Biology

Assessment

As mentioned in the Course Content section, you will sit two exams in the first year. These are both internally assessed. In the second year, you will sit three exams. Two of which are 1 hr 45 minutes and are each worth 30% of the total qualification. The third exam is 40 % of the total qualification and is 2 hours and 30 minutes. In addition to your exams, you will carry out and write up a series of required core practicals over the two-year course. These will aid you in learning new practical skills, honing your scientific thinking, as well as improving your report writing. The practicals are varied and range from studying the local flora with quadrats to calculating the rate of reaction using colorimeters. At the end of the course, you will be given a ‘practical endorsement’ acknowledgment. If you opt to take Biology, you must have at least a grade of 5,5 and have sat the higher paper for GCSE. It is strongly suggested that you take Core Maths or A Level Maths.