CCEA GCSE Chemistry (468) Past Papers 2026

Structures, Trends, Chemical Reactions, Quantitative Chemistry and Analysis — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: 1h Tier-F / 1h 15m Tier-H

Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry — Foundation and Higher Tier

Duration: 1h 15m Tier-F / 1h 30m Tier-H

Practical Skills — Booklet A (30 marks) + Booklet B (70 marks)

Duration: Booklet A: 2h supervised; Booklet B: 1h

Half equations and ionic equations — formulae of ions and electron balance

Described as 'the most challenging questions in the suite of papers' in all three series (2023, 2024, 2025). Common errors include writing Br2- instead of Br-, incorrect electron counts, and omitting state symbols in ionic equations. Only the top candidates gain full marks consistently.

Unit 1, Unit 2

Reaction profile diagrams — axes labels and exothermic/endothermic distinction

Flagged in 2023 and 2025 Unit 2 reports. A significant number of candidates label the x-axis 'Time' instead of 'Reaction pathway'. Drawing an exothermic profile when an endothermic one is required, and mislabelling activation energy as the energy from products to the peak rather than from reactants to the peak, were recurring errors.

Unit 2

Electrolysis of molten compounds — ions carry charge, not electrons

Explicitly flagged in 2023 and 2025 as 'disappointing'. Candidates consistently wrote that electrons move and carry charge in molten ionic compounds, when the correct answer is that free ions move. The word 'move' was also required — 'free ions carry charge' alone was insufficient.

Unit 2

Gas volume calculations — unit confusion (cm3 vs dm3) and wrong starting quantity

Flagged in Unit 2 Higher Tier reports for all three series. In 2023 candidates multiplied moles by 24000 cm3 instead of 24 dm3. In 2024 most candidates started with solution volume/concentration instead of converting gas volume to moles. In 2025 the examiner noted candidates must be able to calculate gas volume in both cm3 and dm3.

Unit 2

Definition of a salt and definition of an electrolyte

The definition of a salt was described as 'very poorly answered' in 2024 Unit 1 Higher, despite appearing in the GCSE Chemistry Glossary. The definition of an electrolyte was also poorly answered in 2024 with candidates omitting 'liquid or solution' or 'decomposition'. Both definitions appear in the specification glossary and should be memorised exactly.

Unit 1, Unit 2

Organic chemistry — polymer structures, addition polymerisation equations, and functional groups

In 2025 the polymerisation equation for PVC was 'particularly poorly answered'; many used ethene as the monomer or forgot the arrow. The term 'polymer' was poorly understood in 2023. The definition of 'functional group' was poorly known in 2025. The connectivity of the OH group in alcohol structural formulae was penalised every year when incorrect.

Unit 2

Chromatography — stationary phase definition and Rf value equation

Flagged in 2023 Unit 1 Higher. The term 'stationary phase' was poorly understood with many candidates describing the process instead of naming the phase. Writing the Rf equation (Rf = distance moved by spot ÷ distance moved by solvent) was rarely written correctly; candidates instead described it in words without the 'Rf =' part.

Unit 1

Equilibrium — phrasing of position shifting and effect of pressure in terms of gas moles

Across all three series, candidates wrote 'the reaction moves' instead of 'the position of equilibrium moves' and lost marks. In 2025 the examiner specified that pressure effects must be explained in terms of 'gas moles or molecules rather than particles'. Failing to state the yield consequence was another recurring error.

Unit 2