Edexcel IGCSE · Analysis & Prediction

2024 Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry Past Paper Analysis

This Paper 2C features a highly structured examination of organic and analytical chemistry, with high-weighting calculations and rigorous questions on separation techniques, Group 1 trends, and polymerisation.

Updated: 13 Jun 2026

Analysis Sample paper

Difficulty 3.2/5

Total marks

Duration

75 mins

Most tested

Chemical calculations (including stoichiometry, molecular formula deduction, and titration calculation)

Paper breakdown

Paper 2C: 70 marks · 75 mins

Top chapters

Chemical formulae, equations and calculations · 10 marksGroup 1 (alkali metals) – lithium, sodium and potassium · 8 marksAcids, alkalis and titrations · 8 marksCrude oil · 8 marks

Overall Exam Verdict

The November 2024 Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry Paper 2C is a balanced yet rigorous paper. It spans fundamental atomic structure, physical chemistry concepts like bond energetics, and reaches its crescendo with challenging organic chemistry questions at the end. While the entry-level questions in the first half offered highly accessible recall marks, the latter half demanded precise calculations, structured explanations, and impeccable drawing skills for polymer linkages.

Where the Marks are Found

A significant portion of the marks in this paper is allocated to calculations and experimental methodologies. Key calculation topics include:

Multi-step mole calculations, such as determining the mass of lithium reacting with water from a gas volume.
Titration calculations, requiring calculation of concentration to exactly 3 significant figures.
Subtracting displayed formula segments to find unknown alkane chains (\(n = 13\)).
Standard enthalpy changes (\(\Delta H\)) from a table of bond energies.

Additionally, practical recall of qualitative tests, such as using sodium hydroxide to identify iron(II) ions and describing fractional distillation of crude oil, yielded high rewards for structured answers.

Examiner Pitfalls & Misconceptions

Examiner reports highlight critical areas where candidates frequently dropped marks due to common misconceptions:

Burette Readings: Missing the required precision. Start and end values must be recorded to the nearest 0.05 cm³, meaning a reading of exactly 23.8 must be written as 23.80.
Metallic Structure: Confusing particles in metals. Explaining malleability by saying 'electrons slide' or 'intermolecular forces are broken' instead of 'layers of metal positive ions slide' is a fatal error.
Exothermic Explanations: Explaining why a reaction is exothermic using the incorrect direction of energy. Remember: more energy is released during bond making than is absorbed during bond breaking.
Polyester Repeat Units: Drawing the repeat unit of a condensation polymer with terminal hydrogen or oxygen atoms instead of showing open-ended linkages (extension bonds) leads to immediate mark deduction.

Strategy for the Next Series

To master upcoming exams, prioritize high-value topics such as quantitative calculations and organic synthesis pathways. When practicing salt preparation, ensure you explicitly state to 'heat to the point of crystallization' rather than 'heating to dryness'. Ensure you are fluent in drawing ester and polyester links with all structural bonds explicitly displayed.

Charts

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

Multiple Choice1 marks · 1 questions
Short Answer (1-3 marks)41 marks · 22 questions
Long Answer (4+ marks)17 marks · 4 questions
Calculation11 marks · 4 questions

Mark accessibility

Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.

80%within easy or medium reach

easy: 25 marksmedium: 31 markshard: 14 marks

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

Command word frequency

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

Chemical calculations

10 marks · Difficulty 3.5 · recurrence 95%

Crude oil & fractional distillation

8 marks · Difficulty 2.2 · recurrence 85%

Group 1 trends and observations

8 marks · Difficulty 2.5 · recurrence 80%

Titrations & volumetric analysis

8 marks · Difficulty 3 · recurrence 80%

Atomic structure

7 marks · Difficulty 1.8 · recurrence 90%

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

marksmins

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Electrolysis85%

Electrolysis was not assessed in detail on this paper, making it a high-probability core question on the next series.

Reversible reactions and equilibria80%

No dynamic equilibrium or Haber process questions appeared, which are highly typical components of Paper 2.

Acids, bases and salt preparations60%

Only a standard dry salt crystal extraction of sodium nitrate was featured; preparation of insoluble salts is highly likely next.

Cumulative marks ladder

The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.

Topic-year heatmap

Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.

Jun 2023

Jun 2023 (V2)

Nov 2024

Alkanes

Group 1 (alkali metals) – lithium, sodium and potassium

Extraction and uses of metals

Chemical tests

Energetics

Crude oil

Covalent bonding

Gases in the atmosphere

Atomic structure

Reactivity series

Examiner insights

Official report

Common pitfalls

Failing to read burette diagrams to exactly 2 decimal places (must end in .00 or .05).
Forgetting that the repeat unit of a polyester must exclude the terminal OH and H atoms from the diol and dicarboxylic acid ends.
Using the term 'intermolecular forces' when explaining metallic bonding malleability or electrical conductivity.

Misconceptions

Believing that universal indicator gives a sharp color change in a titration.
Thinking that electrons slide when a metal is hammered, rather than layers of positive metal ions sliding.
Assuming that potassium is more reactive because it has more protons, neglecting the shielding and distance of the outer electron from the nucleus.

Where marks are lost

Losing the third mark on bond energy calculations by writing +95 instead of -95 kJ/mol for an exothermic reaction.
Not identifying that the number of CH2 units (n) in a formula mass calculation must be an integer.
In salt preparation descriptions, forgetting to mention heating until a saturated solution (or crystallisation point) is reached, rather than heating to dryness.

Know what the examiners want — now go get those marks

Thinka is an AI practice app used by 100,000+ DSE students to drill questions and get instant feedback on every answer. You already know the high-frequency topics and where marks are lost — now practice those specifically on Thinka and turn this analysis into actual marks.

Start Practising Free See pricing

Know what's tested? Drill those topics on Thinka — AI questions, instant marking.

Start Practising Free