1. AQA Revision Guides

New A-level 2015

The revision guides are split into physical, inorganic and organic chemistry. There are no modules. The AS only topics are labelled AS.

Physical Chemistry

1.1 revision guide Atomic Structure AQA (AS) (updated February 2021 )

1.2 revision guide Calculations AQA (AS) (updated October 2023 )

1.3 revision guide Bonding AQA(AS) (updated January 2022 )

1.4 revision guide Energetics AQA(AS) (updated April 2020)

1.5 revision guide Reaction Kinetics AQA (AS) (updated February 2023)

1.6 revision guide Equilibria AQA(AS) (updated January 2022 )

1.7 revision guide Redox(AS) (updated November 2018)

1.8 revision guide Thermodynamics AQA (updated February 2023)

1.9 revision guide Rate Equations AQA (updated October 2023 )

1.10 revision guide Equilibrium Constant Kp AQA (updated October 2023 )

1.11 revision guide Electrode Potentials AQA (updated January 2022 )

1.12 revision guide acid base equilibria AQA (updated January 2022 )

Inorganic Chemistry

2.1 revision guide periodicity (AS)(updated December 2019)

2.2 revision guide Group 2 AQA(AS) (updated February 2024 )

2.3 revision guide Halogens AQA (AS) (updated January 2022 )

2.4 revision guide Period 3 AQA (updated February 2023)

2.5 revision guide Transition metals AQA (updated October 2023 )

2.6 revision guide Reactions of Aqueous Ions AQAA (updated October 2023 )

Organic Chemistry

3.1 revision guide introduction organic AQA(AS) (updated February 2021 )

3.2 revision guide Alkanes AQA (AS) (updated October 2023 )

3.3 revision guide Halogenoalkanes AQA(AS)  (updated February 2021)

3.4 revision guide Alkenes AQA(AS)  (updated February 2023)

3.5 revision guide Alcohols AQA(AS)(updated February 2021)

3.6 revision guide Organic Analysis (AS) (updated December 2019)

3.7 revision guide naming and isomerism (updated February 2021)

3.8 revision guide Aldehydes and Ketones AQA(updated January 2022 )

3.9 revision guide Carboxylic acids and derivatives AQA (updated February 2024)

3.10 revision guide Arene Chemistry AQA (updated October 2023 )

3.11 revision guide Amines AQA(updated January 2022 )

3.12 revision guide polymers AQA (updated April 2020)

3.13 revision guide amino acids proteins and DNA AQA (updated May 2023)

3.14 revision guide Organic Synthesis AQA (updated February 2023)

3.15 revision guide NMRR (updated October 2023 )

3.16 revision guide chromatography(updated December 2019)

AQA mechanisms summary AS (AS)  (updated February 2021 )

AQA mechanisms A level summary (updated February 2023 )

Practical Guide AQA (updated October 2023 )

471 thoughts on “1. AQA Revision Guides”

  1. arkhnn

    Hello! I just wanted to drop by and leave a little message. This website singlehandedly saved my chemistry grade (AS and A2) . I told myself that, if I get through the years with an A or above, I’ll leave the best review (ever). Thank you so incredibly much for making a remarkable difference in the lives of so many students. My entire class also used your notes & relied on them for pretty much everything. I did the OAQA board and barely touched my own textbook since your notes were in-depth to the perfect degree. I printed them out, used them in class & always raved about them.

    Thank you so much. Thank you for making them easily accessible (and free)! I’m writing this as a first-year uni student and I hope this gave you an idea about your impact on students all around the world. Bless you!

    Reply ↓
  7. Josh

    Hi, thank you for these notes! They are amazing! I would just like to raise your attention to the Halogens Revision Guide – For the reactions within this section, shouldn’t the acid always be (aq) and not (s); and the same for NaHSO4? My Chemistry teacher also has seen this and agrees with me.

    Reply ↓
    1. chemrevise Post author

      It’s a good question. It does look a little odd- I have sulfuric acid as an (l). I have checked with some academic sources and the l and s are correct. Concentrated sulfuric acid is a liquid rather than an aqueous solution. The NaHSO4 is therefore produced as a solid. I can’t say I have seen a mark scheme where this has been tested but will keep my eyes open. It would be fine to write them both as (aq) though.

      Reply ↓
  8. mosesdavis

    Mr Neil, you have helped me with chemistry an extraordinary amount. The provision of FREE resources which would have taken you hours to complete in admirable, to say the least. The exam board specific, succinct notes have helped me beyond imagination. You, Sir Goalby are an angelic creature.

    Reply ↓
    1. Mo H Davis

      I went from a D in the mock, 2 months prior to the exam, to an A in the final exam – all thanks to this resource. Especially the visual aid of the mechanisms; if you can learn that image off by heart you can do any mechanism question.

      Reply ↓
  9. emmacampbell2000

    Hi, thank you so much for these notes they’re life savers. I was just wondering where you have notes on the Arrhenius equation because they weren’t in the rate equations section and I wasn’t sure where else they’d be. They’re especially important for me because my copy of the textbook (like quite a few others) is missing the pages on the Arrhenius equation. Thank you!

    Reply ↓
  10. Kermit

    Hi, I’m retaking aqa chemistry a-level due to missing my grade for uni and was wondering how to go about my revision?

    Reply ↓
  11. OH99

    Mr Goalby I would like to thank you so much for taking the time to write these guides. They, along with past papers and practice questions, were literally the only resources I used over the two years of my A-level. I’m delighted to say that I got my results two weeks ago and got an A*

    So once again, thank you so much for these guides

    Reply ↓
    1. Asks8aam

      Lol this came up in paper 2
      But I think you can collect it in a cooled beaker which has been placed in an ice bath as that minimises loss due to evaporation
      Also you have to ensure the temperature on the thermometer is at the boiling point of the aldehyde or just below it.

      Reply ↓
    2. 111

      you must keep distilling the aldehyde out of the reaction environment, most of the time with chemical reactions maximum yield is not reached because products are not being constantly removed at the correct time, if this is done the reaction proceeds faster hence yield increases(also if this is not done then the aldehyde will soon form a carboxylic acid by further oxidation, so it is imperative to be removed)
      …

      Reply ↓
  13. Jake

    Hi Sir,
    on the 3.6 analysis guide it says about m+4 for chlorine that the molecular mass is 102 but with 35 isotope and 37 isotope i think t sums to 100 instead. Am i mistaken?

    Many thanks

    Reply ↓
  14. Akash Digumber

    Hi, are notes about Nitrogen and Sulfur are missing i think. Realized that after working out a past paper

    Reply ↓
    1. chemrevise Post author

      Aqa does not have a topic on sulfur and nitrogen. Any questions that appear on them are from topics like group 7 , redox or equilibria. The only syllabus that has a specific topic on these is CIE international A-level

      Reply ↓
  15. Mark

    Hi,

    On the right hand side of page 2 of ‘2.4 Periodicity of Period 3’ it states that ‘MgO is better than using NaOH to treat acid in rivers and the stomach as it is only sparing soluble and weakly alkaline..’, should it be ‘Mg(OH)2’ instead of ‘MgO’?

    Thanks

    Reply ↓
  17. barbosaboy7

    Hi, I took most of your notes down in December time last year in preparation for my exams this June and I have since noticed that some of the pages have been updated and I was just wondering if I will have missed out on any of this years spec if I don’t go back through it all again?
    Thanks

    Reply ↓
  18. Demirci

    sir, i do not like taking notes and the only thing i do is read.

    Do you think these notes contain everything i need to get an A*.

    Reply ↓
    1. chemrevise Post author

      In terms of factual content yes it is all here. Just reading these notes won’t get you an A* though. You need to do lots of questions and push your understanding

      Reply ↓
  20. Jake

    Hi Sir,
    Thanks a lot for all these notes, they are fantastic, especially when dealing with some of the tougher questions which are appearing on this new specification. I wondered if you had anything that would help with questions like in AQA Paper 2 2017 (10.6), when drawing cyclic compounds from straight chain compounds. It is possible i have missed something already in your notes, however i did not come across it.

    Reply ↓

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  23. .

    Sir thank you so much for these amazing notes specially the summary for mechanisms

    I will be grateful if you could do summary for test and colour with equations for year2 aqa inorganic please (transition metals and their reactions in aqueous solutions). I’m privet candidate, 100% relying on your notes. But I completely lost with year2 inorganic and transition metals, specially the new spec, I don’t even know the compounds that I need to know about? Please Sir I really hope you will read my comment and do the summary before May.

    Reply ↓
  24. Kas

    Hi, I really appreciate the time and effort that must’ve been put into making these revision guides. It would be really helpful if you could possibly list what is not required to be learnt for the new spec or something as I’m a private candidate and finding it quite tricky, thanks 🙂

    Reply ↓
    1. chemrevise Post author

      If you want an A* then I think you should know everything on the guides. I would suggest going through the guides with a copy of the syllabus to hand so you can be sure why you the things are there.

      Reply ↓
    2. Mary

      Hi, I would like to know what are the practicals we need to know for the AS exams? I know there is a practicals revision guide but I’m assuming some of the practicals are just for the year 13 A- LEVEL exam?

      Reply ↓
  26. hafsa

    hey do we have to know about chromium for aqueous ions because it comes up in past papers but its not on your notes. thanks

    Reply ↓
  28. Joseph

    Hello you have made a mistake on example 5 of the energetics questions on the aqa as level document you have talked about enthalpy change of formation when the question is about enthalpy change of combustion

    Reply ↓
    1. chemrevise Post author

      It is not a mistake. They often combine heats of combustion and formation in the same question to confuse people and see if they really understand what they are doing. I suggest you look again and try to undo your confusion.

      Reply ↓
  29. Kermit

    I think you made a mistake in the transition metals guide in the first point where you wrote there are transition metal characteristics between scandium to copper. Isn’t scandium not considered as a transition metal? Thanks….

    Reply ↓
    1. chemrevise Post author

      The AQA definition for transition metals which is IUPAC as far as I interpret it does include Sc as in its atom form it does have a 3d electron. Definitions for other exam boards are slightly different and definitely exclude Scandium.

      Reply ↓
  32. student

    your notes are extremely helpful and i absolutely love them! i was hoping if you have any a level physics notes just like these which you could post because ive searching for them as well

    Reply ↓
    1. Tasneem

      Hi i was just wondering will these ve updated any more or Any new pdf added.I want to print them out and start making notes on them.

      Reply ↓
  33. Prakhar Gupta

    Hi Mr Goalby, for your revision guide on the specification 1.1 (atoms), you talk about fragmentation in regards to T.O.F mass spectrometer. This isn’t in the syllabus nor is it in the textbook, and I’m struggling to understand it. Do i even need to know it?
    Thank you for everything!

    Reply ↓
  34. Qaim

    Hi,

    I’m a bit confused on the question on page 5 of the equilibria pack. I was able to follow untill you wrote 0.458. I’ve no clue how you got it since it should just be a simple rearrangement?
    Your packs are really useful and are what I’m using to revise for my Oxford interview next week,

    Thanks

    Reply ↓

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  37. bakeoffobsessed

    Hi, I wanted to ask on the equilibria section in physical chemistry, when calculating the moles at equilibrium mixture using algebra (page 5), how come on the numerator it is 2x? is this because there are 2 moles of HBr formed? ‘ (2x/V)2 (0.2-x)/V . (0.2-x)/V ‘ So if in another question, only 1 mole of product was formed, would it just be x?

    Reply ↓
  41. Zachary Howdle

    Hi,
    I think this is a brilliant resource and thank-you so much for taking the time to create it. I was wondering if there are similar compact revision notes for Physics or Biology?
    Thanks again!

    Reply ↓

  42. Pingback: Revision Websites – Studying with Corraine Bennett

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  47. Noor

    Hi, I’m wondering if there is any website, or anything you might advise me to use, has exam questions with answers per topic for aqa chemistry.

    Reply ↓

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