Everything you need — interactive table, group explanations, exam tips, and downloadable PDF insert — all in one place. Covers AQA GCSE and A Level Chemistry specifications.
And why does it matter for your exams?
The AQA periodic table is the official version of the periodic table used in all AQA Chemistry exams — both GCSE (specification 8462) and A Level (specification 7405). It lists all 118 known elements, arranged by increasing atomic number (the number of protons in the nucleus).
The good news? You are given the periodic table in the exam. AQA provides it as a data insert in every chemistry paper. So you don’t need to memorise every element — but you do need to understand how to read it and use it. If you’re just starting out, our guide to GCSE Chemistry tutoring covers exactly how to approach this topic from scratch.
In 1869, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev arranged the then-known elements by their properties and left gaps for elements not yet discovered. His arrangement was so accurate that scientists later found those missing elements exactly where he predicted. Today’s AQA periodic table is a refined version of Mendeleev’s original, ordered strictly by atomic number.
Click any element to see its details. Use the filter buttons to highlight groups.
Each box on the AQA periodic table tells you four things.
When you open your AQA chemistry data sheet in the exam, each element square contains the following information:
A period is a horizontal row on the periodic table. There are 7 periods. As you move across a period left to right, each element has one more proton than the last. Elements in the same period have the same number of electron shells.
A group is a vertical column on the periodic table. There are 18 groups (AQA only labels 1, 2, and 7 with Roman numerals at GCSE). Elements in the same group have the same number of electrons in their outer shell, which is why they have similar chemical properties.
The AQA specification focuses on specific groups. Here’s what you need to know about each.
Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium, Caesium, Francium.
Key properties: 1 outer electron, very reactive with water, reactivity increases down the group. Soft, low-density metals that produce hydrogen gas and metal hydroxides when added to water.
GCSE Core A LevelBeryllium (Be), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Strontium, Barium, Radium.
Key properties: 2 outer electrons, less reactive than Group 1. React with water to form metal hydroxides. Reactivity increases down the group. Especially important at A Level.
A Level FocusIron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni), Titanium (Ti), Chromium, Manganese…
Key properties: Form coloured compounds, act as catalysts (e.g. iron in Haber process), have variable oxidation states, high melting points, good conductors. This topic is examined heavily — our A Level Chemistry tutors cover transition metal chemistry in depth.
GCSE A LevelFluorine (F), Chlorine (Cl), Bromine (Br), Iodine (I), Astatine (At).
Key properties: 7 outer electrons (1 short of a full shell), very reactive non-metals, reactivity decreases down the group. More reactive halogens displace less reactive ones from solutions.
GCSE Core A LevelHelium (He), Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe), Radon (Rn).
Key properties: Full outer electron shell, chemically inert (don’t react), exist as monatomic gases, very low boiling points. Used in lights, lasers, and welding.
GCSE CoreCarbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), Phosphorus, Sulfur, Silicon (Si).
Key properties: Poor conductors (except graphite), tend to form covalent bonds, many are gases at room temperature. Carbon forms giant covalent structures (diamond, graphite, graphene).
GCSE CoreThe same table, but a very different depth of understanding required.
At GCSE, the AQA periodic table content focuses on:
The AQA periodic table GCSE insert is provided in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 as part of the data sheet. If you’re preparing for your papers, our GCSE Chemistry tutoring programme walks through every topic with exam-focused practice.
At A Level, the periodic table content goes much deeper:
These are the most common periodic table questions in AQA exams.
Our IB Demystified tutors work through real AQA past paper questions with you — step by step.
The official data sheet given in every AQA Chemistry exam.
The AQA periodic table PDF is the official data insert that students receive during every AQA GCSE and A Level Chemistry exam. It includes all 118 elements with atomic numbers, symbols, and relative atomic masses.
For GCSE, the insert is a simple single-page periodic table. For A Level, the data sheet is more detailed — including the periodic table, electronegativity values, bond enthalpies, and standard electrode potentials.
Official AQA format — same version used in exams. Printable PDF for revision.
Quick answers to the most searched questions about the AQA periodic table.
Continue your revision with these topics that link directly to the periodic table.
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