Students taking A Level Chemistry will face a myriad of difficulties. It is natural to face difficulties in A Level Chemistry – the concepts are complex and involve a lot of memory work. There is also a steep increase in the learning curve from O Level Chemistry, and the A Level Chemistry syllabus has gotten increasingly tougher to differentiate from the best of the best. A lot of memory work is required, especially for chapters with much explanation to do, such as organic chemistry, the Periodic Table, and chemical bonding, amongst others. If the student doesn’t get the first question right, they often throw away the marks for other questions. As a result, most parents decide to invest in Chemistry tutoring programmes to help their children overcome the biggest issues they face in A Level Chemistry.
To master the content knowledge for A Level Chemistry, students need to know what they do not know. They need to look at past A Level papers and see whether they can reasonably answer the questions with the things they know now, and if they cannot, they need to see what is required of them and overcome their challenges if they want to score well for A Level Chemistry.
Biggest Issues that A Level Chemistry Tutoring Can Solve
Here are some of the biggest issues A Level Chemistry students face:
1. Overcoming Organic Chemistry
Students may face difficulty with the organic chemistry chapter if they do not know all the chemical reactions linking one functional group to another. Students may find it frustrating memorising the content knowledge for this chapter. Moreover, questions with deductive reasoning skills tested will be challenging, especially if students miss out on remembering the reagents or conditions for one or more reactions. Furthermore, reagents and conditions which can work for one reaction may not work for another. Thus, organic chemistry is one of the most difficult chapters in A Level to master, especially for students who are already weak.
2. Confusing notes from school
At times, students in Junior College may find that the things their teachers are teaching them at school are confusing and difficult to understand. A common reason why students opt to take tuition classes externally is because their teachers do not do a good job of explaining complex concepts, which affects their preparation for A Levels. Some Junior Colleges even de-emphasise important concepts while loading the student’s notes with irrelevant content not tested.
3. Shapes of molecules
In the O Level Chemistry exams, students learn how to draw dot-and-cross diagrams, where they draw pairs of electrons in fixed positions. The concept of attaining a full octet structure further confuses A Level students when they are exposed to elements with the ability to expand their octet structure and accept more than eight electrons. In A Level Chemistry, the curriculum exposes students to the Valence Shell Electronic Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory to determine the shape of the molecules. This marked difference from O Level Chemistry may confuse students a lot.
Given the many differences between the O and A Level Chemistry syllabus, students may find their revision overwhelming and frustrating, especially if their school notes and teachers are not as helpful in teaching them the things which they need to know for the final A Levels. Students should not be discouraged that they are receiving inadequate preparation – instead, they need to take proactive steps to better themselves before the actual A Levels roll around. Before the dates of the A Level exams arrive, it is not too late the better your approach to learning – after all, the best time to improve the way you learn was yesterday, and the next best time is today.
Students should seek help from well-meaning seniors and tutors to learn how to better cope at school. It is important that students have a positive attitude and take the necessary steps to improve their knowledge of their A Level subjects, as it is an important milestone in furthering one’s education and going to university, which will fetch better job prospects in future.
How to register in Focus Chemistry A Level Chemistry programme?
- Book a trial
- Email us at enquiry.focuschemistry.com@gmail.com
- Call us at +65 9616 1651 or +65 8298 0709
- Submit contact form
Cope with A Level Chemistry at school with Focus Chemistry Tutoring Programmes!
Focus Chemistry boasts 30 years of experience in teaching Chemistry to all levels of students. Whether you are looking to prepare for exams, go for Chemistry competitions, or simply bolster your foundation of basic Chemistry concepts, Focus Chemistry is the go-to Chemistry specialist in Singapore.
With time and effort, every student will surely be able to achieve their desired grades in Chemistry. Focus Chemistry has a tried-and-tested teaching method and specially curated materials and question banks to help you prepare for every Chemistry exam.
Gain confidence for your exam by practicing various Chemistry questions and mastering different permutations. This preparation will ensure you're well-equipped to handle any question on your Chemistry exam paper.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
a. Should I take H2 chemistry?
You could take H2 Chemistry only if you have done well for O Level or IP Chemistry during your secondary school days.
b. How to do well for H2 chemistry?
Firstly, the student should understand what the syllabus and style of exam questions are like for H2 Chemistry. Next, the student should practice doing the questions to do well and fix knowledge gaps and their lack of conceptual understanding.
c. Is H2 chemistry difficult?
H2 Chemistry requires an understanding of Organic Chemistry concepts, which could be challenging for some students as it requires a high level of understanding.
d. Which university courses require H2 chemistry?
Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, environmental engineering, chemical engineering and chemistry require H2 Chemistry as an admission requirement.
e. What is the hardest chemistry class ever?
Physical Chemistry is the most difficult branch of Chemistry as it requires students to study physical properties and the constitution of matter, the laws of chemical combinations, and theories about chemical reactions.
f. How many students fail Chemistry?
On average, around 25% of students fail Chemistry, although the rates depend on the sample size and location of people studied.