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OCR A-level Chemistry A specification (H032/H432)

OCR Chemistry A is H032 for the AS and H432 for the A-level. The A-level is three papers: Periodic table, elements and physical chemistry (modules 1, 2, 3 and 5) and Synthesis and analytical techniques (modules 1, 2, 4 and 6) are 2 hours 15 minutes each and open with 15 marks of multiple choice, and Unified chemistry, 1 hour 30 minutes, covers all six modules. The AS examines modules 1 to 4.

Below is every numbered heading of the specification in OCR’s order, with the lessons that teach it and any missing detail named in its row. Module 1 is the practical skills the written papers test; the Practical Endorsement is assessed by your teacher in the lab, and the PAG list shows where each method is written up.

Checked against OCR Chemistry A H032/H432, version 3.1 (May 2026) on 31 October 2026. The table links each specification heading to the InkChemistry lessons that teach it and names any partial or missing coverage. Use the awarding body’s current specification as the definitive source.

1 Development of practical skills in chemistry

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
1.1	Practical skills assessed in a written examination	Measurement, uncertainty and significant figures in chemistry, Apparatus, techniques and safety: the twelve required practicals in outline, Measuring the rate of a reaction, Measuring an enthalpy change: calorimetry, Finding orders from initial rates, half-lives and graphs, Concentration, volumetric solutions and titration calculations	Covered
1.2	Practical skills assessed in the practical endorsement		An assessment arrangement rather than subject content

2 Foundations in chemistry

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
2.1.1	Atomic structure and isotopes	Protons, neutrons, electrons and isotopes, Time-of-flight mass spectrometry and relative atomic mass, The mole, the Avogadro constant and molar mass	Covered
2.1.2	Compounds, formulae and equations	Formulae, equations and state symbols, Ionic bonding and ionic lattices	Covered
2.1.3	Amount of substance	The mole, the Avogadro constant and molar mass, Gases and the ideal gas equation, Empirical and molecular formulae, Concentration, volumetric solutions and titration calculations, Reacting masses, percentage yield and atom economy	Covered
2.1.4	Acids	Concentration, volumetric solutions and titration calculations, Formulae, equations and state symbols, Brønsted–Lowry acids and bases, pH and strong acids, The Period 3 oxides: structure, bonding and acid–base character	Covered
2.1.5	Redox	Oxidation states and the rules for assigning them, Half-equations and building redox equations, Formulae, equations and state symbols, Group 2: trends down the group and reactions with water	Covered
2.2.1	Electron structure	Electron configuration: shells, subshells and orbitals	Covered
2.2.2	Bonding and structure	Ionic bonding and ionic lattices, Covalent, dative covalent and metallic bonding, Shapes of molecules and ions, Electronegativity, polarity and intermolecular forces, The four crystal structures and their properties, Mean bond enthalpies	Covered

3 Periodic table and energy

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
3.1.1	Periodicity	Periodicity: trends across Period 3 and the blocks of the table, Ionisation energies and the evidence for subshells, Electron configuration: shells, subshells and orbitals, The four crystal structures and their properties, Covalent, dative covalent and metallic bonding	Covered
3.1.2	Group 2	Group 2: trends down the group and reactions with water, Group 2 compounds: solubility, uses and the sulfate test	Covered
3.1.3	The halogens	Group 7: trends down the group and displacement reactions, Halide ions, the silver nitrate test, concentrated sulfuric acid, and chlorine in water, Half-equations and building redox equations	Covered
3.1.4	Qualitative analysis	Halide ions, the silver nitrate test, concentrated sulfuric acid, and chlorine in water, Group 2 compounds: solubility, uses and the sulfate test	Covered
3.2.1	Enthalpy changes	Enthalpy change, standard conditions and the definitions, Measuring an enthalpy change: calorimetry, Hess's law and enthalpy cycles, Mean bond enthalpies	Covered
3.2.2	Reaction rates	Collision theory, activation energy and the rate of reaction, The Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, temperature and catalysts, Measuring the rate of a reaction	Covered
3.2.3	Chemical equilibrium	Dynamic equilibrium, Le Chatelier's principle and industrial compromise, The equilibrium constant Kc	Covered

4 Core organic chemistry

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
4.1.1	Basic concepts of organic chemistry	Naming and representing organic molecules, Structural isomerism and E/Z isomerism, Reaction types, curly arrows and how a mechanism is written, Free-radical substitution	Covered
4.1.2	Alkanes	Alkanes: fractional distillation, cracking and combustion, Free-radical substitution, Electronegativity, polarity and intermolecular forces, Alkenes: structure, electrophilic addition and Markovnikov's rule	Covered
4.1.3	Alkenes	Alkenes: structure, electrophilic addition and Markovnikov's rule, Structural isomerism and E/Z isomerism, Addition polymers, Condensation polymers and the disposal of polymers	Covered
4.2.1	Alcohols	Alcohols: hydration, fermentation and classification, Oxidation and elimination of alcohols, Measuring an enthalpy change: calorimetry, Halogenoalkanes: nucleophilic substitution and rates of hydrolysis	Covered
4.2.2	Haloalkanes	Halogenoalkanes: nucleophilic substitution and rates of hydrolysis, Elimination from halogenoalkanes, and CFCs and the ozone layer	Covered
4.2.3	Organic synthesis	Preparing, purifying and testing an organic solid and liquid, Oxidation and elimination of alcohols, Planning a synthetic route	Covered
4.2.4	Analytical techniques	Infrared spectroscopy, Test-tube reactions for functional groups, and high-resolution mass spectrometry, Putting the analysis together: structure from spectra, Empirical and molecular formulae	Covered

5 Physical chemistry and transition elements (A-level only)

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
5.1.1	How fast?	Rate equations, orders of reaction and the rate constant, Finding orders from initial rates, half-lives and graphs, The Arrhenius equation and the rate-determining step	Covered
5.1.2	How far?	The equilibrium constant Kc, Kp: equilibria in the gas phase	Covered
5.1.3	Acids, bases and buffers	Brønsted–Lowry acids and bases, pH and strong acids, Weak acids, Ka and pKa; Kw and strong bases, Titration curves and choosing an indicator, Buffer solutions and buffer calculations	Covered
5.2.1	Lattice enthalpy	Lattice enthalpy and Born–Haber cycles, Enthalpies of solution and hydration	Covered
5.2.2	Enthalpy and entropy	Entropy and Gibbs free-energy change	Covered
5.2.3	Redox and electrode potentials	Electrode potentials and the standard hydrogen electrode, The electrochemical series and predicting feasibility, Commercial cells, rechargeable cells and fuel cells, Redox titrations: manganate(VII) and thiosulfate, Half-equations and building redox equations	Covered
5.3.1	Transition elements	Transition metal characteristics and complex formation, Ligands, the shapes of complexes, isomerism and ligand substitution, Colour in transition metal complexes and colorimetry, Variable oxidation states: vanadium, chromium and manganate(VII) titrations, Catalysis: heterogeneous, homogeneous and autocatalytic, Reactions of aqua ions with hydroxide, ammonia and carbonate, Redox titrations: manganate(VII) and thiosulfate	Covered
5.3.2	Qualitative analysis	Reactions of aqua ions with hydroxide, ammonia and carbonate, Halide ions, the silver nitrate test, concentrated sulfuric acid, and chlorine in water, Group 2 compounds: solubility, uses and the sulfate test	Covered

6 Organic chemistry and analysis (A-level only)

Ref	Specification heading	Taught in	Coverage
6.1.1	Aromatic compounds	Benzene: its structure and the evidence for delocalisation, Electrophilic substitution: nitration and Friedel–Crafts acylation	Covered
6.1.2	Carbonyl compounds	Aldehydes and ketones: nucleophilic addition and the tests that tell them apart, Oxidation and elimination of alcohols, Test-tube reactions for functional groups, and high-resolution mass spectrometry	Covered
6.1.3	Carboxylic acids and esters	Carboxylic acids, esters and biodiesel, Acylation: acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides	Covered
6.2.1	Amines	Amines: preparation, basicity and nucleophilic reactions	Covered
6.2.2	Amino acids, amides and chirality	Amino acids, proteins, enzymes and DNA, Optical isomerism, Acylation: acyl chlorides and acid anhydrides, Carboxylic acids, esters and biodiesel	Covered
6.2.3	Polyesters and polyamides	Condensation polymers and the disposal of polymers	Covered
6.2.4	Carbon–carbon bond formation	Halogenoalkanes: nucleophilic substitution and rates of hydrolysis, Aldehydes and ketones: nucleophilic addition and the tests that tell them apart, Amines: preparation, basicity and nucleophilic reactions, Electrophilic substitution: nitration and Friedel–Crafts acylation, Planning a synthetic route, Carboxylic acids, esters and biodiesel	Covered
6.2.5	Organic synthesis	Preparing, purifying and testing an organic solid and liquid, Planning a synthetic route	Covered
6.3.1	Chromatography and qualitative analysis	Chromatography: TLC, column and gas, Test-tube reactions for functional groups, and high-resolution mass spectrometry, Halogenoalkanes: nucleophilic substitution and rates of hydrolysis, Aldehydes and ketones: nucleophilic addition and the tests that tell them apart, Putting the analysis together: structure from spectra	Covered
6.3.2	Spectroscopy	Proton and carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy, Putting the analysis together: structure from spectra	Covered

What each paper is, how long it runs and where OCR publishes it: H432 past papers.

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