Changes to new GCE A level Chemistry Syllabus

New chemistry syllabus from 2026 onwards for JC students or private candidates or students taking chemistry tuition classes:

Singapore Examination and Assessment Board also provided sample papers for the candidates. The papers can be accessed as follows:

Solutions to the H1 and H2 Chemistry GCE A level examination sample papers are enclosed in the links below

Changes to Chemistry Assessment for GCE A level examination

The key changes for H2 GCE A level Chemistry assessment are as follows:

Handling, applying and evaluation information would have a weightage of 44% as compared to previous 48%
Application of knowledge with understanding would have a higher weightage of 36% as compared to previous 32%
In short, there would be less emphasis on data analysis question which requires multi topical knowledge.
This decision is likely taken as the current H2 GCE A level chemistry assessment could be overly demanding.

Conversely, for H1 GCE A level Chemistry assessment, the key changes are as follows:

Handling, applying and evaluation information would have a lower weightage of 55% as compared to previous 60%
Application of knowledge with understanding would have a higher weightage of 45% as compared to previous 40%
In short, there would be less emphasis on data analysis question which requires multi topical knowledge.
This decision is likely taken to be in line with university admission criteria as H1 subject is no longer included unless it improves the ranking points of the candidate.

There are substantial changes as follows:

Added in a new topic on how enzyme can act as biological catalyst and its effectiveness in conditions when temperature and pH are changing. Denaturation of proteins in terms of disrupting the disulfide covalent bonds, ion-dipole attraction forces, hydrogen bonding, permanent dipole-dipole attraction forces and instantaneous dipole induced dipole attraction forces by temperature and pH would be discussed.
Nanomaterial as a chapter is removed and polymer is added. Polymer used to be studied as part of Chemistry in the GCE A level examination by school candidates, private candidates and chemistry tuition students in 2010s.
As part of polymer, addition and condensation polymers would be taught including the formation and hydrolysis of peptide linkage involving natural amino acids.

The changes are as follows:

Environmental chemistry is greater emphasis in the learning of chemistry during tuition, tutorial classes or chemistry lessons focusing on replacement of CFC by HFC and HCFC as well as biodegradability of various polymers.
Added in a new topic on how enzyme can act as biological catalyst using lock-and-key model and its effectiveness in conditions when temperature and pH are changing. Denaturation of proteins in terms of disrupting the disulfide covalent bonds, ion-dipole attraction forces, hydrogen bonding, permanent dipole-dipole attraction forces and instantaneous dipole induced dipole attraction forces by temperature and pH would be discussed.
Another new topic is Polymer. Polymer used to be studied as part of Chemistry in the GCE A level examination by school candidates, private candidates and chemistry tuition students in 2010s. As part of polymer, addition and condensation polymers would be taught including the formation and hydrolysis of peptide linkage involving natural amino acids.
Finally it is stated in the new syllabus as part of chemistry practical that candidates would not be asked to carry out gas collection experiments involving displacement of water which incidentally was asked in the GCE A level practical laboratory examination paper in 2023. School or private candidates or A level chemistry tuition students would not be required to carry out tests involving 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, phosphorus(V) chloride or phenol