OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) & Chemistry B (H433) Past Papers for 2027 Exams and Beyond

Ideal for Students Sitting A Level Chemistry Exams in 2027 and Beyond

These OCR A Level Chemistry Past Papers are ideal for students preparing for their 2027 examinations and future exam series.

Whether you study Chemistry A (H432) or Chemistry B (Salters) (H433), regular past-paper practice can help you understand how the specification is assessed and identify areas where additional revision is needed.

Make sure you select papers that match your specific OCR Chemistry qualification, as Chemistry A and Chemistry B have different content structures and assessment formats.

Official OCR A Level Chemistry Past Papers

Our collection focuses on examination papers produced by OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) for its A Level Chemistry qualifications.

OCR provides question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports for Chemistry A and Chemistry B through its assessment resources. The public assessment pages currently include recent examination materials, including the June 2025 series, alongside earlier examination series.

Using official examination papers gives you the opportunity to practice with authentic OCR assessment material and understand how chemistry knowledge, mathematical skills, practical understanding and scientific reasoning are assessed.

OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Past Papers

OCR Chemistry A (H432) is a content-led A Level Chemistry qualification covering theoretical and practical chemistry knowledge and understanding. The specification is divided into six modules.

Paper 1 – H432/01: Periodic Table, Elements and Physical Chemistry

Paper 1 is a 100-mark, 2 hour 15 minute written examination worth 37% of the A Level.

It assesses content from:

• Module 1 – Development of Practical Skills in Chemistry

• Module 2 – Foundations in Chemistry

• Module 3 – Periodic Table and Energy

• Module 5 – Physical Chemistry and Transition Elements

The paper includes calculations, chemical knowledge, practical skills and application of physical and inorganic chemistry.

Paper 2 – H432/02: Synthesis and Analytical Techniques

Paper 2 is a 100-mark, 2 hour 15 minute written examination worth 37% of the A Level.

It assesses content from:

• Module 1 – Development of Practical Skills in Chemistry

• Module 2 – Foundations in Chemistry

• Module 4 – Core Organic Chemistry

• Module 6 – Organic Chemistry and Analysis

Questions cover organic chemistry, synthesis, analytical techniques and the application of chemical knowledge.

Paper 3 – H432/03: Unified Chemistry

Paper 3 is a 70-mark, 1 hour 30 minute written examination worth 26% of the A Level.

It assesses content from all six modules, making it an important paper for practicing synoptic questions that require knowledge from different areas of the specification.

Practical Endorsement – H432/04

The Practical Endorsement is a non-exam assessment reported separately from the three written examination papers.

Practical skills are also assessed within the written examinations, so students should practise experimental methods, analysis, evaluation and interpretation of practical data alongside their theoretical revision.

OCR A Level Chemistry B (Salters) H433 Past Papers

OCR Chemistry B (Salters) H433 takes a different approach, using chemical ideas within real-world contexts and storylines. The current specification includes storylines such as Elements of Life, Developing Fuels, Elements from the Sea, The Ozone Story, What’s in a Medicine?, The Chemical Industry, Polymers and Life, Oceans, Developing Metals and Colour by Design.

Paper 1 – H433/01: Fundamentals of Chemistry

Paper 1 is a 110-mark, 2 hour 15 minute written examination worth 41% of the A Level.

It assesses fundamental chemical knowledge and understanding across the Chemistry B specification, including calculations, physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry.

Paper 2 – H433/02: Scientific Literacy in Chemistry

Paper 2 is a 100-mark, 2 hour 15 minute written examination worth 37% of the A Level.

This paper includes an Advance Notice article relating to scientific research. Students need to interpret information, apply chemistry to the context, analyse evidence and demonstrate scientific literacy.

Paper 3 – H433/03: Practical Skills in Chemistry

Paper 3 is a 60-mark, 1 hour 30 minute written examination worth 22% of the A Level.

It focuses on practical skills, experimental procedures, data analysis, evaluation and the interpretation of experimental information.

Practical Endorsement – H433/04

The Practical Endorsement is a separate non-exam assessment and is reported separately.

Practical understanding remains important throughout the written examinations, so students should practise experimental techniques, calculations, data interpretation and evaluation as part of their overall revision.

OCR A Level Chemistry Syllabus Summary

Chemistry A (H432)

The six Chemistry A modules are:

Module 1 – Development of Practical Skills in Chemistry
Practical skills assessed in written examinations and through the Practical Endorsement.

Module 2 – Foundations in Chemistry
Atoms, compounds, molecules and equations; amount of substance; acid-base and redox reactions; electrons, bonding and structure.

Module 3 – Periodic Table and Energy
The periodic table and periodicity; Group 2 and the halogens; qualitative analysis; enthalpy changes; reaction rates and equilibrium.

Module 4 – Core Organic Chemistry
Basic concepts; hydrocarbons; alcohols and haloalkanes; organic synthesis; analytical techniques.

Module 5 – Physical Chemistry and Transition Elements
Rates and equilibrium; pH and buffers; enthalpy, entropy and free energy; redox and electrode potentials; transition elements.

Module 6 – Organic Chemistry and Analysis
Aromatic compounds; carbonyl compounds; carboxylic acids and esters; nitrogen compounds; polymers; organic synthesis; chromatography and spectroscopy.

Chemistry B (H433)

Chemistry B uses a storyline-based approach covering areas including:

• Elements of Life

• Developing Fuels

• Elements from the Sea

• The Ozone Story

• What’s in a Medicine?

• The Chemical Industry

• Polymers and Life

• Oceans

• Developing Metals

• Colour by Design

These storylines connect chemical concepts with real-world applications and contexts.

Practice OCR Chemistry Calculations

A Level Chemistry requires students to apply mathematical skills as well as chemical knowledge. Past papers provide valuable practice with calculations involving areas such as amount of substance, energetics, equilibrium, rates, pH, redox chemistry and analytical data.

When reviewing your answers, pay attention not only to the final answer but also to your method, units, significant figures and the way calculations are presented.

Develop Practical Chemistry Skills

Practical skills are an important part of both OCR Chemistry A and Chemistry B.

Use past papers to practice questions involving:

• Experimental methods

• Variables and controls

• Accuracy and precision

• Sources of error

• Uncertainty

• Data analysis

• Graphs and trends

• Evaluation of experimental procedures

• Drawing scientific conclusions

OCR Chemistry A explicitly assesses practical skills across its written examinations as well as through the Practical Endorsement.

Practice Synoptic and Application Questions

A Level Chemistry examinations require students to connect different areas of chemistry rather than simply recall isolated facts.

OCR Chemistry A includes synoptic assessment across all three written papers, with Paper 3 assessing content from all six modules.

Practise identifying which areas of chemistry are relevant to a question and then combine your knowledge to construct a clear, logical response.

Combine Past Papers with Revision Notes and Topic Questions

For an effective revision strategy, combine OCR A Level Chemistry past papers with revision notes and topic questions.

Use:

Revision Notes → to learn and review important chemistry concepts.

Topic Questions → to practice individual areas of the specification.

Past Papers → to test your knowledge across complete examinations.

A useful revision cycle is:

Learn → Practice → Test → Review → Repeat

After each paper, review your mistakes and return to the relevant topic before attempting similar questions again.

Prepare for Your 2027 OCR A Level Chemistry Exams

If you are sitting your OCR A Level Chemistry examinations in 2027, start incorporating past papers into your revision early.

Practise both Chemistry-specific questions and mixed or synoptic questions, while also developing your mathematical and practical skills.

Remember to check your specification code before revising:

OCR Chemistry A – H432
OCR Chemistry B (Salters) – H433