Topical revision checklist for AQA UK GCSE (9–1) Chemistry — specification 8462. Track confidence for each topic and sub-topic; aligned to 2026 specification headings. Rate your confidence (1–5) for each specification topic.
Start from the official AQA GCSE resource page (notes, videos, practice questions, AI quizzes), or open this subject’s topic dashboard and past papers. Below are portal links for each AQA GCSE course we host (also listed in our Past Paper Finder).
| Topic | Sub-topic | Resources | Confidence (1–5) | Last reviewed | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Atomic structure and the periodic table | Dalton → Thomson → Rutherford → Bohr model; nuclear atom | ||||
| 1. Atomic structure and the periodic table | Protons, neutrons, electrons; relative atomic mass | ||||
| 1. Atomic structure and the periodic table | Electronic structure: shells; Group number vs valence electrons | ||||
| 1. Atomic structure and the periodic table | Development of the periodic table; Mendeleev | ||||
| 1. Atomic structure and the periodic table | Trends in Group 1, Group 7, and across Period 3 (introductory) | ||||
| 1. Atomic structure and the periodic table | Balancing symbol equations; state symbols (s), (l), (g), (aq) | ||||
| 1. Atomic structure and the periodic table | Relative formula mass and percentage composition | ||||
| 2. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter | Ionic bonding: electron transfer; dot-and-cross diagrams | ||||
| 2. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter | Covalent bonding: sharing pairs; simple molecular substances | ||||
| 2. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter | Metallic bonding: delocalised electrons; lattice of ions | ||||
| 2. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter | Giant ionic: high melting point, conductivity when molten/aqueous | ||||
| 2. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter | Giant covalent: diamond, graphite, graphene, silicon dioxide | ||||
| 2. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter | Simple molecular: low melting/boiling; intermolecular forces | ||||
| 2. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter | Metals: malleability, conductivity, alloys | ||||
| 2. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter | Nanoparticles: size, surface area to volume, uses and risks | ||||
| 3. Quantitative chemistry | Conservation of mass; balanced equations from experiments | ||||
| 3. Quantitative chemistry | The mole; Avogadro constant; moles = mass ÷ M_r | ||||
| 3. Quantitative chemistry | Reacting masses and limiting reagents (Higher) | ||||
| 3. Quantitative chemistry | Percentage yield; atom economy (Higher) | ||||
| 3. Quantitative chemistry | Concentration: mol/dm³; n = CV | ||||
| 3. Quantitative chemistry | Titration: method, indicators, calculating unknown concentration | ||||
| 3. Quantitative chemistry | Volume of gases; moles and molar volume (Higher) | ||||
| 4. Chemical changes | Reactivity series and displacement reactions | ||||
| 4. Chemical changes | Acids: pH, reactions with metals, metal oxides, carbonates, alkalis | ||||
| 4. Chemical changes | Salts: soluble, insoluble; precipitation methods | ||||
| 4. Chemical changes | Electrolysis: ions and electrodes; molten electrolytes | ||||
| 4. Chemical changes | Electrolysis of aqueous solutions: predicting products | ||||
| 4. Chemical changes | Electrolysis of aluminium oxide; brine electrolysis (Higher) | ||||
| 4. Chemical changes | Half-equations at electrodes (Higher) | ||||
| 5. Energy changes | Exothermic vs endothermic; energy level diagrams | ||||
| 5. Energy changes | Reaction profiles: activation energy; catalysts | ||||
| 5. Energy changes | Bond breaking vs bond making; bond energy calculations (Higher) | ||||
| 5. Energy changes | Measuring temperature change in reactions (required practical) | ||||
| 6. The rate and extent of chemical change | Collision theory: concentration, temperature, surface area, catalyst | ||||
| 6. The rate and extent of chemical change | Measuring rate: gas volume, mass loss, colour change | ||||
| 6. The rate and extent of chemical change | Catalysts: biological and industrial examples | ||||
| 6. The rate and extent of chemical change | Reversible reactions; equilibrium in closed systems | ||||
| 6. The rate and extent of chemical change | Le Chatelier’s principle: temperature, pressure, concentration (Higher) | ||||
| 6. The rate and extent of chemical change | The Haber process: conditions and compromise (Higher) | ||||
| 7. Organic chemistry | Crude oil; fractional distillation; hydrocarbons as fuels | ||||
| 7. Organic chemistry | Alkanes: general formula; combustion | ||||
| 7. Organic chemistry | Alkenes; test with bromine water; addition reactions | ||||
| 7. Organic chemistry | Cracking: alkenes from alkanes; reasons for cracking | ||||
| 7. Organic chemistry | Alcohols: oxidation; carboxylic acids; esters (introductory) | ||||
| 7. Organic chemistry | Addition polymerisation: poly(ethene), poly(chloroethene) | ||||
| 7. Organic chemistry | Condensation polymerisation (Higher) | ||||
| 7. Organic chemistry | Flame tests; metal hydroxide precipitates; gas tests | ||||
| 8. Chemistry of the atmosphere | Early atmosphere vs today; role of plants and algae | ||||
| 8. Chemistry of the atmosphere | Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour as greenhouse gases | ||||
| 8. Chemistry of the atmosphere | Carbon footprint; life-cycle assessment of products | ||||
| 8. Chemistry of the atmosphere | Atmospheric pollutants from fuels: CO, NOx, SO2, particulates | ||||
| 8. Chemistry of the atmosphere | Catalytic converters (Higher) | ||||
| 9. Using resources | Finite resources: metals, crude oil, water | ||||
| 9. Using resources | Recycling metals and plastics; reuse vs disposal | ||||
| 9. Using resources | Potable water: filtration, chlorination, desalination (introductory) | ||||
| 9. Using resources | Waste-water treatment stages (introductory) | ||||
| 9. Using resources | Haber process and NPK fertilisers (Higher) | ||||
| 9. Using resources | Bioleaching and phytomining (Higher) |
Use with our Past Paper Finder for exam practice. Always cross-check topic coverage with your school’s route and the official board specification.
Quick answers about this free revision checklist, how to use it for exam prep, and how it relates to the official syllabus.
This revision checklist mirrors the official AQA UK GCSE (9–1) Chemistry 8462 syllabus for the 2026 examination series. Every topic and sub-topic on the page is taken from the published syllabus document, so working through the list in order gives you full coverage of what your exam can assess. For the authoritative version, always cross-check with the latest syllabus PDF on your exam board's website before your final revision push.
The number of top-level topic groups varies by subject, but you can see the exact count on this page — each major heading in the checklist corresponds to one syllabus topic group, and each row below it is a syllabus-level sub-topic. Use the confidence column (1–5) to flag which sub-topics need more work, and re-score yourself weekly to track real progress instead of guessing.
8–12 weeks of focused revision, covering 1–2 topic groups per week with weekly past-paper practice, is realistic for most GCSE / IGCSE students. Use this checklist to plan your weeks: filter by topics you have rated 1–3 and spend your first revision block there. Subjects with heavy practical or extended-writing components (e.g. sciences, English) need more past-paper time in the final block than the topic-by-topic phase.
Revise in roughly the order the syllabus lists the topics — exam boards build later topics on earlier ones, so taking them in syllabus order avoids gaps. Once you have rated every topic, switch to weakest-first: filter the checklist by confidence ≤ 2 and prioritise those topics in your next study block. This is more effective than re-revising topics you already score 4–5 on.
You can find past papers and mark schemes via Tutopiya's Past Paper Finder and on your exam board's official site. Once you have rated each sub-topic on this checklist, attempt past-paper questions on your weakest topics first — practising under timed conditions is the single best predictor of exam performance, more so than re-reading notes.
Use the Download CSV or Print PDF button at the bottom of the checklist. CSV opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets so you can sort by confidence and re-arrange revision order. The PDF is print-ready for offline use. A free Tutopiya account is required for download — this also unlocks the matching topic resources, notes and worked examples on the Learning Portal.
Yes, the checklist itself is free — you can view, score and re-score every topic on this page without an account. The CSV / PDF downloads and access to matching Tutopiya Learning Portal resources require a free account. There is no payment required at any point; teachers and parents can also use this checklist freely with their students.
Yes. The topics and sub-topics on this page are drawn from the current 2026 AQA UK GCSE (9–1) Chemistry 8462 specification published by AQA. Exam boards occasionally tweak weighting or assessment structure mid-cycle, so do a quick sanity-check against the official syllabus PDF when you start your revision and again 4 weeks before the exam.