How to get an A in A-level Chemistry
Dr Lavan Ganeshkumar, PhD · updated 4 October 2026
An A in A-level Chemistry comes from three things: understanding the topics rather than memorising them, practising a lot of exam questions, and learning exactly how the mark scheme awards marks. It is usually not about studying more hours, but about studying differently.
Grade boundaries change every year, so aim for secure marks across the paper rather than a target number.
The topics that decide the grade in Chemistry
Across the course, the topics that most often separate grades are organic mechanisms, moles and equations, equilibrium (Kc and Kp), acids and bases including pH and buffers, energetics, and transition metals. They are heavily examined, they build on earlier ideas, and they are where students most often stall.
How marks are lost
Students lose marks on chemistry by using everyday wording where the scheme wants the exact term, by dropping units or significant figures in calculations, and by drawing a mechanism arrow from the wrong place.
In rates, "more collisions" scores nothing, while "a greater proportion of molecules exceed the activation energy" scores the mark, though both describe the same fact.
A plan that works
This is the loop to run on every topic.
- Learn the concept first: why the reaction behaves that way, not just what happens.
- Recall definitions, reagents and conditions from a blank page.
- Redo mechanisms from memory, curly arrows included, until they are automatic.
- Practise calculations with units and significant figures every time, and mark against the scheme.
If you are on a C, a B or an A
On a C, fix understanding first, then questions. On a B, the gap is usually precision: exact wording or methods and fewer slips. On an A aiming higher, the gap is harder unfamiliar questions and consistency, so do the toughest questions and mark strictly.
Where Trayna fits, and where it does not
Trayna is a 24/7 online tutor in your pocket, on your tablet and on the web. Dr Lavan teaches you the topics in the app any time, anywhere, and an adaptive plan reinforces them each day from now to your exam. It is there for students who cannot afford 1-to-1 tutoring, and it is built to act like a 1-to-1 tutor: it teaches, it checks, and it adapts to how you are doing. The aim is that you really understand the subject and are prepared for it, not just that you have revised it. It is A-level only, for Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Maths follows Edexcel; Chemistry, Physics and Biology follow AQA.
For Chemistry, Trayna follows AQA. The loop above is how it teaches: a short tutorial from Dr Lavan, questions straight away, and wrong answers come back later.
It is for both Year 12 and Year 13. Year 13 students already use it, and Year 13 topics are being added as current students need them while Year 12 is the most complete, so check your topics in the app. If you only want free past papers, PMT does that better than we do, and we would rather you used it.
Common questions
How do I get an A in A-level Chemistry?
Understand each topic rather than memorise it, practise calculations, mechanisms and extended-response questions, and mark against the official scheme. Focus on organic mechanisms, moles and equations, equilibrium (Kc and Kp), acids and bases including pH and buffers, energetics, and transition metals, where most grades are decided.
What topics are hardest in A-level Chemistry?
The ones students most often struggle with are organic mechanisms, moles and equations, equilibrium (Kc and Kp), acids and bases including pH and buffers, energetics, and transition metals. Giving them extra time and doing questions on them is the quickest route up.
How do I go from a C to an A in A-level Chemistry?
Find why you lose marks, fix the topics you only half understand, then practise questions marked strictly against the scheme and revisit each topic on a schedule.
What are the grade boundaries for A-level Chemistry?
They change every year and depend on the paper difficulty, so there is no fixed number. Aim to be secure across every topic and paper instead of a target score.
Which exam board does Trayna Chemistry follow?
AQA. If you sit a different board, check the topic list in the app first.
Trayna does this automatically. You enter your subjects, your exam dates and how long you have each day, and it builds the route from today to those exams, then adapts it as you go. Maths follows Edexcel; Chemistry, Physics and Biology follow AQA.
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