A in A-level Biology: unleash your inner biologist and get top marks

Published

30 April 2024

Read time

11 minutes

Contents

There is no denying that A levels are hard! Biology A level courses in particular can cover a huge range of content in great depth and this, combined with the challenges of exam questions, means that an A grade can feel elusive. As an experienced biology teacher, tutor and A level examiner I know the struggles that students face with exam preparation and performance on exam day; here I aim to lay out some revision and exam tips that will help you progress towards your biology goals.

Understand the A-Level Biology course

A good overall understanding of the requirements of your particular course will ensure that your revision is well structured and that your exams don’t contain any unpleasant surprises. Make sure that you have a good grasp of the following:

The specification for your exam board
The number of exams that you will have and the date of each exam
The biological content that will be assessed in each exam paper
The types of question that you will answer in each exam, for example multiple choice, structured questions, essays and/or questions about practical work
Trusted sources of information for your revision, such as your teacher, a textbook, a biology teacher YouTube channel, and of course Save My Exams!

Effective study techniques for acing A-Level Biology

I have worked with many students, as both a teacher and tutor, to help get over that initial sense of overwhelm that comes with getting started on revision. It is essential that you begin with a plan; this will help you to feel more in-control, and will ensure that you cover everything in your revision. Print out the A level biology specification for your exam board and have a calendar to hand, then you can write the sections of the specification into your calendar to create your study schedule.

The next thing to consider is your approach to revision. You may have come across ideas involving coloured highlighters and note-taking, but be aware that passive techniques like these are not really backed by scientific evidence. Instead you should use active learning strategies such as:

Flashcards: these are physical or digital cards that have key terms, concepts or questions written on one side, and definitions or answers on the other. Producing your own flashcards can be a valuable exercise in itself (though you should avoid writing out big chunks of the textbook when you do this!), and ready-made flashcards can be used for regular testing of your own knowledge.
Practice questions: evidence shows that self-testing is a highly effective revision strategy, so this should form part of your everyday studies. Here at Save My Exams we have hundreds of A level exam questions arranged by topic and difficulty level, so aim to spend part of each revision session testing yourself in this way.
Explanation and elaboration: I know that when I teach a complicated topic in several different ways, my own knowledge and understanding improves, and the same is true for students! Consider revising with a classmate and explaining concepts to each other, or ask someone at home to be your biology pupil while you teach them about complex ideas from your A level specification. Or you could take a flashcard that refers to a particular topic and see how much detail you can add into a written explanation without looking at the back of the card.

Remember that these strategies work best when you allow for plenty of repetition, so don’t aim to cover an entire topic in one go, but maybe cover part of a topic before moving onto something else, then the next day come back and test yourself again on the section already covered before continuing with your studies.

Prepare for A-Level Biology exam papers

I have taught many students who revise hard, and who know their biology content back-to-front, but who still struggle to achieve full marks in A level exam questions; this is where exam technique comes into play. The very best way to improve your exam technique is to practise past exam questions and mark your work using exam mark schemes. This will allow you to become familiar with different question types, and with the demands of exam mark schemes. As exams get closer it is also a good idea to practise past papers in their entirety; this will help you learn about the differences between papers, and how to manage your time effectively during an exam.

My work as an A-level examiner has shown me some of the main ways that students drop marks in exams. Here are a few tips designed to help you achieve success when interpreting and answering exam questions on exam day:

Tip	Explanation
Learn the command words	These are words at the start of a question that tell you what kind of answer you need to give. Examples include ‘explain’, ‘suggest’ and ‘evaluate’. You will lose marks if you don’t follow the requirements of a particular command word, e.g. Marks will be lost in ‘evaluate’ questions if the answer doesn’t include a balance of points from both sides of an argument Writing a description in answer to an ‘explain’ question will not gain marks!
Be aware of the number of marks available	This is critical; if you only write two ideas in answer to a three-mark question, then you cannot gain full marks! Keep a tally in your mind of the number of points that you have made, and ensure that it is at least as many as the marks available. Some students find it helpful to write in bullet points for this reason, and it is okay to do this in situations where you are not being assessed on the quality of your written communication.
Pay attention to all the information provided in a question	All information in a question stem is there for a reason, so take it into consideration when planning your answer. This might involve referring to data, e.g. a graph, or paying attention to an unfamiliar context presented in the question.
Take your time interpreting tricky questions	On some occasions it may not be entirely obvious which area of biology a question wants you to draw your knowledge from, so it is worth taking time to decide which topic, or topics, are most relevant. For example, in a question on sources of genetic variation I have seen students writing paragraphs about natural selection when they should have been writing about meiosis and mutation.
Do what the question asks you to do!	A common mistake that I see when marking exams is that students write answers with the wrong emphasis; always stick to the exact premise of the question! For example, a question that asks ‘Explain why destruction of villi causes an increase in water retention in the intestines’, requires a focus on the effects of the damage, not on how the villi normally function when they haven’t been damaged.
Don’t write GCSE level answers.	If your answer reads as though it could have been written by a GCSE student then you are probably missing critical details. Consider whether there are any A level standard key words or processes that you need to add to bring your answer up to the appropriate level.
Avoid repetition!	You won’t gain marks if your answer just repeats content provided in the question, so be aware that your answer must provide new information. Similarly, you won’t be awarded marks for the same idea twice within the same exam, so if you seem to be writing the same answer to more than one question, the chances are that you have got the wrong idea somewhere!
Avoid repetition!
Avoid abbreviations for keywords	I have marked exam questions where students clearly know their content, but have used abbreviations instead of biological key words throughout an answer; marks often cannot be awarded in this situation. Common offenders here are A, C, T and G when describing DNA, and ESC when referring to enzyme-substrate complexes.

Seek feedback and support from teachers

Remember that your teacher is an invaluable resource as you prepare for exams. They will be willing you to succeed, and will be only too happy to help you in your exam preparations. The key to approaching your teacher for productive help is to be specific with what you need, for example:

If you want help with your revision planning, arrive with your specification and calendar and ask your teacher to work through an example week with you
If you are worried that you are not hitting your target grades, you could ask for specific advice on changes that you could make to your approach
Make a note of problem topic areas or confusing exam questions as you revise so that you can take them to your teacher to work through
A sympathetic teacher may be able to provide a listening ear if you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed by the thought of exams

Strategies for overcoming difficult topics

In my experience as a teacher and tutor, there are certain A level topics, such as photosynthesis, oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curves and kidney function, that students often find particularly difficult. While these examples may not be the same as yours, it is likely that you have a few topics that you find especially challenging, so it is important that you have some options to help you overcome these kinds of difficulties. Example strategies might include:

Change the way that the information is presented, for example you could convert text into a flow chart or a diagram; this process should help you to break down large chunks of information into more manageable pieces, and will show you clearly where your difficulties lie
Use memory aids to help when a particular idea just won’t stick in your head; examples might include a mnemonic to help memorise the hierarchy of classification, or the order of products in the Calvin cycle
Make a note of the difficult topics to work through with a teacher or tutor
Look out for high quality video tutorials; here at Save My Exams we have created videos that address some of the more challenging A level topics, such as this video on photosynthesis for AQA A level biology

Bonus preparation and revision tips

Now that you have hopefully read about the importance of planning, active revision, and strong exam technique, it is time to put some of this into practice in your revision. Here are a few extra practical tips to consider to ensure that you are as effective as possible in your studies:

Be realistic with your revision plans; plan short study sessions, e.g. 30-40 minutes, to maximise concentration, and plan your study breaks as well!
Look after your physical and mental health during the revision period; practise good sleep habits, and make sure that you have plenty of healthy snacks and activity options!
Don’t let setbacks get you down; school exam preparations often involve mock exams, and my experience as a teacher and tutor in this area means that I know how often students underperform at this stage. If your test results aren’t quite what you were hoping for, don’t be discouraged but use this as motivation to move forward positively

Now you’re all set to ace the A-level Biology exam

A level biology presents many challenges, and there will always be aspects of exam day that will be outside your control. What you can do is take control of your own exam preparations; know your goals, plan your revision, and learn how exams work so that you can maximise your chances of success. Here at Save My Exams we are in the business of empowering students to succeed; our A level biology content is created by experienced biology teachers, and our revision notes and questions are carefully tailored to each exam board. Consider signing up for a Save My Exams subscription, and see whether you can use our resources and some of the suggestions in this article to boost your biology grades.

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