A-Level Biology AS/A2 exams - Recommend good flashcards?

Firstly, DO NOT PANIC! You'll only waste time otherwise. Just keep yourself busy and when you start doing past papers you should write little side notes on topics that you are repeatedly struggling with the most so you can focus on them!! You still have so much time to crack on with everything but make sure you actually do! Keep refreshing your memory up until the day of your exams even if it's an hour or two just going over your notes. But make sure you understand what you're reading that way it'll stick in your head better!!

Flashcards are a fantastic idea!! These will actually test your memory/knowledge of the subject but make sure you don't waste too much time making them!! Biology is a memory game but it's also about 60% exam technique so make sure you practice at least 2 past papers before your exams.

And for A-level Maths, you literally have to chuck yourself in the deep end and learn from doing past paper questions, and if there is a topic you're not too confident about then look it up in a textbook. But just expose yourself to as many questions as possible!! I'm only doing AS-level Maths though so this technique might not work if you're also doing A2!!

Thanks for the advice! You're right, I'm trying to stay calm, and consistent. And yes, I want to finish all the material/study and have at least a week before the exams to do lots of past papers. Hopefully a couple of weeks before. In fact, I'm going to read some of past papers and their examiner's marking notes this afternoon, to get a feel for it.

The flashcards would be great. There seem quite a lot on TSR (an admin sent me this link before):

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/g/resources?kind%5B%5D=flashcards&level_id%5B%5D=a2&level_id%5B%5D=as&q=&subject_id%5B%5D=biology&subject_id%5B%5D=health_and_social_care&subject_id%5B%5D=human_biology

I also have a program called Anki, which lets you make your own, import them from txt files, will automatically remove words, and will choose the frequency to show you the card, depending on your answer. There are reversable flash cards too, so quite a lot of options. I'm considering going through my notes and the books again when I'm finished the first round of study, and typing up the main points and vocabulary into a text file, then revising with flash cards like this.

If it helps you I recommend it. Typing into a text file seems a much faster way of making flash cards than the classic pen, card and scissors way!

http://ankisrs.net/

Yeah I think I may actually make some flash cards too tbh!!

Happy the program seems a good idea to not only me!

Yeah it seems really good!! Will probably try it out tonight after work!! What made you decide to study towards A-level Biology and Maths anyway? It's interesting to know that there is someone else out there like me who is studying towards these subjects as an external/private candidate!!

I finished my degree in the UK, got a decent mark, but hated it in the end. So I came to Spain to teach English, while I figured out what I want to do. I've been here nearly 7 years, and at end of last year I decided where I want to work, and found some good study programs in Germany. Some of them want 2 A-Levels, so in January I decided to register and teach myself in about 3 months. Not sure if it was a rash decision, but I really can't hack another year here teaching English. I've cut down my work hours to about 2 days/week, but still, I've gone from virtually no biology and completely forgotten maths (from my school days) to about halfway through. But we only have a month til the first exams. At least the more advanced exams are at the end of June, and in July. I'm just studying every spare hour of the day, no days off!

I think you're right though. The trick is to be consistent, but stay calm.

How about yourself?

I'll be starting the ecosystem part this weekend I hope. Some things I've never done before, other things I already know a little about. I'm hoping to study "Sustainable Resource Management" and I've already been reading about the environment for years. That helps a little(!). Much more technical and basic here though in the A-level.

I'm sure these links are in a thread somewhere, but I'll just post them here in case you haven't found them yet. First one is the International A-Level Biology, the 2nd is the regular Biology A-level, the 3rd is the new Biology A-level:

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-international-advanced-levels/biology.coursematerials.html#filterQuery=category:Pearson-UK:Category%2FSpecification-and-sample-assessments

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/biology-2008.coursematerials.html#filterQuery=category:Pearson-UK:Category%2FSpecification-and-sample-assessments

http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/biology-b-2015.html

I'm not actually living in the UK at the moment so I'm taking the international one (found a school here that offers them). There seem to be all the past papers, and examiner's notes on all of them.

Do you know if these are all the past papers and all the examiners' notes available? Perhaps I'm missing another resource.

EDIT: A lot or most of the most recent papers are locked. Do you know if I can access them anywhere else?

Oh wow, what an interesting background!!! I'm almost 24 years old, decided against going to university when I was 18 (was accepted by my second choice uni to study Bsc Accounting) but I decided to work in the field and gain experience and qualifications through an alternative route without getting in to too much debt as I wasn't sure whether Accounting was for me!! Not going to uni was the best thing I could have done as I would have been in so much debt that I'd feel obliged to carry on with my career in accountancy. Long story short, I quit my depressing/stressful job at an accountancy firm just before Christmas and decided to study towards these AS-levels. I've picked up a part-time job since (25 hours a week) as a delivery driver for Domino's as I need some sort of income in order to survive. But when I'm not working, I'm studying!! Depending on how well I do at AS my parents will support me next year if I choose to continue these subjects at A2. I have the intention to possibly study a health related subject at university preferably something like Optometry but I will need fantastic grades and will likely need to pick up another science subject next year!

Sorry, I just saw the reply!

Thank you for the links and I am sure it will help you with ecosystems unlike studying it and knowing about it for the first time.

I am also doing the international one as I am living out of the UK

I think this is all the resources available, however, if I do find some that are not found here then surely I'll post them here

If you want I have some of the recent papers so I can post them if you specify exactly the units you want!

Hey, sorry for the late reply. Been studying : / and have an english class this morning too. Good luck with the study! Later today I'm gonna look over a few past papers (not do them, just check out the range of questions they ask). I may have some questions for you. Btw, I perhaps this will help you (or you've already found it?), might be good for general revision:

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology

http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/Secondary/Science/16Biology/Edexcel%20GCE%20in%20Biology%202008/ISBN/BiologyRevisionGuides/EdexcelASBiologyRevisionGuide.aspx#samples

http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/Secondary/Science/16Biology/Edexcel%20GCE%20in%20Biology%202008/ISBN/BiologyRevisionGuides/EdexcelA2BiologyRevisionGuide.aspx#samples

PS. If anyone every finds some Results Plus revision material (I think it's published by Pearson and Edexcel), could you send me a link? Although I'm not sure on TSR's policy on linking to pdfs. Perhaps it's not allowed(?). However, I like these books, they seem to explain exam question structure and how best to answer them. I'd like to find more of this. I may even consider buying them by Amazon. Thanks in advance!

https://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/Secondary/Science/16Biology/Edexcel%20GCE%20in%20Biology%202008/Samples/EdexcelASBiologyRevisionGuideMainContent.pdf

Hey no worries!! We're all busy people here tbh! Yeah the s-cool website is very useful for some indepth topics but I'm mainly sticking to the endorsed text book and the notes I've made for now as I already have a general understanding of the topics that could come up in the exam, so for me it's just a case of remembering my notes as I don't want to get too confused with other resources :P

What is 'Results Plus' revision material? sounds pretty useful!

Hey
Yeah, yesterday I finished the AS book, and revised a little. Today I'm continuing with maths, and I'll do some of the A2 book later. Started making flashcards (with the Anki program - do you know it? Perhaps it can help you, it's free to download.) to revise a little more material every day.

The "Results Plus" seems to be some Edexcel term they use to give tips for their exams. These are the books I've been looking at. I'm considering ordering them to read at the end of the month, although it depends if I have time. Only 4 weeks now until 1st exam.

http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/Secondary/Science/16Biology/Edexcel%20GCE%20in%20Biology%202008/ISBN/BiologyRevisionGuides/EdexcelASBiologyRevisionGuide.aspx#samples

http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/Secondary/Science/16Biology/Edexcel%20GCE%20in%20Biology%202008/ISBN/BiologyRevisionGuides/EdexcelA2BiologyRevisionGuide.aspx#samples

I don't know TSR's policy on linking to websites and pdfs, but perhaps you might find these useful? There's a good biology A-level revision book here.

http://studentbounty.com/essays/free-e-books/

Btw, the first exams are modules 3 and 6. Perhaps I'm missing something(?) - but these exams aren't covered specifically in the CGP revision books. They seem to be "practical tests" where you put what you've learned through the A-level studies to use in describing, planning, interpreting and evaluating experiments.

Am I correct? I've been looking for information, but I haven't found anything specific for these exams - exams 3 and 6. (Apart from past papers, which I've had a quick look at for these exams.)

Hey
No problem. My replies might be slow at times. I'm working about part-time hours, and the rest of the time every day I'm fighting with A-Level Maths and Biology, and trying to write my last master's project. Sometimes I just switch off from everything else. I'm about 20% into the A2 biology now.

I have this book to help with the Units 4 and 6. I'm reading through it slowly. I'm doing the last batch of exams for the 2009 exams. They're the only exams they offer in the school here.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edexcel-Biology-Student-Unit-Guide/dp/144418279X/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1460474180&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=hodder+edexcel+biology+unit+4+unit+6

I have it in pdf, if you'd like it? I haven't gotten to the scanner yet, but later this week I should go into the office and I'll scan the sections from my biology book for you.

I don't know if you already know this series, but this is very good for biology revision (and they're fun/easy to watch). It seems to cover most or all of the points covered in A-Level (let me know if he misses something). I'm using them for revision as I go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnQe0xW_JY4&list=PL3EED4C1D684D3ADF&nohtml5=False

And this series, by the same guy, for ecology (which is what I want to study more in the future) if you're having trouble with this part of the a-level:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjE-Pkjp3u4&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNdTKZkV_GiIYXpV9w4WxbX

If you could send me the PDF that would actually be amazing! I need to get hold of as many resources as possible tbh

Just two things:
1) the CGP books seem to include all the core practicals, but they don't specifically mention "core practicals". So I'll have to look through the books for the experiments. Is the list of core practicals you sent me the complete list?
2) They mention them pretty briefly, with not much more information than the links you sent me.

By the way, it seems to me that the Biology A-Level revision is really about remembering 4 categories:
1) glossary (terms and what they are)
2) description (a longer description, of an organ or an environment etc.)
3) processes (what happens during a heartbeat, or non-cyclic photophsphorylation etc.)
4) the scientific method (core practicals etc.)

Because if I think of it like this, I need to make lists of what I need to remember. Like all the processes for example. Does this sound more or less how it is to you?

No the list I sent you isn't the complete list, I'm still trying to find out more about the practicals but it's difficult.

But yeah, you pretty much just described A-level Biology. It is pretty much a memory game of the four categories that you mentioned!!

It is best to learn the glossary of terms before being able to move on to the more advance processes otherwise you won't really understand what you're reading!

Anyway I'm off to work now so my replies may be a little delayed

No problem. I have to come and go for work a lot too.
I'm still not sure what the core practicals are for. From what I can find, the only mention of core practicals are for actual practical experiments you do in class. But I'm (we're?) being entered as external/private candidates. So what are the core practicals for? Is there a question section for them in the exams?

I think as you're on the old syllabus, the core practicals will be tested in your Units 3 and 6. I'm not completely sure though so you should check the Edexcel website or send them an email if you have to. How many hours a week do you work again?