GCSE science required practicals are specific laboratory experiments that all GCSE Biology, Chemistry, and Physics students must carry out during their course. The skills gained are assessed within the written GCSE papers — there is no separate practical exam — making them central to both teaching and revision.
Why were required practicals introduced?
Before the 2016 reform of GCSE and A-level sciences, students received a separate grade for practical work (Controlled Assessment or Internal Assessment). This separate grade was controversial — marking consistency was uneven and some argued students were coached through it — so the government reformed the system.
For A-levels, a separate Practical Endorsement (a pass/fail grade) was introduced, reported alongside the A-level grade but not affecting it.
For GCSEs, a different approach was taken: there is no separate practical grade. Instead, the DfE specified a list of required practicals that all students must undertake, and questions based on these practicals — including analysis of results, evaluation of methods, and interpretation of data — appear in the written exam papers. Typically around 15% of marks in the written papers relate to required-practical skills and contexts.
How many required practicals are there?
The number varies slightly by exam board, but is typically:
| Subject | Number of required practicals (AQA) |
|---|---|
| Biology | 8 |
| Chemistry | 8 |
| Physics | 8 |
For students taking Combined Science (two GCSEs covering all three subjects), the required practicals span all three disciplines but are fewer in total than if each science were studied separately (Triple Science). The practicals themselves are the same whether a student is taking Triple or Combined Science.
What are some examples of required practicals?
The exact list is set by each exam board and detailed in their specification. Common examples across AQA Biology, Chemistry, and Physics include:
Biology:
- Microscopy: investigating cells using a light microscope (making slides, calculating magnification)
- Osmosis: investigating the effect of osmosis in plant tissue
- Enzyme activity: investigating the effect of pH on the rate of enzyme activity
- Photosynthesis: investigating the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis
Chemistry:
- Making salts: preparing a pure, dry sample of a soluble salt
- Titration: carrying out an acid-base titration
- Chromatography: investigating the composition of a mixture
- Temperature changes: investigating the temperature changes in neutralisation reactions
Physics:
- Resistance: investigating how resistance varies in a wire
- Specific heat capacity: determining the specific heat capacity of a material
- Waves: investigating the frequency of a signal generator
- Radiation: investigating infrared radiation from different surfaces
How do required practicals appear in the written exam?
Questions based on required practicals appear in GCSE exam papers in several forms:
- Recall of method — "Describe how you would set up an experiment to investigate osmosis in potato cells, including what you would measure and how you would control variables."
- Data interpretation — presenting a table or graph of results from a practical and asking students to draw conclusions or calculate values.
- Evaluation — asking students to identify sources of error in a method, suggest improvements, or assess whether a conclusion is valid.
- Application to new contexts — describing a slightly different experimental setup and asking students to apply the same practical reasoning skills.
Students who have actually carried out the practicals — who know what the equipment looked like, where errors occurred, and why variables needed controlling — answer these questions more fluently than those who have only read about them. This is why schools are required to carry out the practicals rather than simply teach about them.
What records should students keep of their practicals?
Students should maintain a practical notebook or folder throughout Years 10 and 11. A good practical record for each experiment includes:
- The aim of the investigation
- The independent variable (what was changed), dependent variable (what was measured), and control variables (what was kept the same)
- A clear, labelled diagram of the apparatus
- Raw data in a properly labelled table (with units)
- Processed data — graphs, calculated means, or derived values
- A brief conclusion linking the data to the scientific theory
- An evaluation noting potential sources of error and ways to improve the method
These records are not submitted to the exam board, but they are invaluable revision material. A student who reviews their practical folder before the exam has concrete examples to draw on when answering evaluation questions.
What is the difference between required practicals at GCSE and the A-level Practical Endorsement?
| Feature | GCSE required practicals | A-level Practical Endorsement |
|---|---|---|
| Reported separately? | No — assessed within written papers | Yes — pass/fail alongside the letter grade |
| Affects the grade? | Indirectly (15% of written exam marks) | No (pass/fail only; does not change the A-level grade) |
| Assessed how? | Written exam questions | Teacher observation and a practical portfolio |
| Separate component? | No | Yes — a distinct component completed across the two-year course |
Students moving from GCSE to A-level Sciences will encounter a much more detailed practical requirement at A-level, with formal observation criteria and a written endorsement. The GCSE required practicals provide the foundation for that.
Frequently asked questions
What if my child was absent for one or more required practicals?
Schools should arrange for students who miss a required practical to complete it at another time, where possible. If a practical cannot be completed due to a medical absence, the school may record this for their own records, but there is no formal submission to the exam board. Missing a practical does not directly penalise the exam grade — but the student will have less first-hand experience to draw on when answering exam questions about that practical.
Are required practicals the same at every school?
The list of required practicals is set by the exam board, not the school. All schools teaching AQA GCSE Biology, for example, must carry out the same eight required practicals. The order in which they are carried out, the specific conditions, and the quality of equipment may vary between schools, but the core procedures must be covered.
How should my child revise required practicals for the exam?
The most effective revision approach for practicals is threefold: (1) revisit the practical notebook and recall the method and results for each experiment; (2) practise writing evaluations identifying errors and improvements; (3) work through past-paper questions specifically tagged as "required practical" questions (available on AQA, Edexcel, and OCR websites). Many textbooks also include dedicated "Required Practicals" chapters.
Does the required practical approach mean less time doing practical work in school?
Paradoxically, it was designed to ensure more time on genuine practical work, not less. Under the old Controlled Assessment system, schools spent significant time on specific assessed practicals in controlled conditions. Required practicals are classroom experiments carried out as normal learning — without the procedural overhead of formal assessment — so teachers can focus on teaching the science rather than managing an assessment process.
For GCSE Science support — including understanding required practicals, interpreting data, and preparing for written exam questions — visit aitutors.me.