Study guide: GCSE Science, Mathematics and English

📋 Course Outline

1. AQA Biology
2. AQA Chemistry
3. AQA Physics
4. Edexcel GCSE Mathematics
5. AQA English Language

📖 1. AQA Biology

📝 Essential Points

• AQA Biology covers:

  • Cell Biology
  • Organisation
  • Infection and Response
  • Bioenergetics
  • Homeostasis and Response
  • Inheritance, Variation and Evolution
  • Ecology

• Cell Biology includes:

  • cell structure
  • cell division
  • transport in cells
  • stem cells

• Organisation includes:

  • principles of organisation
  • the digestive system and enzymes
  • the heart, blood and circulation
  • health and disease
  • plant tissues and organs

• Infection and Response includes:

  • communicable diseases
  • viral, bacterial, fungal and protist diseases
  • human defence systems
  • vaccination
  • antibiotics and painkillers
  • drug development
  • monoclonal antibodies

• Bioenergetics includes:

  • photosynthesis
  • factors affecting photosynthesis
  • respiration
  • aerobic and anaerobic respiration
  • metabolism

• Homeostasis and Response includes:

  • the nervous system
  • reflexes
  • the brain and eye
  • body temperature
  • hormones
  • blood glucose
  • diabetes
  • kidneys
  • hormones in reproduction
  • contraception and fertility

• Inheritance, Variation and Evolution includes sexual and asexual reproduction, meiosis, DNA, genes and chromosomes, genetic inheritance, genetic disorders, variation, evolution and natural selection, selective breeding, genetic engineering, cloning, and classification.

• Ecology includes:

  • communities and ecosystems
  • biotic and abiotic factors
  • adaptations
  • food chains and trophic levels
  • sampling
  • carbon and water cycles
  • decomposition
  • biodiversity
  • human effects on ecosystems
  • food security

💡 Memory Hook

Cells → organisation → infection → energy → homeostasis → inheritance → ecology

📖 2. AQA Chemistry

★ Must-know

• AQA Chemistry covers:

  • Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table
  • Bonding, Structure and Properties of Matter
  • Quantitative Chemistry
  • Chemical Changes
  • Energy Changes
  • Rate and Extent of Chemical Change
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Chemistry of the Atmosphere
  • Using Resources

• Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table includes:

  • atoms, elements and compounds
  • atomic structure
  • electronic structure
  • development of the periodic table
  • Groups 0, 1 and 7
  • transition metals

• Bonding, Structure and Properties of Matter includes:

  • ionic bonding
  • covalent bonding
  • metallic bonding
  • states of matter
  • properties of materials
  • nanoparticles

• Quantitative Chemistry includes:

  • relative formula mass
  • moles
  • chemical equations
  • limiting reactants
  • concentrations
  • percentage yield
  • atom economy
  • gas volumes

• Chemical Changes includes:

  • reactivity of metals
  • acids and alkalis
  • salts
  • electrolysis
  • redox reactions

• Rate and Extent of Chemical Change includes:

  • rates of reaction
  • collision theory
  • factors affecting rate
  • catalysts
  • reversible reactions
  • equilibrium
  • Le Chatelier's principle

• Organic Chemistry includes:

  • crude oil
  • hydrocarbons
  • alkanes
  • alkenes
  • fractional distillation
  • cracking
  • alcohols
  • carboxylic acids
  • polymers

• Using Resources includes atmospheric pollutants, Earth's resources, potable water, wastewater treatment, life-cycle assessments, recycling, corrosion, alloys, ceramics, polymers and composites, the Haber process, and fertilisers.

Further detail

• Energy Changes includes:

  • exothermic and endothermic reactions
  • reaction profiles
  • bond energies
  • cells and batteries
  • fuel cells

• Chemical Analysis includes:

  • pure substances and mixtures
  • formulations
  • chromatography
  • gas tests
  • flame tests
  • tests for ions
  • instrumental methods

• Chemistry of the Atmosphere includes:

  • development of Earth's atmosphere
  • greenhouse gases
  • climate change
  • carbon footprint
  • atmospheric pollutants

💡 Memory Hook

Atoms → bonding → quantities → reactions → organic chemistry → analysis → resources

📖 3. AQA Physics

★ Must-know

• AQA Physics covers:

  • Energy
  • Electricity
  • Particle Model of Matter
  • Atomic Structure
  • Forces
  • Waves
  • Magnetism and Electromagnetism
  • Space Physics

• Energy includes:

  • energy stores and transfers
  • work
  • power
  • efficiency
  • heating
  • renewable and non-renewable resources

• Electricity includes:

  • current, charge and potential difference
  • resistance
  • series and parallel circuits
  • domestic electricity
  • electrical power
  • energy transfers
  • static electricity

• Particle Model of Matter includes:

  • density
  • states of matter
  • changes of state
  • internal energy
  • specific heat capacity
  • specific latent heat
  • gas pressure

• Atomic Structure includes:

  • the structure of atoms
  • isotopes
  • radioactive decay
  • alpha, beta and gamma
  • half-life
  • irradiation and contamination
  • nuclear fission
  • nuclear fusion

• Forces includes contact and non-contact forces, gravity, resultant forces, work and energy, springs, moments, pressure, distance, speed and acceleration, velocity, Newton's laws, stopping distances, and momentum.

• Waves includes:

  • transverse and longitudinal waves
  • wave speed, frequency and wavelength
  • reflection
  • refraction
  • sound
  • the electromagnetic spectrum
  • lenses
  • black-body radiation

Further detail

• Magnetism and Electromagnetism includes:

  • magnets and magnetic fields
  • electromagnets
  • the motor effect
  • electric motors
  • electromagnetic induction
  • generators
  • transformers

• Space Physics includes:

  • the solar system
  • stars
  • the life cycle of stars
  • orbits
  • red-shift
  • Big Bang theory

💡 Memory Hook

Energy → electricity → matter → atoms → forces → waves → electromagnetism → space

📖 4. Edexcel GCSE Mathematics

📝 Essential Points

• Edexcel GCSE Mathematics Higher covers:

  • Number
  • Algebra
  • Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change
  • Geometry and Measures
  • Probability
  • Statistics

• Number includes:

  • integers, decimals and negatives
  • fractions
  • percentages
  • factors, multiples and primes
  • powers and roots
  • standard form
  • surds
  • bounds and estimation

• Algebra includes algebraic notation, simplifying expressions, expanding and factorising, algebraic fractions, equations and inequalities, simultaneous equations, quadratic equations, sequences, functions, graphs, straight-line graphs, quadratic, cubic and reciprocal graphs, transformations of graphs, iteration, and proof.

• Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change includes ratio, direct and inverse proportion, percentages, percentage change, compound interest, growth and decay, speed, distance and time, density, pressure, rates of change, and gradient.

• Geometry and Measures includes angles, polygons, properties of shapes, congruence and similarity, transformations, bearings, perimeter, area and volume, circles, circle theorems, Pythagoras, trigonometry, the sine rule, the cosine rule, area of triangles, vectors, plans and elevations, construction, and loci.

• Probability includes:

  • basic probability
  • combined events
  • sample spaces
  • tree diagrams
  • Venn diagrams
  • conditional probability

• Statistics includes:

  • collecting data
  • sampling
  • tables and charts
  • averages and range
  • scatter graphs
  • histograms
  • cumulative frequency
  • box plots
  • comparing distributions

💡 Memory Hook

Number → algebra → proportion → geometry → probability → statistics

📖 5. AQA English Language

★ Must-know

• Paper 1 includes:

  • reading fiction extracts
  • writing descriptively
  • writing narratively

• Paper 1 reading includes:

  • retrieving information
  • making inferences
  • analysing language
  • analysing structure
  • using quotations and evidence effectively

• AQA English Language Paper 2, Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, includes reading non-fiction texts and writing to present a viewpoint.

• Paper 2 reading includes: identifying explicit and implicit information, summarising, comparing two texts, analysing language, comparing writers' viewpoints, comparing methods and perspectives, using textual evidence

• Paper 2 writing includes persuasive writing, argumentative writing, articles, letters, speeches, essays, appropriate tone and register, rhetorical techniques, organisation and structure, vocabulary, and spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Further detail

• Paper 1 writing includes:

  • planning a response
  • vocabulary
  • figurative language
  • sentence structures
  • paragraphing and structure
  • spelling, punctuation and grammar

• Spoken Language includes:

  • presenting information and ideas
  • responding to questions
  • using Standard English appropriately

💡 Memory Hook

Paper 1 creates and analyses fiction, whereas Paper 2 compares non-fiction viewpoints and arguments