5 Common Mistakes A-Level Science Students Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Many students find that the transition from GCSE to A Level science is more like a jump off a cliff than a step. The content is more dense, the concepts more abstract, and the questions in the exams are so tricky that even bright students may find themselves scratching their heads.

It is not unusual for students to struggle to earn a C or better in their first A-level mock exam, even though they have a top GCSE grade. This “A Level shock” has been well documented, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not capable. The problem is not a lack of intelligence or effort, but a lack of strategy.

It is essential to approach A-Level Biology and Chemistry differently from how you did GCSE. You can only go so far by memorizing facts and figures. Exam boards expect you to use your knowledge for unfamiliar scenarios and evaluate complex experimental data. To be successful, you must identify the pitfalls that trip up thousands of students each year and adapt your approach accordingly.

Voxly Tuition knows first-hand that small changes to study technique can have a significant impact on grades. If you want to be accepted into medical school, or even if you want that solid B grade, knowing where other students go wrong will help you get it right. Here are five common A-Level science mistakes students make – and some practical strategies to avoid making them yourself.

Exam Question Command Words: Mistake No. 1

A student can find it frustrating to walk out of an examination hall confidently, only for them to get a low grade a couple of weeks later. What happened to your grades? You have written pages of precise, detailed science. Answers often lie in the command word.

Command words are specific verbs at the beginning of an exam question that clearly state what the examiner expects you to complete. The words “explain,” ‘evaluate,” and’suggest’ may sound interchangeable but have a distinct meaning in A-Level Science exams.

What’s the difference between “Describe” and “describe”?

This is the classic mistake. You should not try to explain the graph. If you are asked to “describe” a graph that shows how temperature affects enzyme activity, then you must describe what you see. You will need to explain the graph in the case of a question asking you to.

When you are asked to describe and not explain, you waste your time. If you fail to explain and instead describe, you will receive zero marks. It’s that simple.

How to Fix It

• Learn Definitions: The majority of exam boards, including AQA, OCR, Edexcel and WJEC, have a glossary with command words. You can print this and stick it on your wall.
• Highlight in Practice: In past papers, highlight each command word before writing a single letter. Pause and ask, “What do I need to do with this specific word?”
• Look at the marking schemes: Be careful when you are marking your work. You’ll see that the marks are often only awarded for linking a specific description to an explanation of science when the command word specifies this.

Mistake #2: Ignoring the Assessment Objectives

Many students see revision as a simple test of memory. Students spend countless hours creating beautiful flashcards or memorizing definitions in the belief that they will receive an A* if they are able to know their textbooks inside and out. A-Level exams test more than memory.

Assessment Objectives (AOs) are the categories by which exam boards classify questions. They can be broken down as follows.

• Recall Information and understanding.
• Application Of Knowledge (Using What You Know in a New Context).

The AO2 Trap and AO3 trap

For AO2 and AO3, a large portion of marks is awarded. This can range from 60-70% depending upon the paper. It means that you could memorize all the facts in your textbook, but still not pass if they are not applied.

A question from AO2 might ask you to draw the respiratory system for a fish that you’ve never seen before. One panicky response is “we’ve never studied that fish!” The strategic response would be, “I have studied gas exchange in humans and insects. How can I apply these general principles to a new scenario?”

How to Fix It

• Change Your Focus on Revision: Do not only revise the content of things, but also how they perform in different scenarios.
• Practice application: As you learn new concepts, think about a “what-if” scenario. What if the pH changes? What if the temperature drops? What would be the impact?
• Select questions with new data or contexts. They are the questions that students tend to skip, because they appear “too challenging,” but these are crucial for developing AO2 and 3 skills.

Mistake 3: Passive Revision Techniques

We’ve been there all: sitting for three long hours at the desk, with a textbook opened and highlighting sentences until they look like neon coloring books. It looks like work. It feels like work. In terms of comprehension and retention, this method is surprising ineffective.

It is called passive revision. This is known as passive revision. Passive revision, which can create the illusion of knowledge, is not recommended for A-Level science. Deep understanding and the capacity to connect disparate subjects are essential. If you recognize the information as you read it, then you will assume that you are familiar with it. In the exam hall without the open-book prompt, information is unavailable.

Active Recall – The Power of Active Recall

Active recall is the ability to retrieve information from your memory without looking at notes. Cognitively challenging and frustrating, it’s precisely the reason why this technique works. Each time you struggle with a particular fact, the neural pathway that is associated with it gets stronger.

How to Fix It

• Use the “Blurting’ Method: Select a subject, close your book, and write all you can recall on a blank sheet of paper. Open your book only when you are really stuck to see what you missed. You will see the gaps in your knowledge immediately.
• Teach It: Einstein said that “If it can’t be explained simply, then you don’t really understand it.” Explaining a complex concept, such as the Krebs cycle, electron diffraction or a parent’s instructions to your child, friend or pet, can be a great way to improve your understanding. If you stumble, you will know where to go back and review.
• Repeat in a spaced manner. After learning a new topic, review it one day later. Then, three days after that, and finally a week after. This will help you overcome the “forgetting” curve and transfer information to your long-term memories.

Mistake #4: Underestimating the practical endorsement

The coursework requirement for A-Level science has been replaced with the “Practical Endorsement.” While the coursework grades aren’t directly affected by the practicals, the skills and theories associated with the practicals will be heavily tested in the written exam (usually 15%).

This is a mistake that many make. They treat the practicals as if they were just a break from the theory. Students will often follow the directions like a cookbook without really thinking about what they are doing at each step.

Why “Why” is Important

Exam questions may ask you to criticize a technique or make improvements. If you simply followed the directions blindly, you would not be able to answer questions such as:

• “Why was it kept in the water bath at 40degC?” (Control variable/Temperature effect).
• Why was it necessary to conduct a control experiment? (Comparison/Validity).
• “What is your uncertainty in measuring?” (Error analysis).

How to Fix It

• Keep a Lab Diary. Do not only write down the method, but also justify each step.
• Emphasis on Errors, Uncertainties and the Difference Between Random and Systematic Errors: Understanding the Difference between random and systematic errors. Learn how to calculate the percentage of uncertainty. You can get easy marks by knowing the definitions. But if not, you will have a hard time.
• Read Practical Handbooks Exam boards, like OCR or AQA, publish practical handbooks. These books are a goldmine of information about the safety precautions and techniques you need to be aware of.

Mistake 5 – Leaving past papers until the last minute

The biggest mistake that students make is to wait until Easter of Year 13 to start looking at past papers. Many students wait until after Easter in Year 13 before they start to look at past papers. They think that “learning everything first” is essential. This is a grave error of logic.

The past papers are more than just a test of your knowledge. They help you build. The past papers will help you learn the terminology of the test, the exactness of the mark schemes and the time pressure that comes with it. If you wait to finish the syllabus, you will lose out on valuable information about yourself.

The “Mark Scheme Mindset

A-Level Science mark schemes are notoriously detailed. Even if you have a perfectly correct scientific statement, if the words in the mark scheme don’t match, then it won’t be marked. Saying “the cell consumes the bacteria” in Biology will not get you any marks. However, saying “the phagocyte engulfs the pathogen via phagocytosis” gets you the marks. It is only by repeatedly exposing yourself early to different marking schemes that you will learn the specificity.

How to Fix It

• Start Earlier: Once you have finished a class topic (e.g., Atomic Structure), go to the previous papers and complete them.
• Don’t be a soft critic. You should mark your own work ruthlessly. You should not mark your own work if the keyword is missing. You can write the correct answer next to it in a color different from your own.
• Analyze Mistakes. You shouldn’t simply count your score and then move on. Categorize your errors. What caused you to lose marks? Did you not understand the question (Command Words), or couldn’t you apply the fact (AO1)? The results will tell you what to concentrate on for the next exam.

Working Smarter is Better than Just Harder

A-Level science can be challenging, but it also has rules. Once you have a good grasp of the rules, such as the command words and assessment objectives or the vocabulary, the path to success becomes clearer.

You won’t avoid these common mistakes overnight. It takes a conscious decision to change habits, and the willingness to be open about your weaknesses. It’s worth the effort. Not only will your grades improve, but you’ll also learn critical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques that will help you in university and beyond.

No need to struggle alone. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, or you want personalized help to navigate A-Level Chemistry, Physics or Biology, we can help. Voxly Tuition’s expert tutors are trained to help students master complex concepts, improve exam technique and develop the confidence necessary to succeed. We can help you achieve your goals, regardless of whether you require support on specific topics or an extensive revision plan.