How do you think the AQA GCSE Biology 1 paper was?

What did everyone out for the indicator species?

Reply 142

username2183667

17

Original post by nettogrof

So I sat biology unit one exam today and it was the one exam I did a lot of revision for and did all the recent past papers for and I felt as though the paper was nothing like the recent past papers and a lot harder :'( How did everyone else find it?

it wasn't really hard, its just that none of seemed to actually be about biology. it only seemed hard because none of what we revised for was actually on the paper. it had irrelevant questions and for some reason most of the questions had to do with irrelevant graphs and pictures that didnt link that well with the topics. i actually worked so hard to memorise all of these subjects and topics when hardly any of them came up. i was extremely annoyed when it started talking about an independent company ??? something i have never heard about and i was quite shocked when they brought up the question of drunk 15 year olds who drink alcohol. the graph questions took over a majority of the paper which was disappointing as there were hardly any questions about the topics.

Reply 143

hccurtis

Original post by nettogrof

So I sat biology unit one exam today and it was the one exam I did a lot of revision for and did all the recent past papers for and I felt as though the paper was nothing like the recent past papers and a lot harder :'( How did everyone else find it?

I found the paper absolutely awful. I revised so much for topics like the carbon cycle, hormones in fertility etc and nothing came up (apart from decaying of course). I did possibly every past paper under the sun and would always get As or A* so i went into that exam with very high hopes, only for them to be crushed on the first damn question! I thought it was completely unfair, as if AQA were just setting us all up for failure. Why on earth would they ask business studies related questions in a bloody biology exam?!

Reply 144

NGL that paper was far easier than previous years. The question that tripped people the most - about an individual company is basic knowledge and EASY if you aren't braindead.

Really liked the new cover too, props to AQA

Reply 145

ASSISTER

The sections of the paper that were to do with Biology i think i did rather well albeit it being only 20% max of the whole specification, the independent company questions were utter shite, nothing to do with biology and also i don't see how they are able to put that question in as it doesn't state it in their subject content!

Reply 146

Original post by ASSISTER

the independent company questions were utter shite, nothing to do with biology

Well, drug testing is about biology.
Thus a question about how to fairly conduct drug tests is about biology

Reply 147

AnnaFS

It was definitely the hardest paper I have done for B1 yet, but hopefully this just means lower grade boundaries. I'm mainly annoyed because so much of the specification was missing. I'm nervous this will happen on all the science exams now.

Reply 148

j3ss1cah

Original post by ReluctantWriter

Yes! Phew . . .

Was that the question on standard form? If so how did you do it because that isn't on the unofficial mark scheme online and I don't know how people did that question. Kind of bugging me for some reason I got 15% :frown:

Reply 149

ReluctantWriter

12

Original post by Jac194

you had to say
a gap between two neurons where chemicals are transferred across

S*** oh well, one mark amiss . . .

Reply 150

Original post by j3ss1cah

Was that the question on standard form? If so how did you do it because that isn't on the unofficial mark scheme online and I don't know how people did that question. Kind of bugging me for some reason I got 15% :frown:

2x10^6
3x10^8

Ans X 100 = 0.6 recurring

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 151

TrumpIsFancy

5

Original post by HotBeefInjection

2x10^6
3x10^8

Ans X 100 = 0.6 recurring

I put invertebrates and water pollution but I explained how invertebrates are used to measure water pollution i.e. high % of them indicate low pollution but the question asked for ANOTHER method right? How many marks was the last question?

Reply 152

1 mark for invertebrates and water pollution, then 1 mark for another method

Reply 153

bants12345

Original post by Dizgurl

I put 66% as well...though everyone's saying its 0.6% so im pretty sure its not right. You'll get marks for working out though if you did any I'm sure :redface:

Okay, ty, at least ill hopefully get one mark :smile:

Reply 154

bants12345

Original post by hccurtis

I found the paper absolutely awful. I revised so much for topics like the carbon cycle, hormones in fertility etc and nothing came up (apart from decaying of course). I did possibly every past paper under the sun and would always get As or A* so i went into that exam with very high hopes, only for them to be crushed on the first damn question! I thought it was completely unfair, as if AQA were just setting us all up for failure. Why on earth would they ask business studies related questions in a bloody biology exam?!

Couldn't have put it better myself :/

Reply 155

crustyegg

Original post by GNHD

How do you even grow a gm mosquitoe? Tbh the paper was very hard and about 95% of the paper wasnt even knowledge based and it was so annoying so now i guess all we can do is hope that they lower the grade boundaries

To produce a GM mosquito you isolate the offspring-killing gene from the bacteria they mentioned (in one of its chromosomes)
You then use an enzyme to 'cut out' this gene from the bacterium.
You isolate the gene in a mosquito that prevents the offspring being killed and cut it out using an enzyme.
You replace it with the gene from the bacteria.
This gene is put back into the mosquito's chromosome and DNA in the nucleus of one of its cells.
It is implanted into the mosquito at an early stage of its development and then the mosquito can no longer facilitate live offspring.
It is called GM ( Genetically modified) because you have altered the mosquito's natural genetic makeup.
That's what i wrote and i'm pretty sure it's right. x

Reply 156

crustyegg

Original post by Samh10099

What did everyone out for the indicator species?

I put Invertebrates - i.e - freshwater shrimp or tubifex worm as they live in different degrees of polluted water and different levels of oxygenation in the water.
For the second part i wrote an oxygen meter/indicator to test the levels of oxygen in the water as polluted water has low levels of oxygen.

I chose this because it asked for an animal and lichen (another pollution indicator) is actually a fungi not an animal.

Reply 157

strongcurrent

9

Nothing on hormones, menstrual cycle, geotropism, phototropism, auxin. Didn't even get a decent adaptations question! WHERE WAS THE CARBON CYCLE?

Reply 158

TrumpIsFancy

5

Original post by crustyegg

I put Invertebrates - i.e - freshwater shrimp or tubifex worm as they live in different degrees of polluted water and different levels of oxygenation in the water.
For the second part i wrote an oxygen meter/indicator to test the levels of oxygen in the water as polluted water has low levels of oxygen.

I chose this because it asked for an animal and lichen (another pollution indicator) is actually a fungi not an animal.

was the very last part worth 1 mark? in the first part I put invertebrates to measure water pollution would that be correct?

Reply 159

crustyegg