Can the new book be used to prepare for the 2010 exam?
This is a bit of a problem. The new syllabus is based on the old one, but has had a lot of bits and pieces removed. If you are using the old syllabus, you will probably know that an amendment that Edexcel have published on their website has already removed some material from what students need to know for the 2009 and 2010 exams. However, even more has been removed in the new syllabus. The new book therefore won’t contain everything that you need for the old syllabus. The arrangements for testing “practical” content have also changed in the new syllabus. If you are preparing your child for the 2010 exam, it might seem better to use the old Clark and Oliver edition. However, there are problems with this book, and it appears increasingly difficult to find copies of it on the web, although there are still a few second-hand versions available at absurd prices. An alternative solution is to use the new Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry book, and add on the extra material from elsewhere as necessary.
