Cambridge 9701 · Paper 1 Multiple Choice

AS Chemistry 9701 Paper 1 Past Papers

Cambridge 9701 Paper 1 (Multiple Choice) is 40 marks in 1h 15m, set as 4 timetable variants (11, 12, 13, 14). Quanta has mapped 23 sittings from 2023 to 2025, every question tagged to the syllabus section it tests — so the breakdown below is what Paper 1 has actually asked, summed across 23 papers, rather than a guess from the syllabus.

Every sitting has its own page, listed by series below, with its Cambridge code in both forms (9701/12/F/M/25 and 9701_m25_qp_12).

Updated 28 September 2026

At a glance

Paper: Paper 1 Multiple Choice
Subject: Cambridge AS Level Chemistry 9701
Marks: 40
Time: 1h 15m
Questions: 40, one mark each
Variants: 11, 12, 13, 14
Calculator: allowed
Sittings mapped: 23 (2023–2025)

What Paper 1 tests

Marks by syllabus section, totalled over all 23 sittings. The order barely moves from year to year, which is the point: it is the paper’s real weighting. Areas linked in blue have a free Quanta guide.

An introduction to AS Level organic chemistry

104 mk · 11%

Atoms, molecules and stoichiometry

76 mk · 8%

Chemical bonding

59 mk · 6%

Atomic structure

58 mk · 6%

Group 2

53 mk · 6%

Carboxylic acids and derivatives

50 mk · 5%

Equilibria

49 mk · 5%

Chemical energetics

47 mk · 5%

States of matter

44 mk · 5%

Electrochemistry

44 mk · 5%

Reaction kinetics

43 mk · 5%

The Periodic Table: chemical periodicity

40 mk · 4%

Hydroxy compounds

37 mk · 4%

Group 17

36 mk · 4%

Carbonyl compounds

36 mk · 4%

Hydrocarbons

34 mk · 4%

Halogen compounds

30 mk · 3%

Nitrogen and sulfur

25 mk · 3%

Analytical techniques

19 mk · 2%

Polymerisation

18 mk · 2%

Nitrogen compounds

12 mk · 1%

Organic synthesis

6 mk · 1%

Revision guides for Paper 1

Moles and stoichiometryAtoms, molecules and stoichiometry · 8% of Paper 1 marks Chemical bondingChemical bonding · 6% of Paper 1 marks Atomic structureAtomic structure · 6% of Paper 1 marks

9701 Paper 1 grade boundaries, every session

The raw mark each variant of Paper 1 needed for each grade, for every session Cambridge has published. Grades stop at A: Cambridge sets A* only on the overall qualification. Work out what you need overall.

Session	Paper	A	B	C	D	E
May/June 2026	9701/11 / 40	30	28	22	17	12
	9701/12 / 40	25	22	18	14	11
	9701/13 / 40	27	25	20	16	11
	9701/14 / 40	30	28	22	17	12
Feb/March 2026	9701/12 / 40	29	27	22	17	13
Oct/Nov 2025	9701/11 / 40	27	22	19	16	13
	9701/12 / 40	25	22	18	15	12
	9701/13 / 40	27	22	19	16	13
	9701/14 / 40	28	22	19	16	13
May/June 2025	9701/11 / 40	26	23	19	15	11
	9701/12 / 40	27	24	20	16	12
	9701/13 / 40	29	27	22	17	13
	9701/14 / 40	27	25	20	16	12
Feb/March 2025	9701/12 / 40	29	27	22	17	13
Oct/Nov 2024	9701/11 / 40	27	22	19	16	12
	9701/12 / 40	25	21	18	14	11
	9701/13 / 40	27	22	19	16	12
May/June 2024	9701/11 / 40	29	27	22	17	13
	9701/12 / 40	27	24	20	15	11
	9701/13 / 40	29	27	22	17	13
Feb/March 2024	9701/12 / 40	30	27	22	17	13
Oct/Nov 2023	9701/11 / 40	28	23	19	15	12
	9701/12 / 40	26	21	17	14	11
	9701/13 / 40	28	23	19	15	12
May/June 2023	9701/11 / 40	28	26	21	17	13
	9701/12 / 40	27	23	19	15	11
	9701/13 / 40	28	26	22	18	13
Feb/March 2023	9701/12 / 40	28	25	20	16	12

All 9701 Paper 1 sittings

Practise AS Chemistry 9701 Paper 1 against real mark schemes

Quanta has real Cambridge AS Chemistry 9701 past-paper questions, with every answer explained after you commit to it and each question tied to the syllabus topic it tests — and it tracks which skills you’re missing. Free for individual students.

Start practising free

Common questions

What grade is 29 out of 40 on 9701 Paper 1?

In May/June 2026, 29/40 was a B on 9701/11 and 9701/14 and an A on 9701/12 and 9701/13. Across the 11 sessions Cambridge has published for this paper out of 40, the same mark ranged from a B to an A — boundaries move every series. The table above has every session.

How many marks for an A on 9701 Paper 1?

In May/June 2026, an A needed between 25 and 30 out of 40, depending on the variant you sat. It is set again after every series.

What is Cambridge 9701 Paper 1?

Paper 1 of Cambridge AS Level Chemistry 9701 — Multiple Choice. It is 40 marks in 1h 15m, with 40 multiple-choice questions worth one mark each, and it is set as variants 11, 12, 13, 14 for different time zones — same syllabus, same structure, different questions. Quanta has mapped 23 sittings from 2023 to 2025.

How long is 9701 Paper 1?

1h 15m for 40 marks — about 1.9 minutes per mark, which is the pacing to hold.

Is a calculator allowed in 9701 Paper 1?

Yes, on every sitting Quanta has mapped.

Where can I get 9701 Paper 1 past papers?

Cambridge publishes past papers and mark schemes through its own site and through schools; they are © Cambridge University Press & Assessment, so the pages here describe each paper rather than reproduce it. Inside Quanta, every sitting listed above is practised online question by question and marked instantly, with each wrong answer tied back to its syllabus section.

At a glance

What Paper 1 tests

Revision guides for Paper 1

9701 Paper 1 grade boundaries, every session

All 9701 Paper 1 sittings

February/March 2025

May/June 2025

October/November 2025

February/March 2024

May/June 2024

October/November 2024

February/March 2023

May/June 2023

October/November 2023