Good work! If you’re reading this then you’re probably getting ready to take your Edexcel A-Level Biology exams soon. Time flies and it may very well feel like just yesterday you were starting secondary school, while now you’re getting ready to finish it! But there’s no need to be nervous, we’re here to help you through this important and challenging exam period. At A-Level Biology, we’ve created a guide to exams and a bunch of material to help you get ready for them.
First thing’s first – if you’re taking this subject then that means that you’re on a course specifically designed for international advanced level students of Biology. Edexcel is a unique exam board in offering such a course at A-Level. While A-Level Biology courses don’t tend to differ too much across exam boards, knowing about small differences between them can go a long way in helping you prepare for your exams. Your examination board is Edexcel, which focuses the bulk of its assessments on multiple-choice questions. For this reason, you’re encouraged to take every opportunity to take practice tests and look over past exam papers. These can give you a very good idea of what kind of questions you can expect in the exam itself and they can help you practice timing your answers.
About the Board
One of the largest exam boards in the United Kingdom, Edexcel is also the first private one to have been created. Its name, created out of a medley of education and excellence, emerged out of an agreement between the non-profit Edexcel Foundation and Pearson, the world’s largest education company. As one of the biggest exam boards in the world, Edexcel also offers some of the greatest varieties across different courses and specification. It also offers you the option of taking exams in January, June or even October, which gives you some advantage over those on other courses where resits are possible only once a year.
How Long Will the Course Take to Complete?
The length of the course tends to depend on two things: your school’s policy and at what level you are studying biology. Those taking just AS Level Biology tend to finish the course within one academic year. Meanwhile, those taking A-Level Biology usually take two full academic years to complete the course. You get to decide whether you take the AS or A-Level Biology, but you’re encouraged to think carefully and think ahead when you decide. Your decision may well affect your future career and further education options as some require the full A-Level in Biology and some may not.
Is Any Prior Knowledge Required?
While Edexcel has not stipulated that students have to have a background in the subject to take the International A-Level, they have recommended it. The exam board states in their specification that those most likely to benefit from this course are students who have either an IGCSE, a GCSE or the equivalent of a Level 2 Qualification in Biology.
What Will I Study?
AS Level students will have to complete the compulsory ‘IAS’ units and thus cover the topics of Molecules, Transport and Health; Membranes, Proteins, DNA and Gene Expression; Cell Structure, Reproduction and Development; and, Plant Structure and Function, Biodiversity, and Conservation. They will also learn about various practical skills in biology including problem solving, practical application of scientific knowledge, data presentation, result evaluation, and graph plotting, and be tested on those.
As for A-Level students, they study the above topics and in addition to those also Energy Flow, Ecosystems and the Environment; Microbiology, Immunity, and Forensics; Respiration, Muscles and the Internal Environment; and, Coordination, Response and Gene Technology. In addition to that A-Level students have to complete another unit in practical skills in biology, where they’ll learn to comment on experimental design, cite sources, make and record observations, and more.
What is the Examination Process Like?
The examination process also depends on what extent you’re studying biology to (AS or A-Level), but other than that it is fairly simple. AS Level students sit three exams: Unit 1: Molecules, Diet, Transport and Health, United 2: Cells, Development, Biodiversity and Conservation, and Unit 3: Practical Skills in Biology I. The first two exams last 1 hour and 30 minutes each and will be worth 40% of the final grade each. The third exam will last 1 hour and 20 minutes and be worth 20% of the final grade.
A-Level students will sit the three exams above plus three more exams: Unit 4: Energy, Environment, Microbiology and Immunity, Unit 5: Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination, and Gene Technology, and Unit 6: Practical Skills in Biology II. For them units 1,2, 4 and 5 will be worth 20% each while units 3 and 6 will count towards 10% of the final mark.
Study Tips
Biology is a hefty subject to study at an advanced level – both AS and A-Level students have to learn a significant amount of material and be able to apply their knowledge effectively under exam pressure in order to be successful. However, this actually sounds tougher than it is. You’ve already spent a year or two studying the subject, now all you have to do is revise it and prepare effectively. In order to do that you ought to devote 3 to 4 hours a day to biology in the weeks leading up to exams. That should give you plenty of time to prepare yourself and be ready for assessment.
It would be extremely difficult to study biology merely by reading books to learn the material in them. That’s why you should be using fun and easy active learning methods to get you through revision season. These include, for example, flashcards, mind maps, practice tests, and quizzes. By mixing things up you’ll keep revision interesting and you’re more likely to retain information than by just reading it. We recommend starting with flashcards and mind maps and working your way up to practice papers. Once you’re confident you can use past examination papers to truly test your preparedness for the exam under timed conditions. In order to help you out at this time, we have already gone ahead and prepared revision materials to help you get ready for your Edexcel A-Level Biology International exams. Give them a try!