Cambridge International A Level Biology Revision Guide

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Cambridge International AS and A Level Biology ■■ ■■ ■■ state the most obvious points, briefly, if you think that you need to set the scene build up your response so that you answer the question fully always use scientific terminology ■■ do not repeat word-for-word answers that you have seen in mark schemes from previous papers – modify them to suit the question ■■ read your answer – does it match up to the actual question? Skills needed to answer questions on all papers Remember that each question can assess one or more of the skills outlined in the following table. Skill Can you ... Knowledge, with understanding shown, of one or more syllabus learning outcomes Application of knowledge and understanding Ability to write in a sequential way Ability to use information and transfer information from one form to another Types of question Calculation questions ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ recognise and remember what you have learned? write a response that puts together what you have learned in an organised and meaningful way? show that you know the correct scientific terms to use? demonstrate all of the above? cope with questions set in a different context? use your current knowledge and understanding to give a reasoned response? spot when answers need to be organised in a particular order of mark points? make each step follow on logically from the last? construct flow diagrams? carry out calculations? extract and describe information (data), both words and numbers, from diagrams, photographs, tables, graphs and charts? describe trends and patterns? draw conclusions? spot things that look out of place? draw flow charts, diagrams and complete charts and tables using information provided? Read the syllabus information about the mathematical knowledge that you should have, as you can be asked to make calculations using this knowledge. Calculations might involve: magnification actual sizes percentages rates differences in percentages and other values. Read each question carefully. Does it: ask you to give the answer to the nearest whole number? tell you what units to give in your answer? ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ Cambridge International AS and A Level Biology © Cambridge University Press 2014
Cambridge International AS and A Level Biology ■■ ■■ ask you to use units appropriate to the answer? ask you to show your working? As a check, estimate what the answer is likely to be before using your calculator. Make sure you have given your answer to a sensible number of decimal places. Use a ruler when drawing tangents to curves on a graph (for calculating rates). Questions involving graphs Know the difference between describe and explain: ■■ ■■ Students doing other subjects such as mathematics and chemistry could describe the results on a graph. Only you, the biologist, can explain the results. When asked to describe, you might include: the general trend precise details within the overall trend the way in which altering the variable plotted on the x-axis affects the variable plotted on the y-axis extraction of values, often requiring both x and y readings calculations, for example rates, percentage increase or decrease. ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ When asked to explain, your answer: requires biological knowledge and understanding should account for the results obtained may include extraction of values to support an answer. ■■ ■■ ■■ When describing graphs that do not have a time element, avoid using terms such as ‘fast’, ‘slow’, ‘faster’, ‘slower’, ‘rapidly’, ‘slowly’, and so on. For example, when describing a graph showing the percentage of cells in mitosis at increasing distances from the root tip, instead of saying the curve ‘drops rapidly, then goes down more slowly’, you should write that the graph shows ‘a steep decrease followed by a more gentle decrease’. Use a ruler to read across to or from the y-axis, and vertically to or from the x-axis, to take readings from a graph – don’t rely on ‘by eye’ judgements. Give the units stated on the axes when stating values from the graph in your response. ‘Suggest’ questions Questions that ask you to suggest a response: ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ are not directly based on any learning outcomes require you to apply your knowledge and understanding to answer the question – remember to also use your IGCSE® or other previous exam knowledge (and AS knowledge at A Level) are often easier if you have good background knowledge – you may know the answer may be based on social, economic, technological, ethical or cultural topics – keep an open mind and think more broadly than the syllabus may assess your ability to think about a problem and come up with a sensible suggestion – you do not always have to come up with a ‘right’ answer to gain marks. Making comparisons When asked for similarities between two things, make it clear which features they both have in common; for example, for haemoglobin and collagen, you might answer: ‘Both are proteins that show quaternary structure.’ Cambridge International AS and A Level Biology © Cambridge University Press 2014
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Mary Jones, Richard Fosbery, Jennif
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University Printing House, Cambridg
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Cambridge International AS Level an
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Chapter 1: Cell structure Ultrastru
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Chapter 1: Cell structure The nucle
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Chapter 2: Biological molecules a b
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Chapter 2: Biological molecules 7 T
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Chapter 1: Cell structure Chapter 3
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Chapter 3: Enzymes Mammals such as
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Chapter 3: Enzymes QUESTION 3.2 Why
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Chapter 3: Enzymes Enzyme inhibitor
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Chapter 7: Transport in plants a b
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Chapter 10: Infectious diseases Ver
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Chapter 10: Infectious diseases QUE
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Chapter 10: Infectious diseases End
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Chapter 10: Infectious diseases 8 a
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Chapter 11: Immunity Smallpox was f
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Chapter 11: Immunity Phagocytes Pha
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Chapter 11: Immunity Antigenic conc
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Chapter 11: Immunity Summary ■■
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Chapter 11: Immunity 3 Which of the
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Chapter 11: Immunity 10 a Rearrange
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Chapter 14: Homeostasis The hypotha
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Chapter 15: Coordination Summary
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Chapter 15: Coordination 3 Which of
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Chapter 16: Inherited change Katydi
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Chapter 17: Selection and evolution
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Cambridge International A Level Biology Revision Guide

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