GCSE Biology

Exam Board: AQA Specification: 4411

Qualification

This course begins in the Summer Term of the first GCSE year and concludes in the second GCSE year. It follows on from the AQA Core Science course. Because of this, it is strongly suggested that students study the AQA Core Science course prior to commencing the GCSE Biology course.

As the new scientific vocabulary introduced can be difficult for even the most confident speakers of English to take in, it is vital that students who wish to take this course have a firm grasp of the language. Students must also have studied Science and Mathematics to G1 standard.

Structure of the course:

The GCSE Biology course comprises four units, each worth 25% of the total grade. Units 1 to 3 are assessed by external exams, and unit 4 is a centre-assessed unit evaluating students’ practical and investigative skills.

The theory for Unit B1 is covered in G1, and is assessed by two multiple-choice question papers, which students sit in November and March. The theory for Unit B2 is covered in partly in G1 and partly in G2, and for Unit B3 in G2. The written papers for these two units are taken in January and June, respectively. All four papers can be taken at Foundation or Higher level. Foundation covers grades G-C, and Higher covers grades D-A*.

Unit B4 concentrates on the practical side of Biology, essential for helping students to develop practical and investigative skills and gain a full understanding of the science of Biology.

Topics covered include:

B1:

  • Hormones and the nervous system
  • Diet and exercise
  • Drugs and drug abuse
  • Controlling infectious disease
  • Adaptation and competition in plants and animals
  • Variation
  • Evolution
  • How people affect the planet

B2:

  • Cell structure and function
  • Movement of dissolved substances in and out of cells
  • Photosynthesis
  • Energy transfer in food chains & webs
  • Nutrient cycles
  • Enzyme structure, function and use in industry
  • Homeostasis
  • Inheritance.

B3:

  • Absorption of nutrients in the gut
  • Exchange of gases in animals, plants and insects
  • Transport of substances around the body
  • Use of microbes in production of food, fuels and antibiotics.

B4:

  • Practical work carried out in the contexts of Units B1, B2 and B3

Students are assessed on practical skills during AQA-set tasks (Practical Skills Assessment – PSA), and investigative skills in an AQA-set test paper (Investigative Skills Assessment – ISA).

 

For more information on this course, please go to http://www.aqa.org.uk/