Pearson Edexcel
Edexcel A level Biology revision.
Ilmino organises A level Biology around the Edexcel A level Biology specification, so every topic, every required piece of practical work and every mark scheme a student sees belongs to the board they are actually sitting.
Pearson Edexcel publishes two A level Biology specifications, Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) and Biology B. Ilmino covers the core biology they share, so the topic list below works for either.
The exam, in short
How Edexcel examines A level Biology.
- Specification
- A level Biology
- Papers
- Three written papers, plus the practical endorsement, which is reported separately from the A level grade.
- Tiers
- Single tier. There is no Foundation or Higher entry at A level.
- First exam series
- Summer 2017
Spec aligned
Every topic on the Edexcel specification.
The question bank is grouped by this board's specification, not by a generic topic list, so a student works through the same headings their teacher and their revision guide use.
Biological molecules
- Carbohydrates and lipids
- Proteins and enzymes
- Nucleic acids and ATP
Cells
- Cell structure and ultrastructure
- Cell membranes and transport
- The cell cycle and mitosis
Organisms exchange substances
- Surface area to volume ratio
- Gas exchange systems
- Mass transport in animals and plants
Genetic information and variation
- DNA replication and protein synthesis
- Meiosis and genetic diversity
- Genetic diversity and natural selection
- Biodiversity and classification
Energy transfers
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Energy and ecosystems
- Nutrient cycles
Responses to the environment
- Nervous coordination
- Skeletal muscle
- Homeostasis and control of blood glucose
Genetics, populations and evolution
- Inheritance and genetic crosses
- Populations and the Hardy-Weinberg principle
- Speciation
Gene expression and control
- Gene expression and mutation
- Genome sequencing and gene technologies
- Recombinant DNA technology
Marking
How marking follows Edexcel.
Ilmino stores an examiner-style mark scheme for every question, written per board. An answer is marked against the wording Pearson Edexcel credits, not against a general idea of what is right.
- Each mark is awarded or withheld on its own, with the mark-scheme point it maps to shown beside the answer.
- Command words are read the way Edexcel uses them, so describe, explain, evaluate and calculate are each held to their own standard.
- The phrase an examiner is looking for has to appear. A right idea in the wrong words loses the mark here, exactly as it would in the exam.
- Handwritten working is photographed and marked line by line, so method marks survive an arithmetic slip.
- When a mark is lost, Lumi explains which mark-scheme point was missed and what would have earned it.
Other boards for A level Biology
Sitting a different board? The whole bank switches with your choice, and progress carries across because it is stored by skill.
Edexcel in other subjects
Questions
Edexcel A level Biology on Ilmino
Start Edexcel A level Biology today.
Answer your first Edexcel question and see it marked against the real mark scheme in seconds. Practice mode is free.
AQA, Pearson Edexcel and OCR are trademarks of their owners and do not endorse Ilmino.
Ready to start?
Free to start, and Pro comes with a 7-day free trial. Pick your board, answer your first question and see it marked in seconds.
Sign up for our newsletter
A monthly round-up of revision guides, exam-board news and what is new in Ilmino, straight to your inbox.