The A-level Chemistry Practical Endorsement: A Guide for Parents New to the UK System

If your child has recently started A-level Chemistry in England, you may have heard teachers mention "the practical endorsement", "required practicals" or "CPAC". For families who have come from Hong Kong, mainland China or another system, these terms can be confusing, because they describe something that sits alongside the A-level grade rather than inside it.

This guide explains, in plain terms, what the practical endorsement is, what it is not, and what you can reasonably ask your child's school about it. It is based on AQA's published information for A-level Chemistry (7405).

What the practical endorsement is

A-level Chemistry includes a large amount of hands-on laboratory work. Some practical skills can be tested in written exams, for example by asking students to analyse data or suggest improvements to a method. Others can only be judged by watching a student actually work in the laboratory: following a method safely, using apparatus correctly and recording results properly.

The practical endorsement is how those directly observed skills are recognised. According to AQA's practical handbook, which includes a statement shared by all the exam boards:

• each student carries out a minimum of 12 practical activities across the course;
• teachers assess students using the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC), which are issued jointly by the exam boards;
• each student keeps an appropriate record of their practical work;
• students who demonstrate the required standard across all the CPAC receive a "pass".

In AQA's specification, the 12 activities are the "required practicals". Your child's school may run more practical work than this; the 12 are the minimum.

What the practical endorsement is not

This is the part that most often surprises families new to the system.

It is not part of the A-level grade. AQA's results information states that the practical endorsement for A-level Biology, Chemistry and Physics is reported as either "pass" or "not classified", and that this separate result appears on the certificate but does not count towards the overall grade. A student's A* to E grade comes from the written exam papers.

It is not graded on a scale. There is no "merit" or "distinction" for A-level Chemistry practical work. The outcome is pass or not classified.

It is not a single exam. The endorsement is built up over the course, through observed practical work, rather than taken on one day.

It is not the same as practical questions in the exams. The written papers still include questions about practical work and methods. A student can hold a pass for the endorsement and still need to practise those exam questions carefully.

Because the endorsement is separate, a strong pass in the laboratory does not raise a grade, and a weaker exam performance does not remove a pass. They are two different things recorded side by side.

Who organises it

The practical endorsement is assessed by your child's teachers in school, not by an external examiner on the day. Schools plan when each required practical takes place, observe students against the CPAC, and keep records. The exam boards monitor how schools carry out this assessment.

This means the school, and usually the Chemistry department, is the right place to ask questions. Arrangements, such as which term each practical is run in, or how students catch up on a missed practical, vary between schools, so it is better to ask than to assume.

Why it still matters

Even though it does not change the grade, the endorsement is worth taking seriously:

• the habits it builds (careful measurement, safe handling, accurate recording) feed directly into the practical questions in the written papers;
• the result is printed on the certificate, so universities and others can see it;
• some university courses in the sciences may ask for a pass, so it is sensible to check the entry requirements for any course your child is considering, rather than relying on general advice.

AQA's handbook also notes that resit candidates who have already passed the endorsement may carry that result forward.

A note for students used to exam-focused systems

Students who have done very well in systems that put most weight on written exams sometimes treat laboratory sessions as less important. In A-level Chemistry, the laboratory record is part of the evidence. Missing practicals, leaving write-ups incomplete or relying on a partner to do the measuring can make it harder to show the required standard consistently.

The language of practical work also matters. AQA's handbook notes that in written exams students are expected to use scientific terms such as "accurate", "precise" and "repeatable" as defined in its glossary. These everyday-sounding words have specific meanings in science, and learning them early helps in both the laboratory and the exam.

Questions you can ask the school

If you are not yet sure how things work at your child's school, these questions are polite and reasonable to ask the Chemistry department or your child's tutor:

1. How and when will my child complete the required practicals this year?
2. How do students keep their practical records, and can my child show me theirs?
3. How will we know if my child is not yet meeting the standard, and what support is offered?
4. What happens if my child misses a practical because of illness or absence?
5. Is there anything we can do at home to help, such as reviewing the method before a practical?

You do not need to be a scientist to ask these questions. Schools generally welcome parents who want to understand how the course works.

Where to go next

The practical endorsement is separate from the A-level grade; help your child take laboratory work and written practical questions seriously.

Free AQA A-level Chemistry Guide (in English): a clear overview of the AQA A-level course. Get the free guide

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