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Assessment
How Cambridge International AS and A Level Chemistry is assessed
AS Level is Papers 1, 2 and 3. The full A Level adds Papers 4 and 5, either all in one series or staged, with AS taken first.
Syllabus 9701, for exams in 2025–2027. Cambridge has published a new syllabus for 2028 onwards.
AS Level (Papers 1–3)
Paper 1: Multiple Choice
40 multiple-choice questions on AS content
- Time
- 1 h 15 min
- Marks
- 40
- Weight
- 31% of AS, 15.5% of A Level
Paper 2: AS Level Structured Questions
Structured questions on AS content
- Time
- 1 h 15 min
- Marks
- 60
- Weight
- 46% of AS, 23% of A Level
Paper 3: Advanced Practical Skills
Practical work and structured questions
- Time
- 2 h
- Marks
- 40
- Weight
- 23% of AS, 11.5% of A Level
A Level adds Papers 4 and 5
Paper 4: A Level Structured Questions
Structured questions on A Level content, building on AS
- Time
- 2 h
- Marks
- 100
- Weight
- 38.5% of A Level
Paper 5: Planning, Analysis and Evaluation
Written questions on planning experiments and analysing data
- Time
- 1 h 15 min
- Marks
- 30
- Weight
- 11.5% of A Level
Practical skills are tested in exams, with no coursework: Paper 3 is a timed practical, and Paper 5 is a written paper on planning, analysis and evaluation.
From the official Cambridge International syllabus, checked October 2026. Read the syllabus
Syllabus content
What’s on the Cambridge International A Level Chemistry syllabus
AS Level
- Physical chemistry: atomic structure, stoichiometry, bonding, states of matter, energetics, electrochemistry, equilibria, kinetics
- Inorganic chemistry: periodicity, Group 2, Group 17, nitrogen and sulfur
- Organic chemistry: hydrocarbons, halogen compounds, hydroxy and carbonyl compounds, carboxylic acids, nitrogen compounds, polymerisation, synthesis
- Analysis: analytical techniques
A Level
- Physical chemistry: energetics, electrochemistry, equilibria, kinetics
- Inorganic chemistry: Group 2, transition elements
- Organic chemistry, building on AS
- Analysis: analytical techniques
Where marks are lost
Common Cambridge International A Level Chemistry mistakes
Curly arrows that start from an atom.
Start every arrow at a lone pair or a bond, and end it at an atom or between two atoms. Show lone pairs and partial charges.
Putting solids in the Kc expression.
Leave solids out of Kc. Then work out the units from the expression rather than guessing them.
Losing signs in Hess cycles.
Follow the arrows: when your route goes against an arrow, reverse the sign of that enthalpy change.
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