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How to answer A-level Biology essay questions
The Synoptic essay questions in paper 3 of the AQA A-level biology course carries 25 marks, so can make a big difference to your overall grade. The essay encourages you to think across different topics (some call this “synoptic” or “holistic” thinking). This is also valuable for other areas of the exams, particularly the application questions .
Here are a few tips for tackling your A-level biology essay: (As an example, Let’s use the title “The importance of movement in cells and tissues”)
Think broadly…
Essay titles are deliberately vague to give you the chance to show your knowledge in a variety of topics. To help you to choose what’s most relevant, look out for subjective words like “movement” and “cells”. Think of the possible alternatives. “Cells”, for example, hints that you could discuss plants, animals, single-celled organisms etc. in your essay. “Movement” could mean short distances (across a membrane) or much further (circulation or mass flow) or even the whole tissue moving (phototropism).
Visualize and catastrophize!
If you can’t think of enough topics for an “importance” essay, flip the question around – what would happen if movement in cells suddenly ground to a halt? Or if ATP suddenly vanished, or our cells were robbed of their ions? Sometimes catastrophizing in this way frees up thoughts, and helps you see what is really important. Another way is to picture every diagram in your notes or textbook that features the thing-that’s-important-in-the-question. If it’s in a diagram, it could go in your essay.
Pick your strongest topics
It’s possible to drop marks on the essay for scientific errors. With that in mind, even if you have lots of ideas for things to include, always pick the topics you can write confidently about. For bonus marks, try to order them in a way that “flows” like a story. Take care to use A-level (and not GCSE) language too.
Keep an eye on the question
While you’re writing, keep asking yourself “Where am I placing the emphasis?”. If the essay is about movement, perhaps you don’t need a whole page about nervous responses, only the bits where movement is involved – sodium ions flowing through channels, waves of depolarisation etc. Movement is the focus of the essay, after all, not neurons. Always ask yourself “Does this sentence fit with the title of the essay?”
Use outside knowledge
The top marks for the essay are reserved for displaying “evidence of reading beyond specification requirements”. Often you can drop recent scientific research or news into your writing – how vaccines tackle COVID might work in an essay about viruses, for example. I often encourage students to have a quick look at the news pages of New Scientist pages (eg https://www.newscientist.com/subject/health/ ) before paper 3 for inspiration – you don’t need to spend ages doing this, just long enough to have one or two ideas up your sleeve…
Good luck with your essay!
If you’d like to work through some example essay questions, please get in touch with me at Woolton Tutors (or Woolton Biology) and we can set up some online biology tutoring sessions.
Best wishes,
Dr John Ankers
Specialist online A-level biology tutor
www.wooltontutors.co.uk
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2025 Essay Preparation for A Level Biology AQA
Subject: Biology
Age range: 16+
Resource type: Lesson (complete)
Last updated
22 August 2024
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This is the latest version, recently updated with the 2024 accessible essays.
CONTEXT: Every year, at least one Biology essay is very accessible, usually both are. This resource is to practise and revise for the accessible essay(s). It makes the preparation SPECIFIC, and EASY.
Included is + key revision of the 14 common topic areas (AO1) to learn. + written importance examples (AO2) to learn, from the 14 common topics. + a figure on how often each topic has appeared on essay mark schemes from 2017-2024. + a list of the accessible titles in the essays (from 2017-2024) + an easy-to-understand essay mark scheme
TEACHERS, use as a lesson resource, throughout upper 6, and as a preparation session before Paper 3. STUDENTS use for focussed revision and to practise writing essay paragraphs. You can even memorise paragraphs to rewrite.
All my students using this resource scored in double figures, with many scoring over 19/25.
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This document contains the essay titles and mark schemes used in AQA A-level Biology examinations since 2007. The specifications these exam questions came from are no longer in use, but the marking method has largely remained unchanged. Further guidance on the marking method used with the essay can be found in Paper 3 Essay marking guidance.
Biology is detailed and comprehensive A-level content, uses appropriate terminology, and is very well written and always clearly explained. No significant errors or irrelevant material. For top marks in the band, the answer shows evidence of reading beyond specification requirements. 16-20. Relational.
I have been working with some tutees to improve their approach to the AQA Paper 3 Extended Essay - so here are a few tips, and all of the essay titles (and markschemes) since 2007. A Few Points Raised By The Exam Boards Feedback. The essay is designed to assess whether you can bring together material from a range of topics to illustrate and ...
Paper 3 for AQA A-level biology contains the 25 mark essay (almost 10% of your A-level grade). Follow along as I plan 3 titles that haven't come up in nearl...
• The marks for the questions are shown in brackets. • The maximum mark for this paper is 78. Please write clearly in block capitals. Centre number Candidate number . Surname Forename(s) Candidate signature I declare this is my own work. A-level BIOLOGY Paper 3
Give 5 bullet points on the essay for the importance of nitrogen-containing substances in biological systems. - Photosynthesis (Nitrogen is a major component of chlorophyll) - Nitrogen cycle. - Proteins and enzymes. - Regulation of transcription and translation. - Control of blood glucose (and peptide/protein hormones).
If you found this video helpful, please feel free to share it with your friends!00:00 Question 110:28 Question 215:51 Question 319:45 Question 424:39 Questio...
Learn how to score top marks in the Paper 3 AQA A-Level Biology ESSAY. I'll cover including detailed and comprehensive A-Level knowledge, linking your points...
The importance of shapes fitting together in cells and organisms. 1) Enzyme properties and digestion. 2) Protein structure. 3) Plasma membrane structure and cell transport. 4) Antigens, antibodies, B cells & T cells. 5) Vaccines. 6) Structure of DNA. 7) DNA Replication (not PCR) 8) Transcription & translation.
44 essay titles and indiciative mark schemes for AQA A level biology Paper 3 25 mark essay question. contents essay mark schemes general guidance. Skip to document. University; High School. Books; Discovery. ... aqa 2022 Biology a-level Paper 1. Biology 90% (73) 6. Cell membranes - OCR A Biology AS/A level. Biology 100% (7) More from: Biology ...
The Synoptic essay questions in paper 3 of the AQA A-level biology course carries 25 marks, so can make a big difference to your overall grade. The essay encourages you to think across different topics (some call this "synoptic" or "holistic" thinking). This is also valuable for other areas of the exams, particularly the application.
FINAL PLACES REMAINING for our three-day online Summer A Level Refresher courses. Separate Biology courses for AQA and OCR (A), join us from 24-26th August. Book now to avoid disappointment! For each of the papers below, there are revision notes, summary sheets, questions from past exam papers separated by topic and other worksheets.
June 2021. Version: 1.0 Final. *216A7402/3/MS*. Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in ...
White Blood Cell Essay - Grade: 8. Science for Health - Final. Asthma - Assignment. BSc Human Anatomy Past Paper. BSc Human Biology Revision MCQs Lectures 1-4. Model answers for the essay on Paper 3 of AQA A-Level Biology paper for revision for exams the importance of enzymes in the functioning of different cells,
Importance of cycles in biology essay*** 20+/25. 29 terms. hjungbluth. Preview. Biology paper 2 <3. 198 terms. emmadewbery. Preview. Biology- Chapter 12: Communicable diseases (12.3 + 4) 10 terms. REBEREBEREBEREBE. Preview. ... AQA A-Level Biology - CHAPTER 7 . 57 terms. rebeccatweedie10. Preview. National 5 Biology - Proteins. 22 terms.
Browse A-Levels-AQA Subjects. This is an example essay for the third paper in the AQA biology exams. This received 24/25 and shows the variety of topics that need to be covered when writing such essays :) This essay is titled 'The importance of nucleotides and nucleotide derivatives in keeping organisms alive' and contains applicable paragraphs ...
If you found this video helpful, please feel free to share it with your friends!Questions:00:00 Question 104:04 Question 214:05 Question 320:50 Question 426:...
the level, ie if the response is predominantly level 3 with a small amount of level 4 material it would be placed in level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the level 4 content. Step 2 Determine a mark Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate marks can help with ...
AQA Alevel Biology Paper 3 Essay Plans. 7 terms. ellareece1. Preview. Taxonomy and Systematics Overview. 15 terms. Rach_Jones8. Preview. IGCSE Double Science Biology. 119 terms. Hannah-Maloney. Preview. AQA A Level Biology - 25 Mark Essays. 23 terms. biotig. Preview. AQA A level biology essay plans. 20 terms. Amy_L2004. Preview. division and ...
Book Tutor. FINAL PLACES REMAINING for our three-day online Summer A Level Refresher courses. Separate Biology courses for AQA and OCR (A), join us from 24-26th August. Book now to avoid disappointment! Here you will find past exam papers and mark schemes for each of the modules below.
the 7402 essay question performs in general, as well as in comparison to the essay performance of the legacy A-level Biology 2410 specification. The third section contains guidance to some of the most commonly asked questions that AQA receives from teachers about the 7402 biology essay.
+ a list of the accessible titles in the essays (from 2017-2024) + an easy-to-understand essay mark scheme. TEACHERS, use as a lesson resource, throughout upper 6, and as a preparation session before Paper 3. STUDENTS use for focussed revision and to practise writing essay paragraphs. You can even memorise paragraphs to rewrite.
Shake with ethanol then shake gently with water and if a lipid is present a milky white emulsion will be present. 3 functions of a cell membrane. 1) control transport of substances in an out of the cell as the membrane is partially permeable. 2) acts as a receptor site. 3) separates cell and organelles from each other.