The AS and A2
Biology courses
OCR Exam Board
AS: 3881
A2: 7881
This page will hopefully provide useful information for GCSE candidates thinking about A-Level Biology, and will also allow current AS/A2 students to make full use of a range of resources. For example, at the end of this page are Powerpoint presentations (as attachments) that you may find useful when revising.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for the page before I finalise the content, please see me, or drop me a note or e-mail.
For example, I am putting together a list of difficult questions that have been asked at University interviews lately! Click here to look at interviews for Medicine.
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Year 12: The AS Biology course
The first year of the A Level course involves eight lessons per week, studying three modules:
2801: Biology Foundation
2802: Human Health and Disease
2803: Transport / Experimental Skills
Full details of each module can seen by clicking on the attachment at the end of this page. Here is give a brief decription of the Lower Sixth course.
Biology Foundation:
Most of the Autumn term is taken up with Module 2801. This Unit contains a lot of practical work, and explores the basics of the A-Level course. The topics studied are as follows:
Cell structure
Cell membranes and transport
Biological molecules
Mode of action of enzymes
DNA and protein synthesis
Nuclear Division
Energy and ecosystems
The teaching of these topics will be completed a few weeks before Christmas. The first external examination will be in January. Past Year 12 students have found that gaining an excellent mark in 2801 in January takes an enormous amount of pressure off them for the June exams!
N.B. The exams for 2801 and 2802 are one hour in length. The written exam for 2803 is only 45 minutes long.
Human Health and Disease:
This module is essentially an extension of much of the work done at GCSE. It is an excellent grounding for anybody interested in a medical or health-care career. The topics in 2802 include:
Transport / Experimental skills:
The transport theory module is relatively short. It includes:
The other half of the 2803 Unit consists of the practical examination. This involves a ninety minute exam in the Biology labs, and also a planning exercise which is completed at home. The practical is usually a simple experiment which will produce results which you can then analyse. Common topics include food tests, enzymes and osmosis experiments. There is also a short section in which you will use a microscope to view a specimen. The plan and the practical often have a common link.
Year 13: The A2 Biology course
The second year of the A Level course involves nine lessons per week, studying three additional and more complex modules:
2804: Central Concepts
2805: Options in Biology
2806: Unifying Concepts (Synoptic) / Experimental Skills
There is no doubt that the A2 modules are more demanding than AS. They have synoptic elements from AS, and contain many of the more abstract ideas in Biology.
Central Concepts:
This module is often seen as the most difficult of the six. It includes:
Energy and respiration
Photosynthesis
Populations and interactions
Meiosis, genetics and gene control
Classification, selection and evolution
Control, coordination and homeostasis
These topics are covered during the Autumn term and are examined in January of Year 13. A really good score in 2804 at this stage can take an enormous amount of pressure off for the final June exams!
Options in Biology:
After Christmas and the January exams, Year 13 begin their 2805 option module. Each candidate must choose one option from the following choices:
Growth, Development and Reproduction
Application of Genetics
Environmental Biology
Microbiology and Biotechnology
Mammalian Physiology and Behaviour
The three most popular modules are: 5, 1 and 2, in that order. Each option paper is examined in June and consists of a 90 minute written examination.
N.B. Year 13 candidates: before making your choice, you must look carefully at the specification at the end of this page.
Unifying Concepts and Experimental Skills:
The final unit is a synoptic module. The written exam contains questions which draw together different sections of the first four modules (not the option unit).
2806 also has a practical component. This is very similar to the practical exam in 2803, however, since this is an A2 module, the practical is a little more complicated.
