Exam Board – AQA

Qualification – A Level 9BNO

Entry requirements – 5 GCSEs at grades 9-4, including GCSE grade 6 in science, maths and English

Course specification

In Biology you will study human anatomy and physiology, genetics, the cause and treatment of disease, immunity, the environment and much more. A qualification in biology demonstrates that you have good analytical and problem solving skills and the ability to learn and apply detailed content knowledge.

Students are taught using a range of techniques that will enable them to learn successfully in the classroom but also develop their independent working skills. A number of core practical experiments are completed to aid understanding and develop practical skills

“I loved biology at GCSE and couldn’t wait to learn more at A Level.”

– Student

The full list of topics is:

  • lifestyle, transport, genes and health
  • development, plants and climate change
  • environment and survival
  • energy, exercise and coordination

Students will be taught using a range of techniques that will aim to develop them so they are capable of learning effectively on their own as well as in the classroom. There are a number of core experiments that need to be completed by students to aid their understanding and develop their practical skills.

There is no coursework for biology A Level, but students will be asked questions about the core experiments they have studied in the course. The course is assessed with three 2-hour exams. One exam includes a scientific article that is studied prior to the examination.

What doors will this open up for me?

Biology is a subject that leads on to many different careers including medicine, veterinary science, genetics, biotechnology, nursing, marine biology, microbiology, pathology, forensic science, law and teaching.

Learning journey

Our learning journeys indicate topic coverage in each subject in more detail.

Biology