How to pass Biology GCSE

20th May 2024 by Anita Naik

Last year, Biology GCSE saw the largest percentage of top grades (50.9). It's why it remains one of the most popular A-level subjects, just behind maths (11.3% of entries), psychology (9.3%), and biology (8.5%). That said, pupils often get nervous about Biology GCSE due to the large amount of information that needs to be recalled. However, as you can see from the figures it's more than possible to do well in the exam.

Here's what you need to know.

Know what to revise

You should cover the following topics to revise for your Biology GCSE effectively. IMPORTANT: the exact content varies depending on your exam board (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, etc.), so look at your specification when revising for your GCSE. The core topics generally include:

Cell Biology

Differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, plant and animal cells, and specialised cells. Cell Division: Mitosis and meiosis, the cell cycle, stem cells. Diffusion, osmosis, active transport.

Tissues and Organs

Structure and function of animal and plant tissues and organs. The digestive system. Enzymes and digestion, organs involved, absorption. The circulatory system. Heart structure and function, blood vessels, blood composition. The respiratory system. Diseases, Risk factors, types of diseases, and impacts on the body.

Infection and Response

Pathogens, types of bacteria, fungi, viruses and how they cause disease. The immune system and the body's defences, such as white blood cells. Antibiotics and painkillers and how they work.

Bioenergetics

Equation, factors affecting photosynthesis, chloroplast function and anaerobic respiration, energy transfer.

Homeostasis and Response

The nervous system, its structure and function, and reflex actions. The endocrine system, hormones, feedback mechanisms, and glands. Controlling internal conditions, blood glucose levels, body temperature, and water balance. Human reproduction, hormonal control, and the menstrual cycle.

Inheritance, Variation, and Evolution

DNA structure, genes, chromosomes, genetic inheritance, Punnett squares, natural selection, evidence for evolution, speciation, cloning, GMOs, ethical issues.

Practical Skills

Ensure you understand the methodology, results, and significance of the practicals outlined by your exam board. These often include experiments on osmosis, enzyme activity, photosynthesis, and field investigations.

How can I get a Grade 9?

One in 20 students will achieve a grade 9 in GCSE Biology (though this figure changes slightly yearly). To get a grade 9, you have to ensure your revision is as good as possible,

Step one: Review your exam board's specification. This is a summary of what you need to know, and it's an efficient way of ensuring your Biology revision is thorough. It also has all the definitions you need for the exam, so print it out. Remember, you will lose marks if you don't use these keywords.

Step two: Get to know the exam paper. While the exam specification and format will vary depending on the examining board, in general, papers will have two written exams, often referred to as Paper 1 and Paper 2. The duration of each paper can range from 1 hour to 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on the examining board.

Step three: Get to know the mark scheme. Use past papers as much as you can and utilise the mark scheme to help you write the answers to questions the way the examiner wants. Use the keywords that always come up, and learn from your mistakes.

Step four: Create informative but not too detailed flashcards that help you retain key facts and keywords. Biology is a content-heavy subject, and flashcards based on the specification will help you retain and recall all the information you need.

Step five: Understand the content before you start to memorise it. This is important because if you understand why or how something happens, you'll be more likely to recall the information when you need it.

Step six: Memorising is key to getting a Grade 9. You need to know the content and understand how the exam is marked. Ensure you use past papers throughout your revision.