AQA GCSE Synergy Science Predictions
We know how important it is to feel prepared for your exams, which is why we’ve carefully analysed past trends and patterns to create our AQA GCSE Synergy 2025 Predicted Papers 📚✨
This year, we’re including video walkthroughs for FREE! 🎥🙌 Alongside the question papers and exam-style mark schemes, these walkthroughs will show you exactly how to interpret questions and structure your answers the way examiners expect—helping you maximise your marks! ✅
While our predictions are based on careful analysis, remember to revise everything to be fully prepared for your exam! 💪
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Paper 1 Life and Environmental Sciences | 2025 Predicted Topics & Revision Guide AQA Synergy | GCSE Science
Here are our 2025 predictions for AQA Synergy GCSE Combined Science Higher Paper 1! 🔬✨ These are key topics we think might come up, so make sure you’re confident with them! But remember—revise everything to be fully prepared! 💪📚
🦠 Cells (Including Differences Between Animal & Plant Cells, Organelles & Specialised Cells)
✅ Animal vs. Plant Cells:
Plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts, and a permanent vacuole (animal cells don’t!)
✅ Functions of Key Organelles:Nucleus – controls the cell, contains DNA
Mitochondria – where respiration happens, releases energy
Ribosomes – make proteins
Chloroplasts – contain chlorophyll, absorb light for photosynthesis
✅ Specialised Cells:Sperm cell – tail for movement, lots of mitochondria for energy
Nerve cell – long and branched for fast signal transmission
Root hair cell – large surface area for water absorption
❤️ Human Circulatory System
✅ Main Components:
Heart – pumps blood around the body
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Blood vessels:
Arteries – carry oxygenated blood away from the heart (thick walls)
Veins – carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart (valves prevent backflow)
Capillaries – thin walls for gas exchange
✅ Blood Components & Their Functions:
Red blood cells – carry oxygen using haemoglobin
White blood cells – fight infection
Platelets – help with blood clotting
Plasma – carries nutrients, hormones, and waste
🌡️ Solids, Liquids, & Gases
✅ Particle Model:
Solids – particles are close together, vibrate in place
Liquids – particles can move past each other, take the shape of the container
Gases – particles move quickly and freely
✅ Changes of State:Melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, sublimation
✅ Density Formula:
Density = Mass ÷ Volume
🦠 Cancer & Non-Communicable Diseases
✅ Cancer:
Caused by uncontrolled cell growth and division
Benign tumours – don’t spread
Malignant tumours – can spread (cancerous)
✅ Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases:Smoking – lung cancer, heart disease
Obesity – type 2 diabetes, heart disease
Alcohol – liver disease
🌈 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
✅ Order (Longest to Shortest Wavelength):
Radio → Microwave → Infrared → Visible → Ultraviolet → X-ray → Gamma
✅ Uses:
Radio waves – communication
Microwaves – cooking, satellite signals
Infrared – remote controls, thermal imaging
Ultraviolet (UV) – sunbeds, sterilising water
X-rays – medical imaging
Gamma rays – cancer treatment
🌍 Earth’s Atmosphere
✅ Composition:
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases (including CO₂ & argon)
✅ Changes Over Time:Early atmosphere: lots of CO₂, no oxygen
Plants photosynthesised → oxygen levels increased, CO₂ decreased
Carbon dioxide locked into fossil fuels, oceans, and rocks
🩸 Hormones in the Menstrual Cycle
✅ Key Hormones:
FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone): Matures the egg in the ovary
LH (Luteinising Hormone): Triggers ovulation (egg release)
Oestrogen & Progesterone: Control the cycle & maintain uterus lining
🛑 Contraception
✅ Hormonal Methods:
Pill, implant, injection – stop ovulation
IUD (coil) – prevents fertilisation
✅ Barrier Methods:Condoms, diaphragms – prevent sperm reaching the egg
✅ Surgical Methods:Sterilisation – permanent
⚛️ Structure of the Atom
✅ Key Parts of the Atom:
Protons (+) in the nucleus
Neutrons (0) in the nucleus
Electrons (-) in shells around the nucleus
✅ Atomic Number & Mass Number:Atomic number = Number of protons (same as electrons!)
Mass number = Protons + Neutrons
✅ Electron Shells:1st shell = 2 electrons
2nd shell = 8 electrons
3rd shell = 8 electrons
⚡ Reflex Arc
✅ A fast, automatic response to protect the body
✅ Pathway:
Stimulus → Receptor → Sensory neurone → Relay neurone → Motor neurone → Effector → Response
✅ Example: Pulling your hand away from something hot
💡 Final Advice & Masterclasses!
🔥 These topics are predicted, but remember—revise everything!
🔥 Practise past papers to get used to the types of questions that come up!
🔥 Need extra support? Join our Masterclasses! We’ve got revision boosters and live exam prep sessions the night before to help you feel exam-ready! 🎧📢
💙 Most importantly, look after yourself! Exam stress is real, but your grades do not define your worth. Take breaks, eat well, and believe in yourself—you’ve got this! 💪✨
👉 Get your predicted papers & masterclass spot here
Paper 2 Life and Environmental Sciences | 2025 Predicted Topics & Revision Guide AQA Synergy | GCSE Science
Here are our 2025 predictions for AQA Synergy GCSE Combined Science Higher Paper 2! 🔬✨ These are key topics we think might come up, so make sure you’re confident with them! But remember—revise everything to be fully prepared! 💪📚
🩸 Blood Cells
✅ Types of blood cells and their functions:
Red blood cells – carry oxygen using haemoglobin, no nucleus for more space
White blood cells – fight infection (some engulf pathogens, others produce antibodies)
Platelets – help blood clot to prevent bleeding
Plasma – carries nutrients, hormones, and waste (like CO₂ and urea)
🛑 Movement of Substances Into & Out of the Blood
✅ Three key processes:
Diffusion – movement of molecules from high to low concentration (e.g. oxygen & carbon dioxide in the lungs)
Osmosis – movement of water from high to low water concentration across a semi-permeable membrane
Active transport – movement against the concentration gradient (e.g. absorbing glucose in the small intestine, minerals in plant roots)
💧 Osmosis Practical
✅ Investigating osmosis in potato cells
✅ Steps:
Cut potato into equal-sized pieces
Place in different sugar solutions (pure water → highly concentrated)
Measure the change in mass to see if water entered or left the cells
✅ Results:Increase in mass = water moved in (hypotonic solution)
Decrease in mass = water moved out (hypertonic solution)
✅ Key controls: same temperature, time, volume of solution
🌱 Field Investigations Practical
✅ Quadrats & Transects – used to estimate population sizes and study distribution
✅ Quadrats:
Place randomly in a field, count organisms inside
Repeat & calculate an average for accurate results
✅ Transects:Lay out a tape measure in a line across a habitat
Place quadrats at intervals to see how population changes
⚡ Reaction Time
✅ How to measure reaction time:
Ruler drop test – partner drops a ruler, measure the time taken to catch it
Computer-based tests – more accurate, removes human error
✅ Factors affecting reaction time:Caffeine (reduces reaction time)
Tiredness & distractions (increase reaction time)
🩸 Blood Glucose
✅ Controlled by the pancreas using hormones:
Insulin – lowers blood sugar (tells liver to store glucose as glycogen)
Glucagon – raises blood sugar (tells liver to release glucose)
✅ Diabetes:Type 1 – body doesn’t produce insulin (treated with insulin injections)
Type 2 – linked to obesity, cells don’t respond to insulin (managed with diet & exercise)
☀️ Photosynthesis
✅ Word equation:
Carbon dioxide + Water → Glucose + Oxygen
✅ Where? – In the chloroplasts (contains chlorophyll to absorb light)
✅ Factors affecting photosynthesis:
Light intensity – more light = more photosynthesis (up to a point)
Carbon dioxide concentration – more CO₂ = more photosynthesis
Temperature – enzymes work best at optimum temperature but can denature if too hot
☢️ Radioactivity
✅ Three types of radiation:
Alpha (α) – big, slow, stopped by paper
Beta (β) – faster, stopped by aluminium
Gamma (γ) – very fast, stopped by lead
✅ Half-life: The time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decay
✅ Uses:Medical tracers (gamma radiation)
Radiotherapy for cancer treatment
🧬 Inheritance
✅ Genes, Chromosomes & DNA:
DNA contains genes, which control traits
Alleles – different versions of a gene (dominant/recessive)
✅ Punnett Squares:Used to predict inheritance of traits
Dominant alleles need only one copy to be expressed
Recessive alleles need two copies to be expressed
🦠 Communicable Disease
✅ Caused by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists)
✅ Examples:
Bacteria – Salmonella (food poisoning)
Virus – Measles, HIV
Fungi – Athlete’s foot
Protists – Malaria
✅ How to prevent infection:Vaccination
Hand washing
Antibiotics (for bacterial infections)
Paper 3 Physical Sciences| 2025 Predicted Topics & Revision Guide AQA Synergy | GCSE Science
Here are our 2025 predictions for AQA Synergy GCSE Combined Science Higher Paper 3! 🔬✨ These are key topics we think might come up, so make sure you’re confident with them! But remember—revise everything to be fully prepared! 💪📚
⚡ Renewable & Non-Renewable Energy
✅ Renewable energy sources:
Wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, biofuels
Never run out, better for the environment but can be unreliable (e.g. no wind = no wind power)
✅ Non-renewable energy sources:Coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear
Reliable, but create pollution (CO₂ → global warming) and will run out
✅ Nuclear power: No CO₂ emissions but produces radioactive waste
🔗 Bonding & Structure
✅ Types of bonding:
Ionic bonding – between metals & non-metals, transfers electrons (strong electrostatic forces)
Covalent bonding – between non-metals, shares electrons (e.g. water, oxygen)
Metallic bonding – between metals, sea of delocalised electrons (good conductors)
✅ Structure & Properties:Giant ionic – high melting points, only conduct when molten or dissolved
Simple covalent – low melting points, don’t conduct electricity
Giant covalent (e.g. diamond, graphite) – high melting points
🛢️ Crude Oil
✅ Mixture of hydrocarbons – mainly alkanes (CₙH₂ₙ₊₂)
✅ Fractional distillation – separates crude oil into fractions based on boiling points
✅ Smaller molecules = lower boiling points, more flammable
✅ Bigger molecules = higher boiling points, more viscous
🧪 Organic Chemistry
✅ Alkanes (CₙH₂ₙ₊₂) – single bonds, saturated
✅ Alkenes (CₙH₂ₙ) – double bonds, unsaturated
✅ Complete combustion: Hydrocarbon + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + Water
✅ Cracking – breaking long hydrocarbons into smaller, more useful ones
🚗 Stopping Distances
✅ Stopping distance = Thinking distance + Braking distance
✅ Factors affecting thinking distance:
Speed
Tiredness, alcohol, drugs
✅ Factors affecting braking distance:Speed
Road conditions (ice, rain)
Car condition (worn brakes, tyres)
🏁 Terminal Velocity
✅ What happens when a falling object reaches terminal velocity?
At first: Weight > Air resistance → Object accelerates
As speed increases: Air resistance increases
At terminal velocity: Air resistance = Weight, so object falls at a constant speed
🧪 Acids & Alkalis
✅ pH Scale:
Acid = pH 0-6 (e.g. HCl)
Neutral = pH 7 (pure water)
Alkali = pH 8-14 (e.g. NaOH)
✅ Acid + Base → Salt + Water
✅ Indicators:Litmus: Red in acid, blue in alkali
Universal indicator: Shows full pH range
⚡ Reactivity Series
✅ Order of reactivity (most to least):
Potassium > Sodium > Calcium > Magnesium > Aluminium > Zinc > Iron > Copper > Gold
✅ Reactions with acids:
More reactive metals fizz more violently
Magnesium + HCl → Magnesium chloride + Hydrogen
✅ Displacement reactions:A more reactive metal displaces a less reactive one from its compound
🌍 Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs)
✅ Used to assess the environmental impact of a product at different stages:
Raw material extraction – mining, drilling, energy use
Manufacturing & processing – pollution from factories
Usage – how much energy/waste it produces in use
Disposal – landfill, recycling, decomposition
✅ Sustainability considerations – can materials be reused or recycled?
📊 Velocity-Time Graphs
✅ What the gradient means:
Steeper gradient = Greater acceleration
Flat line = Constant speed
Line sloping down = Deceleration
✅ Calculating acceleration:
Acceleration = (Final velocity – Initial velocity) ÷ Time
✅ Calculating distance travelled:Area under the graph = distance
💎 Carbon Allotropes
✅ Different forms of carbon with different properties:
Diamond: Hard, giant covalent, doesn’t conduct electricity
Graphite: Layers slide, conducts electricity (delocalised electrons)
Graphene: One layer of graphite, super strong, excellent conductor
Fullerenes: Hollow molecules (e.g. nanotubes) used in drug delivery
Paper 4 Physical Sciences| 2025 Predicted Topics & Revision Guide AQA Synergy | GCSE Science
Here are our 2025 predictions for AQA Synergy GCSE Combined Science Higher Paper 4! 🔬✨ These topics are based on past trends, but remember—revise everything to be fully prepared! 💪📚
🔥 Combustion
✅ Complete Combustion:
Fuel + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + Water
Releases energy, produces CO₂ (contributes to global warming)
✅ Incomplete Combustion:Fuel + Limited Oxygen → Carbon monoxide + Soot (carbon) + Water
Carbon monoxide (CO) is toxic – reduces oxygen in the blood
✅ Fossil Fuels & Pollution:Burning fuels releases sulfur dioxide (acid rain) & CO₂ (climate change)
📈 Energy Profiles
✅ Exothermic vs. Endothermic:
Exothermic: Releases heat (e.g. combustion)
Endothermic: Absorbs heat (e.g. photosynthesis)
✅ Energy Profile Diagrams:Activation energy = Energy needed to start the reaction
Catalysts lower activation energy → speeds up reaction
🔋 Potential Energy
✅ Stored energy due to position or condition
✅ Types of potential energy:
Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE): Energy stored due to height
Elastic Potential Energy: Stored in stretched or compressed objects
✅ GPE Formula:
GPE = Mass × Gravity × Height
🌀 Hooke’s Law
✅ Force is proportional to extension (until elastic limit is reached)
✅ Formula:
Force (N) = Spring constant (N/m) × Extension (m)
✅ Practical:
Add weights to a spring and measure extension
Plot force vs. extension graph (should be a straight line)
⚡ Rates of Reactions & Catalysts
✅ Factors Affecting Rate:
Temperature – Higher = Faster (more collisions, more energy)
Concentration – More particles = More collisions
Surface Area – Smaller pieces react faster
Catalysts – Speed up reactions without being used up
✅ How Catalysts Work:Lower activation energy
Provide an alternative reaction pathway
⚙️ Electrolysis of Aluminium
✅ Why is electrolysis needed?
Aluminium is very reactive → cannot be extracted by reduction
✅ Process:Aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) is melted in cryolite to lower melting point
At cathode (-): Al³⁺ gains electrons → Aluminium metal forms
At anode (+): O²⁻ loses electrons → Oxygen gas forms
✅ Problem: Oxygen reacts with carbon anode → produces CO₂, so anodes wear out
🔌 Circuits
✅ Key Circuit Components:
Battery/Cell – Provides voltage
Resistor – Limits current
Variable resistor – Changes resistance
✅ Ohm’s Law:
Voltage (V) = Current (A) × Resistance (Ω)
✅ Series vs. Parallel Circuits:Series: Same current, voltage shared
Parallel: Same voltage, current splits
🧲 Electromagnets
✅ How to Make an Electromagnet Stronger:
More coils
Increase current
Use an iron core
✅ Uses of Electromagnets:Electric bells
MRI scanners
Scrap yard magnets
⚖️ Le Chatelier’s Principle
✅ If a system in equilibrium is disturbed, it shifts to oppose the change
✅ Changing Conditions:
Increase temperature → Shifts to endothermic side
Increase pressure → Shifts to side with fewer gas molecules
Increase concentration of reactants → More products form
💙 Your Mental Health Matters 💙
Exams are important, but they do not define you. Your hard work, kindness, and resilience mean so much more than any grade ever could. 🌟
It’s okay to feel stressed, but remember to:
🧘♂️ Take breaks – your brain needs rest to work at its best!
💤 Get enough sleep – a well-rested mind learns better.
🍏 Eat well & stay hydrated – fuel your body and brain.
💬 Talk to someone – you’re never alone, and support is always there.
Believe in yourself—you are capable, strong, and more than enough! 💪✨ No matter what happens, you are valued and worthy just as you are. 💖
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