Chemistry is a popular and necessary topic for many degrees. Therefore it is no wonder that there are many IB chemistry versus A Level chemistry debates on the internet about which program is the easier path into university. In this blog, we can evaluate the current IB and A Level chemistry requirements based on content to determine which is truly more challenging. Of course, this is purely subjective. Let’s begin with the content in Tuttee:
Energetics/thermochemistry
Both programs necessitate a solid understanding of Hess’ Law, but IB students must deal with more difficult, four-part energy cycles. The IB covers entropy and Gibbs energy in more depth and with a larger mathematical emphasis. This provides IB students with a far more comprehensive understanding of the material as well as a broader variety of exam questions to prepare for.
Organic Chemistry
The current IB syllabus has less organic chemistry than the old one, which also included the ‘Further Organic Chemistry’ option. The A Level includes additional organic reactions, reagents, conditions, and mechanisms to learn. Both programs ask you to create four-step synthetic routes, however A Level organic synthesis questions are more difficult and need knowledge of a significantly larger chemical toolset.
It should also be emphasised that in order to receive their diploma, ib chemistry class students must take five additional subjects (all of which have challenging coursework requirements) and complete an Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge essay, as well as Creativity, Activity, and Service activity.