Using past paper mark schemes to help you master tricky topics is one of the most overlooked study tools at A level.
In Chemistry ‘how’ you say it, choosing the right terminology and phrases in the right moment, is the key to the top grades and examiners are very particular about it. Examiners are also finding more and more ways to intimidate you with the big maths based questions, as well as confuse you with the way they word multiple choice Q&A.
It’s never too early to start delving into the bank of past papers for your A level syllabus.
Find the tough, scary questions on the topic you are currently studying and use them to fine tune your understanding of the material, the best strategies for answering and the terminology that will actually get you the marks.
Let’s look at an example …
This is a screenshot of a Q&A on the explaining the colour in transition metal complexes from an OCR exam paper:
The guidance in the right column is as important as the marking points in the left column!
ALLOW lets us know that there is more than one way to explain ourselves. DO NOT allow tells us the most common misunderstandings and mistakes that students make. These are the bear-traps we are not going to fall into! CON reminds us that if we waffle and contradict ourselves, we lose all the marks!
You can use this answer, along with your notes, to write a ‘perfect answer’ to this very common exam question (you can find my perfect answer to a similar question here 😊).
Doing this work NOW, whilst you are learning the topic for the first time, encourages you to think more deeply about the chemistry. It focuses your attention.For example, it’s d-orbital energy levels that are split by the interaction with the incoming ligands; we see that specific wavelengths of visible light that are reflected or transmitted (transmit and emit are definitely NOT the same thing).
And most importantly, you learn the right way to explain a concept or structure a calculation from the outset. Students are often guided to the past papers when they are revising, short of time, a little panicky and not in the frame of mind to unlearn misconceptions or unhelpful terminology.
In my experience, it’s way too late by then 😳.
If this has been useful then please forward it on and thank you very much for reading,
