How IGCSE Biology (0970) is really marked
IGCSE Biology (9-1) is marked across twelve papers (11, 12, 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52, 61, 62), and in our bank the marking is almost entirely point-marked: 1,395 of the 1,440 questions we hold are points, with only 45 calculation questions. Several papers — 11, 12, 21 and 22 — are 100% points in our bank, meaning every single mark on those papers corresponds to a specific, listed creditable answer.
The calculation questions are concentrated in the practical and extended-writing papers (31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52, 61, 62), where you might work out a rate, a magnification, or a percentage change from given data — but even here they remain a small minority of the marks available compared with points.
Because points so overwhelmingly dominate, the practical skill this subject rewards most is precise recall and precise expression: using the correct biological term, naming the right structure or process, and giving an answer specific enough to match exactly what the mark scheme is looking for.
The topic weighting in our bank is led by Human nutrition (75 questions), Organisms and their environment (64) and Coordination and response (62), with Reproduction, cell organisation, plant nutrition, classification and variation/selection also carrying substantial weight — so breadth of topic coverage matters as much as depth in any single area.
Command words in IGCSE Biology
| Command word | Times in our bank | What it demands |
|---|---|---|
| Choose | 482 | The single most frequent command word in this subject: usually asks you to select the correct term, structure or option from a given list — precision in matching the exact wording matters. |
| State | 323 | Wants a short, exact fact with no explanation attached — extra reasoning is not required and a vague answer will not be credited. |
| Identify | 198 | Asks you to name a specific structure, process or feature, usually from a diagram, photograph or description — the correct biological term is what earns the mark. |
| Describe | 113 | Requires you to characterise a process, structure or pattern in enough specific detail to be recognisable — naming it alone is not sufficient. |
| Explain | 70 | Needs a reason or mechanism connecting cause to effect — the mark is for the biological reasoning, not just for restating the observation. |
| Calculate | 52 | Wants a numerical answer, usually derived from given data such as a magnification, rate or percentage change, generally with working shown. |
| Complete | 40 | Used for finishing a diagram, table or labelled structure accurately — the mark is for the correct missing element, not an approximate one. |
| Draw | 36 | Requires an accurate biological diagram or graph, drawn with correct proportions, labelling and technique. |
How to revise with past papers
Because this subject is overwhelmingly point-marked, the most valuable past-paper habit is checking your answers against real mark schemes term by term — ask specifically whether you used the exact biological vocabulary the scheme wants, since a correct idea expressed in everyday language rather than the precise term often won't be credited.
For the calculation questions, practise showing your working for rate, magnification and percentage-change calculations, since this is generally good exam practice and helps you catch small errors before they cost marks.
Given the wide topic spread in this subject, build revision around the biggest topic areas first — human nutrition, organisms and their environment, and coordination and response carry the most weight in past papers — while still covering the smaller topics, since even lightly-weighted areas appear regularly.
Practise real 0970 questions with AI marking →FAQs
Is there a levels-marked essay component in this subject?
Not in our bank — all questions are either points or calculation, with no pure-levels or points-with-levels component recorded.
How important is exact terminology in this subject?
Very important — with points dominating the mark scheme, the correct specific biological term is usually what separates a credited answer from an uncredited one.
Do calculation questions appear on every paper?
They appear on most papers in our bank but in small numbers relative to points-marked questions — several papers (11, 12, 21, 22) contain none at all.
Which topics should I prioritise?
In our bank, human nutrition, organisms and their environment, and coordination and response are the most frequently examined topics, though the syllabus covers a wide range of areas fairly evenly beyond these.