Biology Paper 1
AQA Combined Science Higher. Counted from 4 real June exams: 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024, 280 marks in all.
Every topic on the specification can be examined, including ones listed here as not examined.
| Topic | How often | Share of marks |
|---|---|---|
| The human digestive system | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 10% of marks |
| Rate of photosynthesis | Came up 4 of the last 4 years | 8% of marks |
| Animal and plant cells | Came up 4 of the last 4 years | 6% of marks |
| Plant organ system | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 6% of marks |
| The heart and blood vessels | Came up 4 of the last 4 years | 6% of marks |
| Osmosis | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 6% of marks |
| Microscopy | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 4% of marks |
| Mitosis and the cell cycle | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 4% of marks |
| Communicable (infectious) diseases | Came up 4 of the last 4 years | 3% of marks |
| Coronary heart disease: a non-communicable disease | Came up 4 of the last 4 years | 3% of marks |
| The effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 3% of marks |
| Aerobic and anaerobic respiration | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 3% of marks |
| Vaccination | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 3% of marks |
| Viral diseases | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 3% of marks |
| Stem cells | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 2% of marks |
| Health issues | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 2% of marks |
| Antibiotics and painkillers | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 2% of marks |
| Diffusion | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 2% of marks |
| Photosynthetic reaction | Came up 3 of the last 4 years | 2% of marks |
| Eukaryotes and prokaryotes | Came up 4 of the last 4 years | 2% of marks |
| Principles of organisation | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Discovery and development of drugs | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Response to exercise | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Plant tissues | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Active transport | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Cancer | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Chromosomes | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Fungal diseases | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Uses of glucose from photosynthesis | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Metabolism | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Protist diseases | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Bacterial diseases | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Blood | Not examined since 20181 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Human defence systems | Not examined since 20181 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| Cell differentiation | Not examined since 20181 of the last 4 years | under 1% of marks |
| Genetic engineering | Not examined since 20181 of the last 4 years | under 1% of marks |
| Cell specialisation | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | under 1% of marks |
Required practicals
2018 and 2019 mark schemes rarely name the practical, so those years are undercounted here.
| Topic | How often | Share of marks |
|---|---|---|
| use qualitative reagents to test for a range of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins | Came up 2 of the last 4 years | 2% of marks |
| investigate the effect of a range of concentrations of salt or sugar solutions on the mass of plant tissue | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 2% of marks |
| investigate the effect of pH on the rate of reaction of amylase enzyme | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |
| use a light microscope to observe, draw and label a selection of plant and animal cells | Came up 1 of the last 4 years | 1% of marks |