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A-level practical endorsement and required practical activities
This topic preserves A-level practical endorsement requirements and practical-skills assessment.
16
Objectives
80
Flashcards
80
Questions
90 min
Study time
AQAA LevelChemistryPractical skills, mathematical requirements and assessment
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Syllabus checklist
What you need to know
16 objective pages available
A-level practical endorsement4 objectives
- Explain that the A-level practical endorsement is assessed separately from written exam grades.
- Demonstrate competence in apparatus and techniques across the A-level course.
- Apply risk management and safe working in practical contexts.
- Evaluate practical procedures using uncertainty, error, accuracy and precision.
A-level required practical activities12 objectives
- Required practical 1: make up a volumetric solution and carry out a simple acid-base titration.
- Required practical 2: measure an enthalpy change.
- Required practical 3: investigate how rate changes with temperature.
- Required practical 4: identify required cations and anions using test-tube reactions.
- Required practical 5: distil a product from a reaction.
- Required practical 6: test for alcohol, aldehyde, alkene and carboxylic acid functional groups.
- Required practical 7: measure the rate of reaction by an initial rate method and a continuous monitoring method.
- Required practical 8: measure an equilibrium constant.
- Required practical 9: investigate pH changes in acid-base titrations.
- Required practical 10: prepare an organic solid and test its purity.
- Required practical 11: carry out simple test-tube reactions to identify transition-metal ions.
- Required practical 12: separate species by thin-layer chromatography.
Key terms
practical endorsementassessment criteriaApparatusTechniquerisk managementsafe workinguncertaintyprecisionvolumetric solutionacid-base titrationenthalpy changecalorimetry
Exam tips
- Understand Practical Endorsement Assessment: Explain clearly by remember that the A-level practical endorsement is assessed separately from your written exam grades. Focus on demonstrating your practical skills effectively. Link the point to A-level practical endorsement, then state the evidence, calculation, mechanism, observation, or conclusion required by the question.
- Master Practical Techniques: Explain clearly by practice using various laboratory apparatus to ensure you can demonstrate competence during assessments. Link the point to A-level practical endorsement, then state the evidence, calculation, mechanism, observation, or conclusion required by the question.
Common mistakes
- Misunderstanding Assessment Structure: The A-level practical endorsement is assessed separately from written exam grades. To clarify, remember that the practical endorsement is a distinct component of the A-level assessment, which must be completed independently of the written exams. Keep the correction anchored to A-level practical endorsement and the objective: Explain that the A-level practical endorsement is assessed separately from written exam grades.
- Misunderstanding Apparatus Use: Remember that a burette is used for delivering variable amounts of liquid with precision, while a pipette is used for measuring a fixed volume. Always check the apparatus markings and practice using them correctly to ensure accurate results. Keep the correction anchored to A-level practical endorsement and the objective: Demonstrate competence in apparatus and techniques across the A-level course.
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