How to pass A/S and A2 Chemistry (WJEC)? ?

**Tomethy** · 24-10-2009, 05:05 AM

Hey everyone,

Here is my problem. I received a U in my chemistry (A/S) last year. I then resat the whole year as resitting modules whilst carrying on with A2 would have been quite a struggle. I have now (after more than £3000 worth of tuition) achieved an E. This doesnt seem much of an improvement at all!

I do not understand how people get A's and B's in this subject as I try so hard yet when it comes to the exam papers, I just fall apart and cannot even answer the simplest questions.

Any advice on how I can hit this A2 year hard and get myself up to at least a C would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks!

Tomethy.
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**Popalot2** · 24-10-2009, 05:33 AM

Which board are you taking chemistry with? If it's nuffield, you're boned!

**Chwirkytheappleboy** · 24-10-2009, 06:04 AM

I did my A levels about 5 and a half years ago but I'm sure things haven't changed that much since then... A widely known method for getting good exam marks (and this applies to all A Levels and many other exams) is simple rote memorisation of solution methods. You can get an 'A' in A Level Chemistry without "understanding" anything at all, just memorise every type of question that gets asked (go through past papers for this) and the standard method of solution. It's not ideal, because all it does is get you marks, rather than give you a real comprehension of what's happening, but if all you're interested in is passing the exam, then do it.

Incidentally, if you're interested, this method of teaching/learning is well documented and widely discussed. It's called having Instrumental Understanding (as opposed to Relational Understanding, where you actually do understand what's happening) - see the original article by Richard Skemp.

**fortysixandtwo** · 24-10-2009, 11:15 PM

I do not understand how people get A's and B's in this subject as I try so hard yet when it comes to the exam papers, I just fall apart and cannot even answer the simplest questions.

No offence, but did you study properly? To get an A or B doesn't even require that you understand the material, but that you learn it efficiently enough to regurgitate it on exam day.

**minnako** · 24-10-2009, 11:56 PM

Tomethy, were you working hard? If you were, it could be that the way you were approaching it doesn't work for your learning style (kinaesthetic, visual, auditory etc), or that it was really inefficient in some way. Which is not to blame you: it is possible to try and end up not doing well, and I'm sure many of us have been there.

I suggest looking at exactly what the specification is like for that subject for that exam board. Get lots of past papers. If you can afford and still want tuition, make sure they're a decent, proactive tutor, not one who merely goes through the motions to get money. Work with them through the revision guides and specifications available, and get them to work through the past papers you have done.

I suspect this could be an issue with not knowing how to answer papers in the exams, as opposed to merely a lack of knowledge. Work through the way the specification thinks, what kind of answers they expect. Learn the logic of the exam board, faulty though it may be. Unfortunately these days exam boards reward parroting exact phrases over actually understanding the core science behind the question, so work to learn what they want in answers, if you find that even though you think you know it you're not getting the marks.

@ Chwirkytheappleboy: Actually, some specifications have changed a lot, as far as I can see from mentoring current As/Alevel students and talking to people who tutor them. For a start, there's a lot more 'green chemistry' than there used to be, the coursework in some specifications is entirely different, and the actual science wanted by different exam boards varies, since chemistry is a vast subject. I think that's all by the by, though.

**Chwirkytheappleboy** · 25-10-2009, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by minnako

Actually, some specifications have changed a lot, as far as I can see from mentoring current As/Alevel students and talking to people who tutor them. For a start, there's a lot more 'green chemistry' than there used to be, the coursework in some specifications is entirely different, and the actual science wanted by different exam boards varies, since chemistry is a vast subject. I think that's all by the by, though.

Well, I wasn't really referring to the content of the syllabus, but more of how to pass the exams. Given the suggestions you've made in your own post, it seems that you agree with me...

**Tomethy** · 25-10-2009, 12:38 AM

Thank you all for your replies especially minnako it really did help. I study WJEC and will definately take on board the idea of Instrumental Understanding as I get told alot to just keep doing exam papers. In all honesty I am happy to learn to get marks rather than actually understanding the real chemistry so this approach may work. I must admit I did very little work the first time round but after resitting the year I did revise more comprehensively trying to understand the material rather than looking what was needed for the exam so maybe this is my problem.

Thanks again to everyone for the reply, lets hope this A2 year can get me at least a C!

Tomethy.

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**Popalot2** · 25-10-2009, 12:51 AM

Remember to do past papers.
You can get them from freeexampapers.com

**xylophonefairy** · 26-10-2009, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by Popalot2

Which board are you taking chemistry with? If it's nuffield, you're boned!

I did Nuffield for A level Chem! Good times

I did think it was unfair though that my offer had an A in chemistry in it when it's so much harder than all the other courses out there... All the people doing nice exam boards got the same offer.

Anyway, I thought it was being discontinued?

Actually on topic, seriously, with A levels the best thing you can do is past papers, it's all about technique and questions will come up again and again. In all honesty, if you've pair over £3000 for tuition and they only got you an E you need to get a different tutor as they're obviously not working for you.

The thing about chemsitry is that there's a mixture of stuff that you just have to learn, like that nickel compounds are green, and potassium is lilac in a flame test while calcium is red. Then there's stuff that you can apply knowledge to and understand it that way, like if you know why water behaves in the way it does, a question about water suddenly becomes a lot easier.