How to Get an A* in A Level Chemistry?

By Russell Greenhill

Founder & CEO @ Greenhill Academics

Oxford Master’s Graduate • 8+ Years Tutoring Experience

A Level Chemistry is one of the most demanding A Levels available. The A* is the grade that separates students who understand chemistry from those who can perform under exam conditions. However, the gap between an A and an A* is rarely a knowledge gap. It is a precision gap: in terminology, in how mechanisms are drawn, and in how multi-step calculations are presented. In practice, unfamiliar questions test the same precision.

This post covers what A Level Chemistry examiners reward at the top grade band. It also explains what students sitting in the A range need to change to reach an A*.

What does the A* in A Level Chemistry actually require?

The A* in A Level Chemistry is awarded to students who average 90% or more across their A2 papers. In other words, this means Papers 1 and 2 at A Level (Year 13), not Paper 3, which is the practical endorsement. Additionally, the AS papers do not contribute to the A* calculation. For example, a student who scores 85% on Papers 1 and 2 combined will not receive an A*. The Paper 3 performance and Year 12 results do not change this.

This matters for revision planning. In the final weeks before exams, the focus should be on maximising performance on Papers 1 and 2 specifically. These papers cover organic, physical, and inorganic chemistry across the full A Level specification. The hardest questions test chemical thinking, not memory alone.

Organic chemistry mechanisms: draw every arrow

Organic mechanisms are one of the highest-mark areas in A Level Chemistry. They are also one of the most penalised for carelessness. The mark scheme awards marks for specific arrow placements. For example, curly arrows must start from the correct electron source, such as a bond or lone pair. They must also end at the correct location. As a result, an arrow in the wrong place or pointing the wrong way loses the mark. Indeed, the rest of the mechanism does not save it. Therefore, your child should practise drawing every mechanism from memory. Each arrow needs checking against the mark scheme until the placement is automatic.

Physical chemistry calculations: show every step

Multi-step calculations are scored on method as well as the final answer. This applies to equilibrium constants, enthalpy cycles, electrochemical cells, and pH calculations. For example, a student who sets up the calculation correctly but slips on arithmetic can still claim most of the marks. However, every step must be visible. A student who writes only the final answer scores one mark regardless of whether the method was correct. As a result, showing full working on every calculation question is one of the simplest changes your child can make. It often moves an A student toward an A*.

Synoptic questions: link across topics

The hardest questions on A Level Chemistry papers are synoptic. They require students to apply knowledge from multiple topics at once. For example, a question might present an unfamiliar organic compound and ask about its reactivity, spectroscopic properties, and synthesis route. These questions separate A and A* students. In fact, most A students know the content. They lose marks because they fail to spot which knowledge to apply.

Practising synoptic questions specifically, rather than topic-by-topic questions in isolation, is essential preparation for the A*. When working through a synoptic question, the useful habit is to identify every topic before attempting an answer. Then your child should work methodically through each component. Students who rush into synoptic answers without mapping the question first consistently miss marks they were capable of earning.

How should your child revise A Level Chemistry to reach an A*?

Cover every specification point

The A Level Chemistry specification is the document that defines what the exam will test. Every question in Papers 1 and 2 is written to specification points. As a result, students who revise from textbooks without cross-referencing the specification often cover some topics in too much depth. They may also miss specification points entirely in others. Therefore, your child should download the full specification for their exam board (AQA, OCR, or Edexcel). They should work through it systematically and ensure every point is covered before moving to past papers.

Use past papers to find your child’s loss patterns

Your child should sit full past papers under timed conditions and mark them against the scheme. The next step is keeping a record of which topics often cost marks. Most A Level students have one or two areas where they regularly lose marks: often equilibria, organic synthesis, or spectroscopy. Therefore, spotting these patterns early and addressing them specifically is more efficient than revising every topic equally. In practice, the weeks before the exam are too short for broad revision.

Read examiner reports

AQA, OCR, and Edexcel all publish examiner reports after each exam series. These documents describe in plain language what set the top responses apart from average ones. Specifically, they flag which mechanisms were drawn incorrectly, which calculation steps were missed, and which command terms were misread. As a result, your child should read two or three examiner reports on their hardest topics. In fact, this is one of the most efficient uses of revision time. However, few students do it.

Meet some of our A Level Chemistry tutors

The right A Level Chemistry tutor can spot the habits keeping your child below the A* threshold. They then fix those habits before the exam. Below are three Greenhill tutors who specialise in A Level Chemistry at the top grades.

Gonzalo

Gonzalo completed an MChem in Chemistry at Oxford (First Class, 80% overall). He won the Academic Open Scholarship at Jesus College and three Woodward Prizes for excellence in Chemistry. He achieved A* in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, and Biology at A Level, plus nine Grade 9s at GCSE. His Oxford transcript includes marks of 91 in Organic Chemistry. Other core subject scores include 90, 88, and 87. Gonzalo is now starting a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at Cambridge. He tutors A Level Chemistry with a depth of subject knowledge that goes well beyond the specification. This is exactly the foundation needed for a consistent A*.

Murray

Murray is reading Materials Science at Oxford (MEng, expected First). He achieved A* in Maths, Chemistry, and Physics at A Level. He holds a Silver Cambridge Chemistry Award and has over 150 hours of tutoring experience across the sciences. Murray is particularly effective at helping students build the problem-solving approach needed for synoptic and unfamiliar questions. These are the parts of A Level Chemistry papers where most A students lose their A* marks.

Jessica

Jessica is completing her fourth year in Medicine at Cambridge. She achieved A*A*A*A* at A Level in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology. With hundreds of hours of tutoring experience, Jessica has a precise understanding of what the mark scheme rewards. This means she knows what separates top responses at A* level. She is particularly effective with students who are close to an A* but losing marks. The pattern is usually incomplete mechanisms, imprecise terminology, or inconsistent performance on calculation questions.

Ready to push for an A* in A Level Chemistry?

Your child may be sitting consistently in the A range with the A* not landing. The right tutor can identify the patterns keeping them below that boundary. The tutor then fixes the patterns before the exams. Get in touch and we will match your child with a specialist Chemistry tutor.

Frequently asked questions about A Level Chemistry

Below are the questions we hear most often from parents whose children are aiming for an A* in A Level Chemistry.

Grading and content questions

Subject choice and tutoring