A-Level Biology: What Examiners Really Look For
When it comes to A-Level Biology, most students revise the content.
But the highest marks aren’t just about what you know — they’re about how you answer.
Examiners follow clear markscheme structures and assessment objectives.
To succeed in May/June 2025, you need to understand not just the syllabus, but what examiners are actually looking for.
Here’s a breakdown of how to write answers that earn marks — and how to avoid the mistakes that cost them.
1. Answer What the Command Term Asks — Nothing More, Nothing Less
Examiners don’t reward extra effort — they reward correct structure.
- Describe: Say what happens. No explanation.
- Explain: Say why it happens. Show causal links.
- Suggest: Apply understanding to a novel situation.
- Evaluate: Present both sides + give a justified conclusion.
Students often lose marks by over-explaining in “describe” questions or under-developing “explain” answers.
Tip:
Underline command terms during practice and structure your answer accordingly.
2. Use the Markscheme Structure: Point → Keyword → Link
Top-mark answers often follow this invisible template:
- Start with a precise biological point
- Include a technical term or process
- Link it back to the question’s context or process
Example:
“Increased carbon dioxide leads to more carbonic acid formation, which lowers blood pH and is detected by chemoreceptors — triggering an increased breathing rate.”
Every sentence is doing work — no fluff, no restatement of the question.
3. Don’t Just Name — Describe the Process
Examiners often deduct marks for naming terms without explaining them.
Example:
❌ “Osmosis happens and the plant wilts.”
✅ “Water moves by osmosis from a region of higher water potential in the soil to a lower water potential in root hair cells, leading to turgor loss.”
Knowing the term isn’t enough — show you understand the mechanism.
4. In Extended Answers, Use Paragraph Logic
For 6–8 mark questions, examiners expect:
- Logical sequencing
- Clear linking of ideas
- Inclusion of diagrams only when relevant and labeled
Use mini-structures:
- Introduction sentence: Define or summarize core concept
- Body: Each paragraph covers one process, function, or consequence
- Conclusion (optional): Especially for evaluation-style questions
Don’t repeat — structure = clarity = marks.
5. Practice With Markscheme Feedback
One of the best ways to align with what examiners want?
- Use official markschemes to self-mark your practice answers
- Look at phrasing and keywords — not just final answers
- Compare your sentence length, structure, and word choice to top-band examples
Over time, you’ll internalize the markscheme — and your answers will naturally improve.
Train With Predictive Papers Built to Examiner Expectations
Past papers are useful, but examiners shift topic focus and question framing over time.
Predict Exam’s A-Level Biology predictive papers are built using:
- Syllabus topic weighting
- Examiner report trends
- Markscheme structure alignment
This gives you smarter practice — aligned to what examiners will expect in 2025.
Conclusion: Learn to Think Like an Examiner
To earn high marks in A-Level Biology:
- Match your answers to the command terms
- Use point–term–link logic
- Describe processes, not just name them
- Structure extended responses like essays
- Practice with markscheme-aligned materials
Biology rewards precision, structure, and real understanding — not just knowledge.
Explore Predict Exam’s A-Level Biology Predictive Papers and train the way examiners want to see.