9700_y16_sy

What has changed in Cambridge International AS and A Level Biology 9700 for 2016?
• Key concepts: The section ‘Why Cambridge International AS and A Level Biology?’, on page 5,
sets out the key concepts that this syllabus is designed to develop.
• Assessment objectives: There has been a change in the weighting of the assessment objectives
(AOs) so that AO1 (Knowledge with understanding) is now 40% instead of 45% and AO2
(Handling information and solving problems) is now 37% instead of 32%. Additionally there have
been some minor changes to the descriptions of these assessment objectives.
• The mathematical requirements for this syllabus have changed and details can be found on
pages 70–73.
• Syllabus content: This has been reviewed and reorganised. In particular, the applications learning
outcomes (topics Q to U previously) have been inserted into other topics alongside the relevant
theory.
– Any new learning outcomes or significant changes are indicated by black vertical lines.
– Learning outcomes that have been moved, either within a topic or from one topic to another,
and learning outcomes with minor changes in wording, will not be indicated by black vertical
lines either side of the text. You are advised to read the whole of this syllabus before planning
your teaching programme.
– Learning outcomes that have been removed, and contain content that is not covered
elsewhere in the syllabus, and learning outcomes that have changed level (from AS Level to
A Level or from A Level to AS Level) are listed on page 78.
This syllabus is for examination in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
If candidates have studied the 2015 syllabus please be aware of the following:
• Assessments in the 2016 examination series are based on this revised syllabus.
• Candidates can carry forward the result of their Cambridge International AS Level assessments in
2015 to complete the Cambridge International A Level in 2016. Cambridge International
A Level assessments in the 2016 examination series are based on this revised syllabus.
• Assessments for candidates retaking Cambridge International AS or A Level in 2016 are based on
this revised syllabus.
Cambridge International Examinations retains the copyright on all its publications. Registered Centres are
permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use. However, we cannot give permission
to Centres to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within a
Centre.
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© Cambridge International Examinations 2014