Assessment overview
There are six teaching chapters of chemistry content plus one chapter of ideas about science and one practical skills chapter:
- C1: Air and water
- C2: Chemical patterns
- C3: Chemicals of the natural environment
- C4: Material choices
- C5: Chemical analysis
- C6: Making useful chemicals
- C7: Ideas about science
- C8: Practical skills
Foundation tier (grades 5 to 1)
Paper | Marks | Duration | Weighting | insert text |
Breadth in chemistry (01) | 90 | 1 hour 45 mins | 50% | Assesses content from all eight chapters |
Depth in chemistry (02) | 90 | 1 hour 45 mins | 50% | Assesses content from all eight chapters |
Higher tier (grades 9 to 4)
Paper | Marks | Duration | Weighting | insert text |
Breadth in chemistry (03) | 90 | 1 hour 45 mins | 50% | Assesses content from all eight chapters |
Depth in chemistry (04) | 90 | 1 hour 45 mins | 50% | Assesses content from all eight chapters |
Students must complete either the foundation tier (components 01 and 02) or the higher tier (components 03 and 04) to be awarded the OCR GCSE (9-1) in Chemistry B (Twenty First Century Science).
Content overview
Students develop an appreciation of the achievements of chemistry in using a small number of key ideas to describe complex and varied phenomena.
The chapters are further subdivided:
- C1: Air and water
- How has the earth’s atmosphere changed over time, and why?
- Why are there temperatures changes in chemical reactions?
- What is the evidence for climate change, why is it occurring?
- How can scientists help improve the supply of portable water?
- C2: Chemical patterns
- How have our ideas about atoms developed over time?
- What does the periodic table tell us about the elements?
- How do metals and non-metals combine to form compounds?
- How are equations used to represent chemical reactions?
- What are the properties of transition metals?
- C3: Chemicals of the natural environment
- How are the atoms held together in a metal?
- How are metals with different reactivities extracted?
- What are electrolytes and what happens during electrolysis?
- Why is crude oil important as a source of new materials?
- C4: Material choices
- How is data used to choose a material for a particular use?
- What are the different types of polymers?
- How do bonding and structure affect properties of materials?
- Why are nanoparticles so useful?
- What happens to products at the end of their useful life?
- C5: Chemical analysis
- How are chemicals separated and tested for purity?
- How do chemists find the composition of unknown samples?
- How are the amounts of substances in reactions calculated?
- How are the amounts of chemicals in solution measured?
- C6: Making useful chemicals
- What useful products can be made from acids?
- How do chemists control the rate of reactions?
- What factors affect the yield of chemical reactions?
- How are chemicals made on an industrial scale?
- C7: Ideas about science
- What needs to be considered when investigating a phenomenon scientifically?
- What conclusions can we make from data?
- How are scientific explanations developed?
- How do science and technology impact society?
- C8: Practical Skills
- A practical-based topic which provides students with the skills required for the 15% practical content in the examinations
- Students complete at least eight practical activities and have the opportunity to use all the apparatus and techniques listed in the specification
- This will include awareness of safety procedures and the use of appropriate scientific diagrams to record apparatus and procedures
- Practical skills are embedded within all the teaching chapters.