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OCR · GCSE

OCR GCSE Chemistry

Chemistry for OCR GCSE (syllabus J248) — what the qualification covers, and the study material Marlbridge publishes for it.

Syllabus
J248
Board
OCR
Qualification
GCSE

At a glance

Qualification
OCR GCSE Chemistry
Spec code
J248
Does Marlbridge teach it?
Yes
Are resources available?
Yes — 6 published
Is enrolment open?
Enquire to join — no online enrolment yet
Where was this verified?
2026-08-18, official OCR specification

Compiled and maintained by the Marlbridge Academic Team, checked against the official OCR specification on 2026-08-18.

Spotted something wrong on this page? Report an error — see the corrections policy.

The qualification

OCR GCSE Chemistry A (Gateway Science) (J248)

Our GCSE Chemistry A (Gateway Science) qualification develops students' broad scientific knowledge as well as their conceptual understanding of a range of topics within chemistry itself. They develop practical and problem-solving skills and an ability to evaluate claims based on science through critical analysis. — OCR, official syllabus page

Qualification number 601/8663/X. A parallel "Twenty First Century Science" suite (Chemistry B, J258) also exists; J248 (Gateway Science) recorded here for consistency with a single-code-per-subject pattern.

Specifications change between examination series. Always confirm the current syllabus and assessment structure on the OCR syllabus page for your examination year.

Assessment structure

Linear qualification

Assessment components for OCR Chemistry J248
Component Duration Marks Weighting Type
J248/01: Paper 1 (Foundation Tier) (Foundation) 1h 45m 90 50% Written exam
J248/02: Paper 2 (Foundation Tier) (Foundation) 1h 45m 90 50% Written exam
J248/03: Paper 3 (Higher Tier) (Higher) 1h 45m 90 50% Written exam
J248/04: Paper 4 (Higher Tier) (Higher) 1h 45m 90 50% Written exam

Source: official OCR specification, verified 2026-08-28. Directly confirmed against OCR's own official "GCSE (9-1) Gateway Science: Exploring our question papers" guide (covering J247/J248/J249/J250, 2026-08-28). For each separate science, assessment is through two exams per tier: Paper 1/3 tests topics 1-3 plus topic 7 (practical); Paper 2/4 tests topics 4-6 plus topic 7 (practical), with assumed knowledge of topics 1-3 and synoptic assessment. Each paper is 90 marks, 1 hour 45 minutes, 50% weighting, for both Foundation tier (Papers 1-2) and Higher tier (Papers 3-4).

Assessment FAQs

How is OCR Chemistry (J248) assessed?

OCR Chemistry (J248) is assessed through: J248/01 (Paper 1 (Foundation Tier)) — 1h 45m, 90 marks, 50% of the qualification; J248/02 (Paper 2 (Foundation Tier)) — 1h 45m, 90 marks, 50% of the qualification; J248/03 (Paper 3 (Higher Tier)) — 1h 45m, 90 marks, 50% of the qualification; J248/04 (Paper 4 (Higher Tier)) — 1h 45m, 90 marks, 50% of the qualification. It is a linear qualification. Source: official OCR specification, verified 2026-08-28.

The subject

Chemistry teaching and study resources, organised by level and topic.

All Chemistry at Marlbridge

Syllabus topics

The 6 topics below are the official subject content of OCR GCSE Chemistry A (Gateway Science) (J248), for the Version 3.6, for first teaching 2016 examination series, reproduced from the OCR syllabus document.

A topic listed here is part of the syllabus. It does not mean Marlbridge has published material for it — topics with resources are marked. Marlbridge currently has resources for 2 of 6 topics.

  1. 1 Topic C1 – Particles

    3 Marlbridge resources

    The Particle Model · Atomic Structure

  2. 2 Topic C2 – Elements, Compounds and Mixtures

    3 Marlbridge resources

    Purity and Separating Mixtures · Bonding · Properties of Materials

  3. 3 Topic C3 – Chemical Reactions

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

    Introducing Chemical Reactions · Energetics · Types of Chemical Reactions · Electrolysis

  4. 4 Topic C4 – Predicting and Identifying Reactions and Products

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

    Predicting Chemical Reactions · Identifying the Products of Chemical Reactions

  5. 5 Topic C5 – Monitoring and Controlling Chemical Reactions

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

    Monitoring Chemical Reactions · Controlling Reactions · Equilibria

  6. 6 Topic C6 – Global Challenges

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

    Improving Processes and Products · Organic Chemistry · Interpreting and Interacting with Earth Systems

Source: OCR — official GCSE (9-1) Chemistry A (Gateway Science) J248 specification PDF — Version 3.6, for first teaching 2016 series. Verified 2026-09-02. This syllabus is tiered -- see the qualification summary above for the exact tier structure. Always check the current syllabus for your examination year.

Study resources

Revision material

Exam preparation

Chemistry at other qualifications

These are separate qualifications with different syllabuses and assessments — not different names for the same course. Check which one your school enters you for.

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