Science - Combined and Single (Triple) Award
Course Details and where to find the specification, course content and exam papers:
You are studying the AQA Trilogy Combined Science course, or if doing “triple science”, you are studying AQA Biology, AQA Chemistry and AQA Physics.
If you are studying combined (dual) science, you will find the specification and past papers here:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/science-8464/specification
If you are studying triple science, you will find the specification and past papers here:
Biology: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/biology
Chemistry: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/chemistry
Physics: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/physics
What is the exam structure?
Whether you are studying triple or dual science, you will sit two papers in Biology, two in Chemistry and two in Physics, with different content on each one (although you need to be aware that some content can be tested across both papers). The topic page on My-GCSE-Science is a good place to see a full list of what will be tested on each paper, or the contents page in your revision guide. You can also refer to the information page in your knowledge organiser or use the exam board specification.
The paper structure is a mix of shorter tick box or single word answers and longer answers up to a maximum of 6 marks. Questions will include maths, graphing and drawing or labelling diagrams as well as written answers. In general, the easier/lower-demand questions are at the start of the paper and the harder ones are towards the end.
You will need to bring a calculator, black pen, pencil, ruler and rubber to every Science exam.
You will be given an equation sheet for Physics exams and a periodic table for Chemistry exams but are not allowed to bring in your own.
Online resources we subscribe to and recommend for studying and revision:
The Science Department subscribes to: https://www.my-gcsescience.com/
On this platform, you can watch short revision videos on any topic from the course, complete a short retrieval quiz, aiming to score full marks, then complete and mark a sample exam question.
How to log in: Log in to this site using your full school e-mail address. Your password will be shared with you at the start of Year 9, but you can change this. If you forget your password, you can use the “forgot password” link on the page.
What other resources do we recommend to students?
Your knowledge organisers are a good summary of the information you need.
You will also be provided with a revision guide. When using online resources, remember to check they are for the correct syllabus (AQA trilogy or separate science).
There are some excellent video channels on YouTube. We recommend searching for:
“Free Science Lessons”
“Malmesbury Science” is good for required practicals.
We recommend the following websites for revision materials:
Lots of interactive revision quizzes, past papers you can complete online etc.
https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/
For revision materials and past papers broken down into individual topics.
https://biologyteachinguk.wordpress.com/
Miss P’s revision site with printable resources to support revision. Includes Biology content, with Chemistry to be added soon. You will receive printouts of some of these to use in class.
Great for retrieval practice and has a phone app.
What does revision in this subject look like?
All the usual revision techniques (self-quizzing using flashcards, brain dumps, mind maps etc) are ideal for Science.
Science is very knowledge-heavy so you need to spend lots of time doing retrieval activities. Quizlet is a great way to learn key words for Science!
After the retrieval stage, you need to try past papers. Remember not to skip over the long answers – it is really important to practice writing these!
We recommend using the specification to help make your flashcards, as this contains the exact definitions and knowledge the exam board want you to know, all written in a clear way.
Remember to revise all the required practicals for each subject to the same level as other subject knowledge, as at least one of these will be covered on every paper.
Are there any specific exam tips or strategies?
Use “Quiet Katy Often Snores” for longer answers:
Question (decode it & pick out command words & info)
Key words (plan the key terms you will use)
Order (sequence your answer)
Sentences (write your answer in clear, concise sentences)
Use FIFA for calculations:
Formula (Write down the formula needed)
Input (Write the numbers into the formula from the question)
Fine tune (rearrange if needed or convert units)
Answer (Write your answer, checking for correct rounding and units)
Use CHIMED to remember variables in experiments:
CHange Independent
MEasure Dependent
Remember to plan out your long answers before writing them, and NEVER leave questions blank. Use the time at the end of the exam to re-read your long answers, check any calculations, look for missing units/incorrect rounding in calculations and check you haven’t made silly mistakes on the “easier” questions at the start of the paper.
