GCSE Biology
Years 10 and 11
AQA Specification: Biology GCSE 4411
We are now following the modular GCSE course offered by AQA. So far, it has been a great success, with record numbers of top grades in Year 11. The specification has four assessment units, each making up 25% of the final mark:
Biology 1: This unit covers the core topics studied by all UK students at GCSE.
Biology 2: The second unit consists of many of the fundamental Biological ideas.
Biology 3: The last theory unit contains additional topics, and is studied by UK students aiming to gain a full GCSE in Biology.
Centre assessed unit: This unit involves the assessment of practical skills.
Unit 1:
Unit 1 is an incredibly varied unit, designed to give Year 10 students a detailed understanding of how the human body works, how to stay healthy, and also explains many of the modern techniques used in medicine. It also looks at how species survive and evolve, and then assesses the damage man is inflicting on the planet.
At present, the Unit 1 Biology exam takes place in March of Year 10. It consists of two multiple-choice (objective) papers (1a and 1b), each taking 30 minutes. There is also a structured question paper, requiring written answers for Unit 1, and this exam is scheduled for June.
Unit 2:
Unit 2 begins in March, immediately after the examination. This unit contains many of the topics most students would regard as "core" Biology: cells, osmosis, enzymes, photosynthesis, respiration, homeostasis, and genetics. The examination for this unit is in January of Year 11, during the normal GCSE mock period.
Unit 3:
The remaining part of Year 11 is taken up with Unit 3. This has rather less factual content than the other two units, however, some of the topics have proved to be more complicated under exam conditions!
Practical Assessments:
During the two year course, students carry out Investigative Skills Assignments (ISAs) during normal classroom lessons. These involve sessions of practical work followed by a 45 minute written question paper set by the examination board. Members of staff also assess the students' practical skills throughout the course (PSA), and together these marks make up the final 25% of the GCSE. Students may carry out several ISAs, and the best score will count.
The full specification can be downloaded below.
Have a look at the Useful Website page. Do you know of any other really good links?
