How AS & A Level Biology (9700) is really marked
9700 spans Papers 1 to 5 in multiple variants, totalling 2,348 questions in our bank. The syllabus is overwhelmingly points-marked: 2,288 questions use the points style against only 60 calculation questions, so almost every mark is awarded for a specific creditable biological fact, term or reasoned point rather than for arithmetic.
Papers 1 (multiple choice, 200 to 240 questions per variant) test precise recall and the ability to spot a plausible-sounding but incorrect option. Papers 4 and 5 carry the bulk of the questions overall (Paper 42 alone has 212 questions across 600 marks), and these structured and practical papers reward answers that use exact biological terminology and directly address what the question asks, rather than writing everything you know about the topic.
The small calculation component (60 questions across the whole syllabus, spread thinly across Papers 2, 3, 4 and 5) covers things like statistical tests and simple ratios in practical contexts. These questions still expect correct significant figures and the right conclusion drawn from a calculated value, so they are not throwaway marks even though they are a small fraction of the paper.
Where candidates actually lose marks
- Almost two thirds of weaker candidates incorrectly believe that glucose molecules in cellulose coil into a helix, a structural misconception about the polysaccharide. (try the question)
- Many candidates mistake a 9:3:3:1 ratio as evidence of gene linkage, when it actually shows that two genes assorted independently on separate autosomes. (try the question)
- When a scale bar is provided, some candidates fail to measure it, meaning they cannot go on to calculate the actual diameter of the structure shown. (try the question)
- Almost half of all candidates forget that uracil replaces thymine in RNA, choosing an incorrect multiple-choice option as a result. (try the question)
- Nearly three fifths of all candidates incorrectly believe that repeating a measurement would reduce the effect of a described type of error. (try the question)
- In membrane transport questions, some candidates select glucose as able to cross the phospholipid bilayer directly, not recognising it requires transport proteins. (try the question)
- Some candidates do not realise that exocytosis is part of how phagocytes work, missing that waste products of digestion are released this way after phagocytosis. (try the question)
- Over two thirds of weaker candidates incorrectly select circular chromosomes or endoplasmic reticulum when identifying a prokaryotic feature, since mitochondria (not prokaryotes generally) contain circular chromosomes and prokaryotes lack endoplasmic reticulum. (try the question)
- Over half of weaker candidates incorrectly think stem cells can repair damaged cells directly, rather than being used to repair damaged tissue. (try the question)
- When naming a described plant tissue, a wide range of incorrect names are seen, including lignified cells, sclerenchyma, xylem tube cells, dead cells, sieve tube elements, tracheids and mesophyll cells. (try the question)
Command words in AS & A Level Biology
| Command word | Times in our bank | What it demands |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | 636 | Give the precise named structure, process or option required, based on the evidence provided; unsupported guesses at similar-sounding terms are not credited. |
| Explain | 300 | Give the biological mechanism or reasoning behind an observation, not just a restated description of what happens. |
| State | 284 | Give a fact or definition concisely and in accepted biological terminology; imprecise wording that gets close to the right idea is not enough. |
| Suggest | 246 | Apply biological knowledge to an unfamiliar context or dataset; the answer must still be biologically sound even where more than one response is acceptable. |
| Describe | 210 | Give an accurate account of a structure, process or trend, in the correct sequence, without needing to explain the underlying cause. |
| Calculate | 171 | Work out a numerical value, such as a magnification, ratio or statistical result, with correct units and significant figures. |
| Draw | 136 | Produce an accurate, proportioned biological diagram or graph, with lines that meet correctly and structures shown at the right relative size. |
| Deduce | 125 | Use given data, such as a genetic cross or an experimental result, to work out a conclusion that is not stated directly in the question. |
How to revise with past papers
Because 9700 is almost entirely points-marked (2,288 points-marked questions against 60 calculation questions in our bank), past-paper practice is most useful when you compare your exact wording against the mark scheme rather than checking whether you understood the concept in general. Biology mark schemes are precise about which term is accepted and which near-miss is not, so building a habit of using the exact accepted vocabulary is worth more than broad revision of the topic.
Multiple-choice questions in Paper 1 often work by presenting a plausible-sounding but incorrect option alongside the correct one. When practising past papers, it helps to work out why each wrong option is wrong, not just confirm the right one, since the same misconceptions tend to come up repeatedly.
For structured and practical papers, read exactly what the question is asking before writing — many marks are lost not from lack of knowledge but from answering a nearby but different question, or from failing to focus on the specific figure, cell or dataset given.
Practise real 9700 questions with AI marking →FAQs
Is 9700 mostly about calculations or about written knowledge?
Written biological knowledge dominates: only 60 questions in our bank are calculation-style against 2,288 points-marked, so almost all marks come from precise, correctly worded facts and explanations.
What command word should I expect most often in 9700?
Identify, which appears 636 times in our bank, more than any other command word in the syllabus.
Why do I lose marks even when my biology is correct?
Confusing similar-sounding structures or processes, or using imprecise terminology, is an easy way to lose marks; being correct about biology in general does not earn credit if the specific term or focus does not match the question.
Do drawing questions matter for marks in 9700?
Yes. Annotated drawings and graphs are marked on accuracy of lines, proportions and labelling, and marks are lost for details like lines that do not meet precisely or structures drawn the wrong relative size.