak to the chemistry teacher as soon as possible. Schools usually arrange catch-up sessions, because students need to cover the required activities to meet the endorsement criteria.
Sources
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