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Basic information about the course.
Basic information about the course.
The course is a 2 year linear A level.
The exam board is OCR.
The course is assessed with 6 hours of exams at the end of the second year:
Biological Processes 2h15min 100marks
Biological Diversity 2h15min 100 marks
Unified Biology 1h30min 70 marks
The exams are a mixture of multiple choice, short answer questions, and longer answers, up to a maximum of 9 marks. The emphasis is on answering questions precisiely and concisely, mainly in bullet points. There is no essay writing or extended prose in the assessment.
What's in the course - the modules?
What's in the course - the modules?
There are 6 modules over the 2 years:
Development of Practical Skills in Biology
Foundations in Biology
Exchange and Transport
Biodiversity, Evolution and Disease
Communication, Homeostasis and Energy
Genetics, Evolution and Ecosystems
Much of the content you will have heard of before, but at A level we go into much more depth and detail. There is also a good deal of content you will not be familiar with, especially in the second year.
A bit more info about the modules:
A bit more info about the modules:
Have a look through this and see how many topics and concepts you recognise.
You will also notice that the course covers a very wide range of biology - humans, yes, but also plants, biochemistry, ecology, genetics, microorganisms etc...
The Practical Endorsement
The Practical Endorsement
There isn't any coursework as such, but Module 1 - Development of Practical Skills - has a 'sort of' coursework element.
Throughout the 2 years, you will do lots of practicals, and 12 of them will be PAGs - Practical Activity Groups. These 12 practicals are shown in the image below - what we call the PAG triangle:
For each practical, you will produce a report that goes into a portfolio of evidence, showing how your practical skills are developing - we call this your PAG folder.
These folders are carefully monitored and checked, and they turn into an excellent record of your practicals over 2 years - students are generally really proud of them!
At the end, if your PAG folder is complete (which it will be!), you will achieve a Pass in the Practical Endorsement, which will be reported along with your grade when you get your results.
Many universities require students to achieve this Pass grade as part of their offer, so it is really important.
Also, the skills that you learn during the PAGs are examined in the written exams at the end of the course.
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