The Cambridge AS & A Level Chemistry (9701) May/June 2026 papers and mark schemes are out, and they’re free. All five papers, 9701/12 to 9701/52, can be downloaded and printed on the Tutopiya Learning Portal. Below is a breakdown of what each paper tested and how the mark scheme gave marks, taken from the papers themselves.

Key points from the 2026 9701 papers

• Organic chemistry carried the most weight. It made up 15 of the 40 Paper 1 questions, three of the six Paper 2 questions and four of the nine Paper 4 questions.
• Ethanedioate and ethanedioic acid ran through three questions: a 5-mark titration on Paper 4 Question 1, a partition coefficient on Paper 4 Question 4 and a rate experiment on Paper 5 Question 2.
• Copper compounds tied the practical together. All three Paper 3 experiments used copper: copper(II) sulfate with a metal, hydrated copper(II) sulfate, and a mixture containing copper(II) carbonate.
• Titration and mole calculations appeared on four papers, from dichromate on Paper 2 to thiosulfate on Paper 5. Show every step, because the schemes mark step by step.
• Spectroscopy came up at both levels: mass spectra on Papers 1 and 2, and carbon-13 and proton NMR on Paper 4.

All May/June 2026 9701 papers

Paper	Code	Duration	Marks	What it tests
Paper 1 Multiple Choice	9701/12	1 hour 15 minutes	40	40 questions on the AS content
Paper 2 AS Level Structured Questions	9701/22	1 hour 15 minutes	60	Written questions on the AS content
Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills	9701/32	2 hours	40	Three lab questions (AS)
Paper 4 A Level Structured Questions	9701/42	2 hours	100	Written questions on the A Level content
Paper 5 Planning, Analysis and Evaluation	9701/52	1 hour 15 minutes	30	Planning and data analysis (A Level)

Timings and marks are taken from the front cover of each 2026 paper. Paper 1 is answered on a multiple choice answer sheet; the others are answered on the question paper. Every paper includes the Periodic Table, and Paper 3 also prints the qualitative analysis notes. For the full syllabus content, see the Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry 9701 syllabus.

Which variant is this? Cambridge sets different versions of each paper (variants) for different time zones. The papers here are variant 2: 9701/12, /22, /32, /42 and /52. All variants cover the same syllabus at the same difficulty, so variant 2 is just as good for practice as the one your school sat.

Download the 9701 May/June 2026 papers →

What came up in 9701 Paper 4 (A Level Structured Questions), May/June 2026?

Paper 4 had nine questions worth 100 marks. The transition elements question alone was worth 20.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	Transition elements: properties and variable oxidation states, Cr³⁺ configuration, ligand exchange with NaOH and NH₃, stereoisomers of a chromium complex, why Fe³⁺(aq) is acidic, why solutions of silver(I) salts are colourless, a titration to find the percentage of sodium ethanedioate in a mixture (5)	20
2	Group 2: a curly-arrow mechanism for carbonate decomposition, thermal stability from cation radii, solubility of sulfates, Ksp of magnesium hydroxide from a pH	10
3	Kinetics: orders and rate equation from initial rates for ethanal with methanol, units of k, a predicted rate, steps of the acid-catalysed bromination of propanone, heterogeneous catalysis	10
4	Partition coefficient: definition, ethanedioic acid between ethoxyethane and water, comparing butanedioic acid	6
5	Electrochemistry: standard electrode potential, feasible reactions with Fe³⁺, Zn and nitrate, why they may not happen, drawing a cell with a hydrogen electrode, E°cell from ΔG°	11
6	Phenol and polymers: bromination of phenol, acidity of phenol and water, addition and condensation polymers from one compound, reduction with LiAlH₄ and H₂/Ni, a three-step synthesis from phenol	14
7	Amino acids: optical activity and racemic mixtures, isoelectric point, alanine at pH 10, the tripeptide Ala-Ala-Ala, a three-step synthesis from alanine	11
8	NMR: the standard for chemical shift, carbon-13 peaks, proton splitting patterns, the extra N-H peak in CDCl₃, products of alkaline hydrolysis	8
9	Amines: ranking basicity of an aryl amine, an alkyl amine and ammonia, nitration and reduction of methylbenzene, making an azo dye	10

What made it hard: Question 1(h) gave 5 marks for one calculation with two titrations, one with manganate(VII) and one with hydroxide. You had to subtract one amount from the other and scale up from 25 cm³ to 500 cm³.

What came up in 9701 Paper 2 (AS Level Structured Questions)?

Paper 2 had six questions worth 60 marks.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	Oxygen and its compounds: 2p electrons and orbital shape, dot-and-cross for Li₂O, Period 3 oxides and chlorides with water, decomposition of LiNO₃, Haber process conditions and rate at higher temperature	14
2	Atomic structure: deflection of protons and electrons, testing a hypothesis about nuclear charge and atomic radius	6
3	Halides: NaCl and NaBr with concentrated sulfuric acid, Brønsted-Lowry acids, identifying the gases, why bromide is oxidised but chloride is not	8
4	Alcohols: reagent for a chloro compound, Al₂O₃ dehydration, a dichromate oxidation calculation, balancing a redox equation, deducing a structure from test results	10
5	Free radical substitution of hexane: naming products, homolytic fission, propagation and termination steps, stability of radicals	9
6	An unsaturated dicarboxylic acid: cis/trans isomerism, hydration to give optical isomers, mass spectrum fragments, a test to tell two compounds apart	13

Watch for: in Question 5(c), “number of alkyl groups” scored, but “inductive effect” alone and “tertiary is more stable than secondary” were ignored. The question asked for the factor, not the trend.

What came up in 9701 Paper 1 (Multiple Choice)?

Paper 1 has 40 questions, each worth 1 mark, covering the AS content. Grouped by syllabus area:

• Atoms, moles and stoichiometry (6): mass of aluminium for Al₂Cl₆, an empirical formula from combustion, protons and electrons in an ion, first ionisation energy, the ideal gas equation, relative atomic mass of copper from a mass spectrum.
• Bonding and structure (3): London dispersion forces, sigma and pi bonds in HCN, an identification key for giant lattices.
• Energetics (2): an energy cycle for the formation of NO, enthalpy of neutralisation from a temperature rise.
• Redox (2): oxidation number of titanium, oxidising and reducing agents in the formation of copper(I) iodide.
• Equilibria (2): an equilibrium amount for 2NO₂ ⇌ N₂O₄, shifting the dissociation of ethanoic acid.
• Reaction kinetics (1): a catalyst and the Boltzmann distribution.
• Period 3 (3): properties of sodium to phosphorus, identifying three elements from data, a chloride and an oxide that neutralise each other.
• Group 2 (2): gas volume from decomposing calcium nitrate, solubility of hydroxides and sulfates.
• Group 17 (2): volatility of the halogens, the strongest oxidising agent.
• Nitrogen and sulfur (2): nitrogen oxides and the formation of SO₃, making ammonia from ammonium chloride.
• Organic chemistry (15): chiral centres, free radical substitution of pentane, carbonyl isomers and their tests, addition of ICl to propene, SN1 hydrolysis, a nitrile yield, routes to ethanol, oxidation of an alcohol, the iodoform test, esters, ester and nitrile hydrolysis, an addition polymer, Fehling’s reagent, counting isomers by hybridisation.

What came up in 9701 Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills)?

Paper 3 had three questions worth 40 marks: two quantitative experiments and one qualitative analysis.

Question	Experiment	What you had to do	Marks
1	Thermometric: copper(II) sulfate with an excess of metal M	Record temperatures for 10 minutes, plot and extrapolate two lines to find ΔT, filter and test the solution to identify M, write the ionic equation, calculate the enthalpy change	16
2	Gravimetric: heating hydrated copper(II) sulfate	Record masses in a single table, calculate moles of CuSO₄ and water, find the integer x, add water to the residue, explain a black residue from a stronger burner	11
3	Qualitative analysis of a solid mixture	Heat it, dissolve and filter, test the residue with acid and the filtrate with NaOH, aluminium, NH₃ and barium ions, then identify the four ions	13

What made it hard: Question 1 needed you to identify M yourself from the cation tests, then use it in the equation. The scheme allowed no ecf for the identity of M from wrong observations.

What came up in 9701 Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation)?

Paper 5 had two questions worth 30 marks.

Question	Topic	Marks
1	A polyiodide salt: mass of iodine for a methanolic solution, how to make it up, safety when warming methanol, washing and drying crystals, a results table, titration with thiosulfate, percentage error, mean titre and the value of n	16
2	Rate of ethanedioate with peroxydisulfate: apparatus to collect CO₂, variables, a timing error, a curve at higher temperature, a log-log graph to find the order and k, error against a known value, reliability	14

Watch for: Question 2(e) used log(rate) against log[Na₂S₂O₈]. The gradient is the order, given as 3/2 later in the question, and log k comes from the line equation.

How the 9701 May/June 2026 mark scheme gives marks

The 9701 schemes are points-based, with very detailed guidance on what to accept (A), reject (R) and ignore (I). BOD means benefit of the doubt, ora means “or reverse argument” and owtte means “or words to that effect”.

1. Rate explanations need all three links. Paper 2 Question 1(e)(ii) gave 3 marks: the rate increases, more particles have energy equal to or greater than the activation energy, and there is a greater frequency of effective collisions. “More collisions” alone was ignored, and so were arguments about yield.

2. Long calculations are marked step by step. Paper 4 Question 1(h) was worth 5 marks. Getting any two of the four mole steps scored 1 mark and all four scored 2, then the scheme gave marks for the sodium ethanedioate amounts and the percentage. ecf ran through each step.

3. Significant figures can lose the mark. In Paper 2 Question 4(b)(iii), 1.875 × 10⁻³ mol was the answer. The scheme accepted 1.88 or 1.9 × 10⁻³ but rejected 1.87, 1.880 and 2.0 × 10⁻³. On Paper 3, calculated answers had to be given to 2 to 4 significant figures.

4. Some names need exact spelling. Paper 4 Question 8(a) accepted only “tetramethylsilane”, with correct spelling required, and ignored “TMS”. In Paper 2 Question 3(b), if you gave both a name and a formula, the scheme marked the formula.

5. Rate equations must be tied to experiments. Paper 4 Question 3(a)(i) was worth 4 marks: one each for the order with respect to each reactant, linked to the right pair of experiments, and one for the rate equation. An order without the experiments used did not score.

6. Practical results are checked against the supervisor’s. On Paper 3, thermometer readings had to be to .0 or .5 °C, and accuracy marks depended on how close your ΔT was to the supervisor’s. Using c = 4.2 instead of the 4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹ in the paper was rejected, and the ionic equation needed state symbols. In Question 2, the mass ratio had to be within 10% of the supervisor’s value.

7. Observations are marked with stars. Paper 3 Question 3 listed creditable observations, each with a star, and every two stars made 1 mark. Question 3(c) had 11 stars for a maximum of 5 marks, so write every colour change, precipitate and gas test you see.

8. Planning answers need the right apparatus and method. Paper 5 Question 1(a)(ii) gave 3 marks for dissolving the iodine in a small volume of methanol, transferring it with rinsings to a 100 cm³ volumetric flask, then making up to the mark and inverting. Using water as the solvent capped the answer at 2. In 1(b)(iii), “constant weight” was rejected for “constant mass”.

Which papers should you sit?

• AS Level: Papers 1, 2 and 3.
• Full A Level: Papers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

There are no optional questions on any 9701 paper. Paper 5 builds on the same practical skills as Paper 3, so practise planning methods and results tables alongside your lab work.

How to use the 2026 papers as a mock

1. Keep them for last. Use older 9701 papers for topic practice and save May/June 2026 for a timed mock close to your exam.
2. Time Paper 1 tightly. Forty questions in 75 minutes leaves under two minutes each. Mark which organic questions took longest, then revise those reactions.
3. Write out every calculation in full. For Paper 2 Question 4(b) and Paper 4 Questions 1(h) and 4(b), compare each line of your working with the scheme’s steps.
4. Learn the reagents and conditions. Paper 4 Questions 6, 7 and 9 asked for ten reagent-and-condition answers. Make a single list and test yourself on it.
5. Practise Paper 3 observations without the lab. Use the qualitative analysis notes to predict every observation for Question 3, then check your list against the stars in the scheme.

More A Level Chemistry resources

• Cambridge A Level Chemistry past papers (9701, all years)
• A Level past papers 2026: all subjects

🔍 Looking for a specific past paper? Use our free Past Paper Finder to search by subject, year and exam board.

Need help with a 9701 topic? Book a free trial lesson with an A Level Chemistry tutor →

Frequently asked questions

Are the 9701 May/June 2026 past papers free? +

Yes. All five question papers (9701/12, 9701/22, 9701/32, 9701/42 and 9701/52) and their official mark schemes are free to download and print on the Tutopiya Learning Portal.

What topics came up in 9701 Paper 4 May/June 2026? +

Paper 4 (9701/42) had nine questions: chromium and iron complexes with a 5-mark ethanedioate titration, Group 2 thermal stability and Ksp, rate equations and catalysis, partition coefficients, electrode potentials, phenol chemistry and polymers, alanine and peptides, NMR spectroscopy, and the basicity of amines with an azo dye synthesis.

What practicals were on 9701 Paper 3 in 2026? +

Paper 3 (9701/32) had three questions: a thermometric experiment on copper(II) sulfate reacting with a metal identified by testing, a heating experiment to find the water of crystallisation in hydrated copper(II) sulfate, and qualitative analysis of a mixture to identify its cations and anions.

How is 9701 Paper 2 marked? +

It is points-based. Each mark is for a specific point, with guidance on what to accept, reject or ignore. For example, the rate question on the Haber process gave one mark each for the rate increasing, more particles having energy at least equal to the activation energy, and a greater frequency of effective collisions.

Why can't I find 9701/41 or 9701/43 for 2026? +

Only variant 2 of the May/June 2026 papers is on the portal at the moment. Cambridge sets different variants for different time zones; variants 1 and 3 test the same syllabus in the same format, so variant 2 prepares you just as well.

When will the October/November 2026 9701 papers be available? +

Cambridge usually releases the October/November papers in the new year. We add them to the Learning Portal once they are published.

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