What are GCSE science required practicals?
Required practicals are a set of practical activities that GCSE science students in England are expected to carry out during the course, and questions about them appear in the written exams. LoveMaths Tutoring UK recommends revising them as carefully as any other topic, because the exam can ask about the method, the results and how the experiment could be improved.
The exact list of practicals depends on your exam board and on whether you study combined science or the separate sciences. Your teacher or your board's specification will have the definitive list.
What do exam questions on required practicals usually ask?
Exam questions on required practicals usually test whether you understand why each step is done, not just what the steps are. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests being ready for questions that ask you to:
- Describe or put in order the steps of a method
- Name the independent, dependent and control variables
- Identify a hazard and say how to reduce the risk
- Choose suitable equipment and explain why
- Read, plot or interpret a table or graph of results
- Calculate a mean, ignoring any anomalous results
- Suggest how to make results more accurate or more repeatable
How do I revise the method for each practical?
The most effective way to revise a practical method is to make a one-page summary for each practical and then practise writing the method from memory. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests every summary includes:
- The aim, in one sentence
- A labelled sketch of the apparatus
- The method as numbered steps, each starting with a verb such as "measure", "add" or "record"
- The independent, dependent and control variables
- The main hazards and how to reduce the risk
- What the results usually show, and why
Once a summary is made, cover it and try to write the method out in full. Compare it with the original and add anything you missed.
How do I identify independent, dependent and control variables?
The independent variable is the one you change, the dependent variable is the one you measure, and control variables are the ones you keep the same so the test is fair. LoveMaths Tutoring UK uses a simple example: investigating how water temperature affects how long sugar takes to dissolve.
| Variable | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | The variable you deliberately change | Water temperature |
| Dependent | The variable you measure | Time taken for the sugar to dissolve |
| Control | Variables kept the same for a fair test | Mass of sugar, volume of water, stirring |
A useful sentence to check your answer: "I change the independent variable to see its effect on the dependent variable."
How should I revise hazards and risks?
For each practical, revise one or two specific hazards and a matching way to reduce each risk. LoveMaths Tutoring UK recommends being precise, because vague answers such as "be careful" rarely earn marks:
- Hazard: something that could cause harm, such as hot water or an irritant chemical
- Risk: the chance of harm actually happening, such as being scalded
- Control measure: what you do to reduce the risk, such as wearing eye protection or letting equipment cool before handling it
What do accuracy, precision, repeatable and reproducible mean?
These four words appear often in practical questions and each has a specific meaning in GCSE science. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests learning them as exact definitions:
- Accurate: a measurement close to the true value
- Precise: repeated measurements that are close to each other, with little spread
- Repeatable: the same person, using the same method and equipment, gets similar results
- Reproducible: a different person, or a different method or equipment, gets similar results
How can I practise required practical questions?
Past paper questions on practicals are the best practice, because they show how examiners phrase questions about methods and results. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests finding the practical questions in past papers from your own exam board and answering them using only your one-page summaries.
LoveMaths Tutoring UK also provides one to one online science tutoring at GCSE, in one-hour sessions over Zoom planned around a prior assessment. Students can start with the free online assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Do required practicals come up in the GCSE science exams?
Yes. GCSE science students in England carry out required practicals during the course, and questions about them appear in the written exams, testing methods, variables, risks, results and improvements.
What is the difference between independent and dependent variables?
The independent variable is the one you deliberately change in an experiment, and the dependent variable is the one you measure. Control variables are kept the same to make the test fair. LoveMaths Tutoring UK suggests the check sentence: I change the independent variable to see its effect on the dependent variable.
What is the difference between repeatable and reproducible results?
Results are repeatable if the same person, using the same method and equipment, gets similar results. Results are reproducible if a different person, or a different method or equipment, gets similar results.
How do I find out which required practicals I need to know?
The list of required practicals depends on your exam board and on whether you study combined science or separate sciences. Your science teacher or your exam board's specification has the definitive list, and LoveMaths Tutoring UK recommends revising from that list.
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