Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry (9701)
How medicines are designed, how a lab identifies an unknown molecule, why some reactions happen on their own — A Level Chemistry is where chemistry stops being facts and starts being reasoning.
Checked against the official Cambridge syllabus for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 — and unchanged in substance for 2028–2030 · 18 October 2026
1.Quick facts
2.Why study Chemistry?
Cambridge's aims for this course, in plain words. By the end you should be able to:
- Understand chemistry deeply and do practical work accurately, efficiently and safely.
- Apply the scientific method — and know where a theory or model stops working.
- Analyse data, judge how good it is and draw sound conclusions — with honesty and curiosity.
- Communicate like a scientist, using the right terms and conventions.
- Understand your responsibility to other people and to the environment.
- Enjoy chemistry and feel ready for a degree that uses it.
Based on the 'Aims' in the official syllabus.
3.Why these topics?
Inside the atom, properly
At O Level electrons sat in neat shells. Now you meet orbitals — s, p and d — and the evidence for them from ionisation energies. This is why molecules have the shapes they do, why water is a liquid at room temperature, and why the ideal gas equation pV = nRT works (and when it doesn't).
Energy, equilibrium and speed — with numbers
Hess's law lets you find energy changes you could never measure directly. Born–Haber cycles explain why some salts form and others don't; entropy and Gibbs free energy tell you whether a reaction can happen at all. Kc, Kp, Ka, pH and buffers — the chemistry behind blood, medicines and industry.
The Periodic Table, explained
Why do properties repeat across Period 3? Why are transition-metal compounds so colourful, and why do metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium make good catalysts — such as in car exhausts, where they help remove oxides of nitrogen? You move from 'learn the trend' to 'explain the trend'.
Organic chemistry: building molecules
You learn the step-by-step mechanisms of reactions, then use them like Lego to plan routes to new molecules. Aromatic compounds, amines and the azo dyes that colour fabrics; polyesters and polyamides; why a drug molecule's 3D 'handedness' (chirality) can matter for medicines.
How real labs identify molecules
Infrared and mass spectrometry at AS; chromatography and NMR spectroscopy at A Level. These are the tools forensic, pharmaceutical and hospital labs use every day — and the questions feel like solving a puzzle.
4.Topic map
AS Level
- 1Atomic structure
- 2Atoms, molecules and stoichiometry
- 3Chemical bonding
- 4States of matter
- 5Chemical energetics
- 6Electrochemistry
- 7Equilibria
- 8Reaction kinetics
- 9The Periodic Table: chemical periodicity
- 10Group 2
- 11Group 17
- 12Nitrogen and sulfur
- 13An introduction to AS Level organic chemistry
- 14Hydrocarbons
- 15Halogen compounds
- 16Hydroxy compounds
- 17Carbonyl compounds
- 18Carboxylic acids and derivatives
- 19Nitrogen compounds
- 20Polymerisation
- 21Organic synthesis
- 22Analytical techniques
AS Level students also study practical skills.
A Level (adds to all the AS topics)
- 23Chemical energetics
- 24Electrochemistry
- 25Equilibria
- 26Reaction kinetics
- 27Group 2
- 28Chemistry of transition elements
- 29An introduction to A Level organic chemistry
- 30Hydrocarbons
- 31Halogen compounds
- 32Hydroxy compounds
- 33Carboxylic acids and derivatives
- 34Nitrogen compounds
- 35Polymerisation
- 36Organic synthesis
- 37Analytical techniques
A Level students also study practical skills.
5.From O Level to A Level
Coming from O Level or IGCSE? The ideas are familiar — the depth is new.
| Idea | At O Level / IGCSE | At AS & A Level (this course) |
|---|---|---|
| Atoms | Protons, neutrons, electron shells | Orbitals, electron configurations, ionisation energy evidence |
| Calculations | Moles and titrations | Multi-step problems, pV = nRT, Kc, Kp, Ka, pH, E°cell, Nernst equation |
| Energy | Exothermic / endothermic | Hess's law, lattice energy, entropy, Gibbs free energy |
| Organic | Name and recognise families | Explain mechanisms and plan synthesis routes |
| Analysis | Test-tube tests, chromatography | IR, mass spectrometry, 13C and 1H NMR |
| Exams | Mostly 'state' and 'describe' | Much more 'explain', 'suggest' and 'deduce' on unfamiliar data |
6.Exam pattern
Three ways to take it
All papers are marked by Cambridge. Paper 3 is done in a laboratory at your exam centre — book your centre early and ask about Paper 3 when you register.
7.Types of questions
Examples are written by our teachers in Cambridge style to show the type of question — they are not copied from past papers.
8.Command words
| Word | Cambridge meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Explain | set out purposes or reasons / make the relationships between things clear / say why and/or how and support with relevant evidence | The most common A Level command — always give the reason. |
| Suggest | apply knowledge and understanding to situations where there are a range of valid responses | Expect unfamiliar molecules and reactions. |
| Deduce | conclude from available information | Spectra, test results, data — the answer is in front of you. |
| Calculate | work out from given facts, figures or information | Show working; units and significant figures count. |
| Evaluate | judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something | Paper 5 favourite: weigh up, then judge. |
| Predict | suggest what may happen based on available information | Use the trend, then justify. |
Meanings are quoted from the 'Command words' table in the official syllabus.
9.What examiners reward
At A Level, 'applying' is worth as much as 'knowing' (40% each). Memorising notes alone rarely reaches an A.
10.Grades
AS Level: a, b, c, d, e. Full A Level: A*, A, B, C, D, E. 'Ungraded' means below the lowest grade and is not shown on the certificate.
What it took in June 2026 (full A Level, all five papers)
| Grade | Marks out of 260 | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| A* | 201–219 | about 77–84% |
| A | 168–187 | about 65–72% |
| B | 135–161 | about 52–62% |
| C | 110–133 | about 42–51% |
| D | 86–106 | about 33–41% |
| E | 62–79 | about 24–30% |
Minimum weighted marks out of 260 in June 2026; the range covers the different paper variants. Boundaries change every series — aim well above them.
Medicine, pharmacy and top engineering programmes usually ask for an A or A* in Chemistry. Check each university's own requirements.
11.Practical skills
- Paper 3 is a real lab exam: titrations, rates, energy changes and tests for ions — practise the techniques until they feel routine.
- Record every reading to the precision of the apparatus (e.g. burette to 0.05 cm³) in a clear table with units.
- Plot graphs carefully: sensible scales, labelled axes with units, line of best fit.
- Paper 5 tests planning, analysis and evaluation in writing — learn to identify variables, risks and sources of error.
- Calculate percentage errors and say which measurement limits accuracy the most.
12.Books & resources
Cambridge says textbooks endorsed for the syllabus from 2022 are still suitable — including for 2028–2030.
13.Common mistakes
- Curly arrows starting from the wrong place — they must start at a lone pair or a bond.
- Mixing up enthalpy signs, or forgetting the direction of a Hess cycle.
- Writing a trend without explaining it (e.g. 'ionisation energy increases' with no reason).
- Not stating the units of Kc or Kp, or using concentrations where partial pressures are needed.
- Giving a 'suggest' answer that ignores the new information in the question.
Tips from our teachers.
14.Study plan
- Year 1 (AS), term 1Atomic structure, moles, bonding, states of matter (1–4). Start organic basics (13–14).
- Year 1, term 2Energetics, redox, equilibria, kinetics (5–8); periodicity and Groups 2 & 17 (9–11).
- Year 1, term 3Nitrogen & sulfur (12), remaining AS organic (15–21), IR and mass spectra (22). AS past papers; sit AS (or carry on).
- Year 2 (A2), term 1Lattice energy, entropy, electrochemistry, equilibria, kinetics (23–26).
- Year 2, term 2Group 2 & transition elements (27–28); A Level organic (29–36); NMR & chromatography (37).
- Final monthsTimed Papers 4 and 5 every week, mechanisms drill, and practical rehearsal for Paper 3 if not done in Year 1.
Cambridge designs AS for about 180 and full A Level for about 360 guided learning hours. Add 4–5 hours a week of your own practice.
15.Where it can take you
A Level Chemistry is the gateway subject for most medical and science degrees.
Typical subject requirements — always check each university's own entry rules.
16.Chemistry in the real world
Catalytic converters
Platinum, palladium and rhodium help remove oxides of nitrogen from car exhaust — transition-metal chemistry from Topic 28.
Molecules have 'hands'
Many drug molecules exist as mirror-image forms; the syllabus asks why this matters when medicines are made.
Colour from chemistry
Azo compounds are widely used as dyes — the colours in textiles, a major industry in Pakistan.
Ibn al-Haytham and Al-Razi
Scholars of the Islamic Golden Age insisted on careful observation and experiment; Al-Razi described laboratory apparatus and classified substances — the same habits Paper 5 rewards.
17.Frequently asked questions
Can I take A Level Chemistry without O Level Chemistry?
Cambridge recommends that you have first completed Chemistry or Co-ordinated Science at IGCSE / O Level standard. Starting without it is very hard — talk to us about a bridging plan first.
Should I sit AS first or everything at the end?
Both are allowed. Sitting AS after Year 1 spreads the load and gives you a real grade for university applications; your AS result carries forward into the A Level.
How do online students do Paper 3?
Paper 3 is taken in your exam centre's lab, so register with a centre that runs it. Learn each technique step by step (videos of real experiments help), and practise with past Paper 3 data before the day.
Is the syllabus changing?
The 2028–2030 syllabus has no significant changes that affect teaching, so what you learn now stays valid.
How hard is an A*?
In June 2026 the A* boundary was about 77–84% of the weighted total, depending on the paper variant.
18.Study it with us
Live online classes with experienced Cambridge teachers, weekly quizzes and assignments in your portal, past-paper practice, and progress reports your parents can see.
19.Official sources
- Official syllabus 9701 for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (PDF)
- Official syllabus 9701 for exams in 2028, 2029 and 2030 (PDF)
- Grade threshold table, June 2026 (PDF)
- Cambridge AS & A Level Chemistry 9701 — subject page
- Endorsed resources for 9701
Cambridge says its syllabuses and specimen materials are the final authority on the content and structure of its exams. Always check you are using the syllabus for the year you sit the exam.