AQA GCSE Science A – old course

About this course

This is the old Science A course. The last examination is summer 2012 and the last chance to re-take will be November 2012. The new course started in September 2011, so you’re unlikely to be following this old course unless you’re doing retakes. But make sure you know! The only difference between science A and B is that science B is examined by three written papers.

Exam dates

All exams will be held on March 1st and again on June 22nd, 2012.

Entry codes

Paper-based Objective Tests
Biology 1a BLY1AP
Biology 1b BLY1BP
Chemistry 1a CHY1AP
Chemistry 1b CHY1BP
Physics 1a PHY1AP
Physics 1b PHY1BP

On-screen Objective Tests
Biology 1a BL1ASF or BL1ASH
Biology 1b BL1BSF or BL1BSH
Chemistry 1a CH1ASF or CH1ASH
Chemistry 1b CH1BSF or CH1BSH
Physics 1a PH1ASF or PH1ASH
Physics 1b PH1BSF or PH1BSH

GCSE Science Centre-Assessed Unit SCYC

Exam papers

You can find past papers and other resources on the AQA science website.

Course content

8.2 Biology 1a

Human Biology
11.1 How do human bodies respond to changes inside them and to
their environment?
11.2 What can we do to keep our bodies healthy?
11.3 How do we use/abuse medical and recreational drugs?
11.4 What causes infectious diseases and how can our bodies defend
themselves against them?

8.3 Biology 1b

Evolution and Environment
11.5 What determines where particular species live and how many
of them there are?
11.6 Why are individuals of the same species different from each
other? What new methods do we have for producing plants
and animals with the characteristics we prefer?
11.7 Why have some species of plants and animals died out? How
do new species of plants and animals develop?
11.8 How do humans affect the environment?

8.4 Chemistry 1a

Products from Rocks
12.1 How do rocks provide building materials?
12.2 How do rocks provide metals and how are metals used?
12.3 How do we get fuels from crude oil?

8.5 Chemistry 1b

Oils, Earth and Atmosphere
12.4 How are polymers and ethanol made from oil?
12.5 How can plant oils be used?
12.6 What are the changes in the Earth and its atmosphere?

8.6 Physics 1a

Energy and Electricity
13.1 How is heat (thermal energy) transferred and what factors
affect the rate at which heat is transferred?
13.2 What is meant by the efficient use of energy?
13.3 Why are electrical devices so useful?
13.4 How should we generate the electricity we need?

8.7 Physics 1b

Radiation and the Universe
13.5 What are the uses and hazards of the waves that form the
electromagnetic spectrum?
13.6 What are the uses and dangers of emissions from radioactive
substances?
13.7 What do we know about the origins of the Universe and how
it continues to change?

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