Planning & Risk Playbook for H2 Chemistry Papers 3 and 4

Q: What does the Planning & Risk Playbook cover?
A: A reusable scaffold for the SEAB Planning descriptor-aim phrasing, variables tables, apparatus lists, data usage statements, and risk matrices-so H2 candidates unlock planning marks in Paper 4 and design-focused prompts in Paper 3.

TL;DR\

• Planning carries 5 percent of Paper 4 and often underpins design-style free-response prompts in Paper 3.\

Write concise, lab-ready plans: define the aim, justify apparatus, specify data handling, and log risks with control measures-all referenced to SEAB’s 2026 syllabus.

Status: SEAB H2 Chemistry (9729, first exam 2026) syllabus last checked 2025-11-29 (PDF last modified 2024-07-17). Paper 4 remains 2 h 30 min, 55 marks, weighting 20 % with Planning at 5 % and MMO/PDO/ACE at 15 % combined; planning skills are also probed in Paper 3 design prompts.

1 | Why Planning matters

• Paper 4 (55 marks, 2 h 30 min) allocates five percent specifically to Planning (SEAB H2 Chemistry syllabus 9729 scheme of assessment).
• Planning evidence is assessed alongside MMO, PDO, and ACE; weak planning leads to unclear manipulation steps and patchy ACE commentary.
• The 2026 SEAB specimen paper for H2 Chemistry 9476 Paper 4 illustrates the Planning section clearly-Question 1 begins with a structured plan prompt before any bench work, emphasising the need for risk assessments and data-usage statements you can reuse from this playbook.
• A disciplined template saves time under exam conditions and signals to markers that you can deliver feasible investigations with safety controls.

2 | Anatomy of a high-scoring plan