Tips

• 21 main units in this syllabus

  • Characteristics and classification of living organisms
  • Organisation of the organism
  • Movement into and out of cells
  • Biological molecules
  • Enzymes
  • Plant nutrition
  • Human nutrition
  • Transport in plants
  • Transport in animals
  • Diseases and immunity
  • Gas exchange in humans
  • Respiration
  • Excretion in humans
  • Coordination and response
  • Drugs
  • Reproduction
  • Inheritance
  • Variation and selection
  • Organisms and their environment
  • Human influences on ecosystems
  • Biotechnology and genetic modification
• Assessment objectives (AO)

  AO1 Knowledge with understanding: Remembering facts and applying these facts to new situations<|>AO2 Handling information and problem solving: Extracting information, rearranging it, carrying out calculations and making predictions<|>AO3 Experimental skills and investigations: Planning and carrying out experiments, recording and analysing information
• It is important to know the different weightings (%) of the assessment objectives, as this affects how the examiner will assess your work
• Before the examination


  1. Find out when the examinations are and plan your revision so you have time to revise

  2. Create a revision timetable and divide it into sections to cover each topic

  3. Find out how long each paper is, how many questions you have to answer, how many marks there are for each question, and work out how long you have for each question

  4. Know the meaning of the command words used in questions and how to apply them to the information given

  5. Make revision notes. Try different styles of notes

  6. Work for short periods then have a break. Revise small sections of the syllabus at a time. Test yourself by writing out key points, redrawing diagrams, etc.

  7. Make sure you define, scientific terms accurately. Definitions must not reuse the words to be defined

  8. Make your own dictionary or draw up a glossary of key terms for each section of the syllabus

  9. Practise drawing clear, simple, neat, fully-labelled diagrams

  10. Learn to spell scientific terms correctly

  11. Have a look at past questions so that you are clear of what to expect in an examination

  12. Look at mark schemes to help you to understand how the marks are awarded for each question
• In the examination


  1. Read the instructions carefully and answer the right number of questions from the right sections

  2. Do not answer more questions than are needed, as this will not gain you more marks in the examination

  3. Plan your time according to the marks for each question

  4. Look for details that indicate how to answer or the depth of answer required

  5. Do not leave out questions or parts of questions. Remember, no answer means no mark

  6. Read each question very carefully

  7. Identify the command words and other key words

  8. Try to put the question into your own words to understand what it is really asking

  9. Read all parts of a question before starting your answer. Think carefully about what is needed for each part

  10. Look very carefully at the resource material you are given

  11. Answer the question. This is very important!

  12. Use your knowledge and understanding. Do not just write all you know, only write what is needed to answer the question

  13. Plan your answers. Clear, concise, well-ordered, well-argued, well-supported answers get more marks than long, rambling, muddled, repetitious answers

  14. Use scientific terms in your answers as much as possible

  15. Use the resource material given in the question to support your answer

  16. Make sure you are confident with your calculator – particularly using powers of 10

  17. Always show your working in calculations so that you can gain marks for your method even if you make a mistake with the final answer

  18. Always include units where appropriate

  19. Avoid vague descriptions – try to write clearly and concisely using the correct physics terms

  20. Use a sharp pencil for graph work, taking care to plot each point with a small, neat cross and to draw a thin best fit line

  21. At the end of a calculation ask yourself 'is this answer sensible?'

  22. Make sure you answer the question set. You will gain no marks for merely repeating the facts given in the question

  23. Make sure your writing is clear and easy to read

  24. Work through the paper with care. Do not miss out a question for any reason

  25. Do not attempt to look for any pattern, or any lack of pattern in the answers

  26. You will likely make fewer mistakes if you write down your working than if you try to work out the answers in your head

  27. Practise multiple-choice questions and get someone else to mark them
• The number of marks for each question or question part often gives you a clue about how many separate points you need to make in your answer
• Structured questions contain many parts. Often later parts can depend on the answer to earlier parts
• Answer the question being asked. Do not write down the cell structures which are given in the question
• Know the biological terms used in the questions
• Keep an eye on the time. Make sure you have time to answer all the questions and return at the end to check your answers
• Paper 6 assesses experimental skills and investigations. It is a written paper about practical work
• The number of marks for each question or question part often gives you a clue about how many separate points you need to make in your answer in Paper 6
• Record readings using suitable accuracy, for example: volume to the nearest 0.1 cm3, thermometer readings usually to the nearest 0.5°C, time to the nearest second
• For Paper 6

  1. Record observations in the order the steps are carried out

  2. Write notes before writing the plan

  3. Clearly state details of apparatus, quantities of substances to be used, practical procedures you think should be carried out, and a conclusion

  4. Make sure any diagrams fill the space given on the paper and are fully labelled