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A-Level Chemistry 9701 Paper 5: Planning, Data and Evaluation
Chemistry: planning and evaluation
This paper marks planning and evaluation: design a method, name the variables and the safety, then judge whether the given data really supports the conclusion. The marks sit in whether a step is executable – apparatus, quantity, reading, reason. “Ensure accuracy” earns nothing.
How is A-Level Chemistry 9701 Paper 5 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): Planning + analysis, 30 marks (A Level 12%); Paper 4 (A Level Structured Questions): Structured questions, 100 marks (A Level 38.5%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | Planning + analysis, 30 marks | A Level 12% | 1 h 15 min |
| Paper 4 (A Level Structured Questions) | Structured questions, 100 marks | A Level 38.5% | 2 hours |
A-Level Chemistry Paper 5 drilling technique: plans need apparatus (with range and precision), method, safety and repeats; concentration uses c1v1 = c2v2 (1:1 ratio); evaluation covers random (repeats) and systematic (instrument, end point) error. Percentage uncertainty = error / reading x 100%.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | apparatus choice + error reasoning | Planning answers name steps but never apparatus, quantity or reading precision, so nothing is executable. |
| Paper 4 (A Level Structured Questions) | AS + A2 content | Evaluation says the results support the hypothesis, without trend, error direction or the weakest data point. |
What is each A-Level Chemistry 9701 Paper 5 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): apparatus choice + error reasoning; Paper 4 (A Level Structured Questions): AS + A2 content
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Weeks 1-3: planning only. For every question write what is measured, with which apparatus, in what quantity, read to how many decimal places, then the controlled variables and the safety point; every line must be something another person could follow.
Weeks 4-6: data handling. Tabulate, then average and percentage error, then one sentence of trend that contains a number.
Weeks 7-9: evaluation, one error with its direction of bias, paired with one workable improvement; if they do not match, rewrite.
Weeks 10-12: full papers to time, planning first and evaluation second.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation) | 1 h 15 min | about 37 min per question |
| Paper 4 (A Level Structured Questions) | 2 hours | about 12 min per question |
How should the time be split inside each A-Level Chemistry 9701 Paper 5 paper?
Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis and Evaluation): about 37 min per question; Paper 4 (A Level Structured Questions): about 12 min per question
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titration ratio wrong | Taken as 1:2 | NaOH:HCl is 1:1 | 0.080 mol/dm3 |
| Uncertainty denominator | Divide by the error | Divide by the reading | 0.2% |
| Readings not recorded | Final value only | Record initial and final readings | both readings |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: the sentence as written, the scheme key words (apparatus, quantity, decimal places, too high or too low, improvement), and which one was missing. Put the most frequent gap on the first page of your notes.
How many years should you drill?
The paper structure and question style have changed, so older planning questions do not always match the current paper: build the sentences on three to five years of current papers, fill gaps with the official specimen, and use your own lab reports where years are thin.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The paper structure and question style have changed, so older planning questions do not always match the current paper: build the sentences on three to five years of current papers, fill gaps with the official specimen, and use your own lab reports where years are thin.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the A-Level Chemistry 9701 Paper 5 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the A-Level Chemistry 9701 Paper 5 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
Do more planning steps earn more marks?
No: the scheme asks whether each step can be executed. Three lines naming apparatus, quantity and reading beat eight lines of “handle carefully”.
Must the evaluation always name an error?
Yes, and with a direction: “the reading is too high” scores where “there is error” does not, because it shows how the conclusion moves. Pair it with a matching improvement.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| Cambridge A-Level Chemistry 9701 page | Confirm the Paper 1-5 marks and times |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-alevel-chemistry-9701-paper-1-mock-2027/ | A-Level Chemistry Paper 1 drilling mock |
Related: practice area · A-Level Chemistry Paper 2 drilling mock
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
Demand for tutors in this subject is steady, and those who can explain the marking scheme and where marks are won are especially sought after. Register free; you pay only when a match succeeds.
