7404 · AQA AS Level
7404/21
Organic and Physical Chemistry
Chemistry · June 2024 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: AQA
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.0 / 5
160
180 min
Amount of substance
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
160
Duration
180 min
Session difficulty
3.0 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The 2024 AQA AS Chemistry papers sit firmly at a moderate difficulty (3/5).
While the multiple-choice sections (Section B on both papers) provided accessible marks for well-drilled students, Section A demanded a high degree of precision.
The exam was characterized by a strong emphasis on practical methodologies, requiring students to identify subtle experimental inaccuracies and explain the physical basis of structural properties.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Quantitative
Weight: 7100%Drawing & Interpretation
Weight: 686%Mechanics Practical Experiment
Weight: 571%Conceptual Explanation
Weight: 229%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Level A
Approx. 71% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 61% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 51% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 42% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 33% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.
Match the expected response style for “Deduce” questions.
Name or point to the specific feature asked for — avoid extra explanation.
Support your choice with specific evidence from data or the scenario given.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.7
Min per mark: 1.7
Min per mark: 1
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Amount of substance
27 marks this session
Bonding
17 marks this session
Halogenoalkanes
16 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Amount of substance
Bonding
Halogenoalkanes
Chemical equilibria, Le Chatelier’s principle and Kc
Atomic structure
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1: Inorganic and Physical Chemistry:
Paper 2: Organic and Physical Chemistry:
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Amount of substance
27 marks this session
Practise in RevuiBonding
17 marks this session
Practise in RevuiHalogenoalkanes
16 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The 2024 AQA AS Chemistry papers sit firmly at a moderate difficulty (3/5).
- 2Message
While the multiple-choice sections (Section B on both papers) provided accessible marks for well-drilled students, Section A demanded a high degree of precision.
- 3Message
The exam was characterized by a strong emphasis on practical methodologies, requiring students to identify subtle experimental inaccuracies and explain the physical basis of structural properties.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2024 2024
Chemistry
The 2024 AQA AS Chemistry papers sit firmly at a moderate difficulty (3/5). While the multiple-choice sections (Section B on both papers) provided accessible marks for well-drilled students, Section A demanded a high degree of precision. The exam was characterized by a strong emp
The 2024 AQA AS Chemistry papers sit firmly at a moderate difficulty (3/5).
While the multiple-choice sections (Section B on both papers) provided accessible marks for well-drilled students, Section A demanded a high degree of precision.
The exam was characterized by a strong emphasis on practical methodologies, requiring students to identify subtle experimental inaccuracies and explain the physical basis of structural properties.
- Total marks
- 160
- Duration
- 180 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.0 / 5
Session analysis
The 2024 AQA AS Chemistry papers sit firmly at a moderate difficulty (3/5). While the multiple-choice sections (Section B on both papers) provided accessible marks for well-drilled students, Section A demanded a high degree of precision. The exam was characterized by a strong emphasis on practical methodologies, requiring students to identify subtle experimental inaccuracies and explain the physical basis of structural properties.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1: Inorganic and Physical Chemistry:
Paper 2: Organic and Physical Chemistry:
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
81% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Structured Written Questions
130·16·81%
Multiple Choice Questions
(MCQ)
30·30·19%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 1 Section A
0.60 m/minPaper 1 Section B (…
1.00 m/minPaper 2 Section A
0.60 m/minTotal marks
95
Total time
115 min
Avg pace
0.83
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Periodicity (Period 3 Oxides)
5%5%
Kinetics (Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution)
4%4%
Overall Difficulty Verdict
The 2024 AQA AS Chemistry papers sit firmly at a moderate difficulty (3/5). While the multiple-choice sections (Section B on both papers) provided accessible marks for well-drilled students, Section A demanded a high degree of precision. The exam was characterized by a strong emphasis on practical methodologies, requiring students to identify subtle experimental inaccuracies and explain the physical basis of structural properties.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 1h 30min
- Total marks
- 80
- Weighting
- 50%
- Question types
- Structured Written Questions, Multiple Choice Questions
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.