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Free Chemistry Past Papers for every UK exam board

Find the right papers for your chemistry course, see how each board's exams are set out, and learn how to turn past papers into higher marks. Covers AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, Cambridge IGCSE, Qualifications Scotland (SQA) and CCEA.

AQAEdexcelOCR GatewayOCR 21st CenturyWJECCambridge IGCSENational 5CCEAHow to revise

Not sure which exam board you're on?

Chemistry topics overlap between boards, but the order, the question styles and the required practicals don't. Check the front of a mock paper or ask your teacher before you start. As a rough guide:

EnglandUsually AQA, Edexcel or OCR. AQA is the most widely taken GCSE Chemistry course.
WalesUsually WJEC. Schools in England using WJEC's sister board take Eduqas instead.
ScotlandNational 5 Chemistry, now awarded by Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA).
Northern IrelandUsually CCEA, which examines practical work directly.
International and independent schoolsUsually Cambridge IGCSE (0620), sometimes Edexcel International GCSE.

Chemistry past papers by exam board

How each exam is set out, which topics sit on which paper, and the one thing worth knowing about that board. Then straight to the papers and mark schemes.

AQA GCSE Chemistry

8462Foundation and Higher

Two written papers at the end of Year 11, each covering its own half of the course.

PaperTimeMarksWeightingTopics
Paper 11h 45m10050%Atomic structure and the periodic table; bonding, structure and properties of matter; quantitative chemistry; chemical changes; energy changes
Paper 21h 45m10050%Rates and extent of chemical change; organic chemistry; chemical analysis; chemistry of the atmosphere; using resources
AQA tip: quantitative chemistry (moles, concentrations and percentage yield) appears on Paper 1 every year and its ideas reappear on Paper 2. If calculations are a weak spot, collect every calculation question from the papers below and work through them as a set.

AQA GCSE Chemistry past papers and mark schemes

Every link opens the official PDF on AQA's website. Start with Foundation or Higher to match the tier you've been entered for.

Exam seriesPaper 1 FoundationPaper 1 HigherPaper 2 FoundationPaper 2 Higher
June 2025Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2024Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2023Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2022Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
November 2021Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
November 2020Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2018Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Sample papers (2016)Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Examiner reports and more on AQA's site

Edexcel GCSE Chemistry

1CH0Foundation and Higher

Two written papers from Pearson Edexcel. Topic 1, key concepts in chemistry, can come up on either paper.

PaperTimeMarksWeightingTopics
Paper 11h 45m10050%Key concepts; states of matter and mixtures; chemical changes; extracting metals and equilibria; separate chemistry 1
Paper 21h 45m10050%Key concepts; groups in the periodic table; rates of reaction and energy changes; fuels and Earth science; separate chemistry 2
Edexcel tip: the "separate chemistry" topics only appear in the full Chemistry GCSE, not Combined Science, and they're often where students drop marks. Give them extra practice from the past papers.

Edexcel Chemistry past papers and mark schemes

Every link opens the official PDF on Pearson's website. Pearson keeps the most recent year's papers for teachers only, so they're added here once they become public.

Exam seriesPaper 1 FoundationPaper 1 HigherPaper 2 FoundationPaper 2 Higher
June 2025Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2024Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2023Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2022Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
November 2020Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Examiner reports and more on Pearson's site

OCR Gateway GCSE Chemistry A

J248Foundation and Higher

Foundation students sit papers 1 and 2; Higher students sit papers 3 and 4. Practical skills (topic C7) are tested across both.

PaperTimeMarksWeightingTopics
Paper 1 or 31h 45m9050%C1 particles; C2 elements, compounds and mixtures; C3 chemical reactions
Paper 2 or 41h 45m9050%C4 predicting and identifying reactions and products; C5 monitoring and controlling chemical reactions; C6 global challenges
OCR Gateway tip: each paper starts with multiple choice questions worth quick marks. Learn the definitions and test results (flame tests, gas tests, ion tests) word for word.

OCR Gateway Chemistry past papers and mark schemes

Every link opens the official PDF on OCR's website. A few older mark schemes aren't published by OCR, so those cells are blank.

Exam seriesPaper 1 (Foundation)Paper 2 (Foundation)Paper 3 (Higher)Paper 4 (Higher)
June 2025Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2024Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2023Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2022Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
November 2021Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
November 2020Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2019Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2018Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Examiner reports and more on OCR's site

OCR Twenty First Century GCSE Chemistry B

J258Foundation and Higher

The two papers aren't split by topic: either can test anything in the course. They differ in question style.

PaperTimeMarksWeightingStyle
Breadth in chemistry1h 45m9050%Shorter questions across the whole course
Depth in chemistry1h 45m9050%Longer, extended answers in unfamiliar contexts
21st Century tip: the Depth paper often gives you data from a real process and asks you to explain it. Practise reading tables and graphs carefully before you start writing.

OCR 21st Century Chemistry past papers and mark schemes

Every link opens the official PDF on OCR's website. A few older mark schemes aren't published by OCR, so those cells are blank.

Exam seriesBreadth (Foundation)Depth (Foundation)Breadth (Higher)Depth (Higher)
June 2025Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2024Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2023Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2022Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
November 2021Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
November 2020Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2019Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2018Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Examiner reports and more on OCR's site

WJEC GCSE Chemistry (Wales)

WJECFoundation and Higher

Two written units plus a practical assessment. Separate GCSE Chemistry stays available in Wales alongside the new science GCSEs until at least 2031.

UnitTimeWeightingContent
Unit 11h 45m45%Chemical substances, reactions and essential resources
Unit 21h 45m45%Chemical bonding, application of chemical reactions and organic chemistry
Unit 3Practical10%Practical assessment carried out in school
Starting Year 10 in September 2026? WJEC has updated the practical unit for new students. The written papers are still good practice.

WJEC Chemistry past papers and mark schemes

Every link opens the official PDF on WJEC's website. In some years WJEC published one mark scheme covering both tiers. There were no summer exams in 2020 or 2021.

Exam seriesUnit 1 FoundationUnit 1 HigherUnit 2 FoundationUnit 2 Higher
June 2025Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2024Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2023Paper·Mark schemePaperPaper·Mark schemePaper
June 2022Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
June 2019Paper·Mark schemePaperPaper·Mark schemePaper
June 2018PaperPaper·Mark schemePaperPaper·Mark scheme
June 2017PaperPaper·Mark scheme
Practical papers and more on WJEC's site

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry

0620Core and Extended

Three papers for every student. Core papers lead to grades C to G; Extended papers open up the full range to A*.

PaperTimeMarksWeightingFormat
Paper 1 or 245m4030%Multiple choice (1 Core, 2 Extended)
Paper 3 or 41h 15m8050%Structured theory questions (3 Core, 4 Extended)
Paper 5 or 61h 15m or 1h4020%Practical test (5) or alternative to practical (6)
Cambridge tip: the qualitative analysis notes (tests for ions and gases) are printed at the back of the practical papers. Get used to using them from past papers so you can find answers quickly on the day.

Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry past papers and mark schemes

These are the papers Cambridge makes public on its own website, all opening as official PDFs. Older series are available to schools through Cambridge's School Support Hub.

Exam seriesPaper 1 (Core MCQ)Paper 2 (Extended MCQ)Paper 3 (Core)Paper 4 (Extended)Paper 5 (Practical)Paper 6 (Alt. to practical)
June 2024Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Specimen papersPaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Examiner reports on Cambridge's site

National 5 Chemistry (Scotland)

X813 75Qualifications Scotland

The course covers three areas: chemical changes and structure, nature's chemistry, and chemistry in society. Assessment is a question paper plus an assignment written up in school.

ComponentTimeMarksFormat
Question paper2h80Section 1: 20 multiple choice marks. Section 2: 60 marks of structured and extended questions
AssignmentIn school20A report on a chemistry topic, including data you have gathered
Changed for 2026 to 2027: the question paper is now 80 marks in 2 hours, down from 100 marks in 2 hours 30 minutes. Older papers are still excellent practice; just allow the extra time if you're timing yourself.

National 5 Chemistry past papers and marking instructions

Every link opens the official PDF on the Qualifications Scotland website, which keeps the last five years. Papers up to 2026 use the longer format described above.

YearQuestion paperMarking instructions
2026Section 1·Section 2Marking instructions
2025Section 1·Section 2Marking instructions
2024Section 1·Section 2Marking instructions
2023Section 1·Section 2Marking instructions
2022Section 1·Section 2Marking instructions
Course reports and more on Qualifications Scotland's site

CCEA GCSE Chemistry (Northern Ireland)

CCEAFoundation and Higher

A unitised course where practical work is directly examined and worth a quarter of the grade. Exam times differ by tier.

UnitTimeWeightingContent
Unit 11h (F), 1h 15m (H)35%Structures, trends, chemical reactions, quantitative chemistry and analysis
Unit 21h 15m (F), 1h 30m (H)40%Further chemical reactions, rates and equilibrium, calculations and organic chemistry
Unit 32h + 1h25%Practical skills: Booklet A practical tasks (7.5%) and Booklet B written paper (17.5%)
CCEA tip: Booklet B asks about the prescribed practicals in detail, including apparatus, safety and observations. Past Booklet B papers show exactly how the questions are worded.

CCEA Chemistry past papers and mark schemes

Every link opens the official PDF on CCEA's website. Booklet B is the written practical skills paper in Unit 3. CCEA released papers in 2021 even though exams didn't run that year.

Exam seriesUnit 1 FoundationUnit 1 HigherUnit 2 FoundationUnit 2 HigherBooklet B FoundationBooklet B Higher
Summer 2026PaperPaperPaperPaperPaperPaper
Summer 2025Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Summer 2024Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Summer 2023Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Summer 2022Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Summer 2021Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark scheme
Summer 2019Paper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper·Mark schemePaper
Modified papers and more on CCEA's site

How to use chemistry past papers properly

Working through papers is only half of it. The real gains come from marking honestly and fixing what went wrong. This routine works for every board.

  1. Start with topics, not full papersPick one topic, such as bonding, and do every question on it from several papers. Patterns in how it's examined appear quickly.
  2. Practise calculations separatelyAround 20% of chemistry marks need maths: moles, relative formula mass, concentrations, yields and energy changes. Always show working, as method marks are common.
  3. Learn the exact wordingMark schemes reward specific phrases, for example "more frequent successful collisions" rather than "particles hit more". Note the wording the mark scheme uses and copy it.
  4. Balance every equationEquations turn up on almost every paper. Check state symbols and that each side balances; it's an easy place to lose marks.
  5. Keep a mistakes listRecord each lost mark and why. Review it weekly and it becomes your own revision guide.
  6. Finish with timed papersIn the final weeks, sit full papers in exam conditions and aim to finish with ten minutes to check.

Revise the topics that come up on every board

These areas appear on every chemistry specification. Our sister site World of Teaching has free, teacher made chemistry PowerPoints to go over them before you try the questions.

⚛️
Atomic structure and the periodic tableAtoms, isotopes, electron arrangement and trends down groups.Chemistry PowerPoints →
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Bonding and structureIonic, covalent and metallic bonding, and how structure explains properties.Chemistry PowerPoints →
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Chemical reactionsAcids and alkalis, electrolysis, reactivity and energy changes.Chemistry PowerPoints →
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Rates and equilibriumWhat speeds reactions up, collision theory and reversible reactions.Chemistry PowerPoints →
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Organic chemistryCrude oil, alkanes and alkenes, polymers and alcohols.Chemistry PowerPoints →
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The atmosphere and resourcesGreenhouse gases, pollution, water treatment and life cycle assessments.Chemistry PowerPoints →

Chemistry past papers: common questions

Are these past papers free?

Yes. Every paper linked from this page is free, and most come with the matching mark scheme. Boards often hold back the newest papers for a short time so schools can use them as mocks.

Should I use Foundation or Higher tier papers?

Use the tier you've been entered for. Higher students can still use Foundation papers early on, since the hardest Foundation questions also appear on Higher papers.

I'm doing Combined Science. Can I use these papers?

Yes, for the chemistry topics you study. Skip anything that isn't in your Combined Science specification, such as the extra separate chemistry content.

Is there a data sheet or periodic table in the exam?

Yes. Every board gives you a periodic table, and some include other data. Practise with the same sheet when you do past papers so you know where everything is.

Where can I find more chemistry resources?

Our sister site, World of Teaching, has free chemistry PowerPoints written by teachers, and The XR School reviews virtual reality chemistry labs and molecule apps.

Need to go over a topic first?

Free chemistry PowerPoints from World of Teaching, made by teachers and free to download.

Browse chemistry PowerPoints →

Exam structures checked October 2026. Always confirm details with your school or the exam board, as specifications can change.