I spent 100 hours analysing GCSE Science Papers so you don’t have to

Here's what I found out

The exams are not fair.

And in my opinion,

GCSE Science exams are the most unfair exams.

You have to give exact answers.

E.G if the question requires you to put ‘Water Vapor’ and you put ‘Water’ you are not getting the mark …

And there is so much unnecessary content.

Due to these reasons,

And not to mention an overcrowded, neuro-typical and underfunded education system,

So many students despair when it comes to revising and sitting exams in science.

This is why I spent so long analysing the last 10 years of papers,

So I could simplify the exam for all students.

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Below I am going to share the essential highlights from my research for Biology, Chemistry & Physics.

This is not the type of information that your students will have encountered before,

So whether they are a level 7 student pushing for the 9 or they are aiming for a pass,

Please send this onto them as it should substantially change the way they approach their revision and exams.

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A quick (and hopefully obvious) disclaimer: All the information provided below is my own research and is not a prediction of what will come up in your teenager’s exam.

If I was revising however, I would absolutely, without any shadow of a doubt, use the following research to strategically prioritise my time. We all make choices as to which flash cards or which questions we go over more often; I would strongly encourage making these choices more consciously partially based off the below information.

Biology

On average,

Questions on ‘Organisation’,

Think cell organisation, the digestive system & the circulatory system,

Accounts for the most marks.

Questions on Inheritance, Variation and Evolution,

Think DNA, Punnett Squares, and Fossils,

Account for the second most marks.

Questions on Homeostasis and Response,

Think the nervous system, the kidneys and hormones,

Account for the third most marks.

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Chemistry

On average,

Questions on Quantitative Chemistry,

Think maths questions,

Account for the most marks.

Questions on Bonding, Structure and Properties of Matter,

Think covalent, ionic and diamonds,

Account for the second most marks.

Questions on Using Resources,

Think polymers, water and fertilisers,

Account for the third most marks.

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Physics

On average,

Questions on Electricity,

Think circuits, currents and graphs,

Account for the most marks.

Questions on Forces,

Think elasticity, velocity and pressure

Account for the second most marks.

Questions on Magnetism and Electromagnetism,

Think magnets, transformers and generators,

Account for the third most marks.

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If your teenager combines this knowledge with a good understanding of experiments,

Which come up very often,

They will be off to the races.

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This information is equally apparent to students who are trying to pass,

And students who are trying to get the very top grades.

Students who are trying to pass need to simplify the textbook into smaller, prioritised chunks,

As we have done here,

And students who are trying to get the topi grades need to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of these topics as they are,

Based off historical data,

Most likely to come up and therefore it presents a great opportunity to get full marks on these questions.

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I hope you all have a great week ahead,

Best wishes,

Joel