Edexcel B Biology Spec at a glance
The Edexcel A level Biology exam board offers two different specifications so make sure you revise for the correct one as the two specifications, Edexcel A (Salters-Nuffield) and Edexcel B, are quite different from each other. The following outlines the structure of the Edexcel B A level Biology exams.
Paper 1: Advanced Biochemistry, Microbiology and Genetics
This exam will cover the following topics:
- Topic 1: Biological Molecules
- Topic 2: Cells, Viruses and Reproduction of Living Things
- Topic 3: Classification and Biodiversity
- Topic 4: Exchange and Transport
- Topic 5: Energy for Biological Processes
- Topic 6: Microbiology and Pathogens
- Topic 7: Modern Genetics.
Exam Structure:
- 30% of the qualification
- 1 hour 45 minutes.
- 90 marks.
- Paper 1 may include multiple-choice, short open, open-response, calculations and extended writing questions. The paper will also consist of 10% maths skills questions.
Paper 2: Advanced Physiology, Evolution and Ecology
Paper 2 will assess content from the following topics:
- Topic 1: Biological Molecules
- Topic 2: Cells, Viruses and Reproduction of Living Things
- Topic 3: Classification and Biodiversity
- Topic 4: Exchange and Transport
- Topic 8: Origins of Genetic Variation
- Topic 9: Control Systems
- Topic 10: Ecosystems.
Exam Structure:
- 30% of the qualification
- 1 hour 45 minutes.
- 90 marks.
- Paper 2 may include long and short questions and with 10% of the questions being based on maths skills.
Paper 3: General and Practical Principles in Biology
This paper will include questions from the following topics:
- Topic 1: Biological Molecules
- Topic 2: Cells, Viruses and Reproduction of Living Things
- Topic 3: Classification and Biodiversity
- Topic 4: Exchange and Transport
- Topic 5: Energy for Biological Processes
- Topic 6: Microbiology and Pathogens
- Topic 7: Modern Genetics.
- Topic 8: Origins of Genetic Variation
- Topic 9: Control Systems
- Topic 10: Ecosystems.
Exam Structure:
- 40% of the qualification
- 2 hour 30 minutes.
- 120 marks.
- Paper 2 may include long and short questions and with 10% of the questions being based on maths skills.
