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

No problem man!! We're both very busy people at the moment, especially as our exams are literally just around the corner! eeeeek
Have you managed to finish the rest of A2 Biology now? Also did you contact the school or ring Edexcel in the end?

Hope all is well!
Keep staying motivated!!!

Haven't had time to call yet. Going to do it tomorrow. I'm a few pages from the end of the A2 book, and already starting reviewing everything. That Khan Academy series is really good actually. I seem to be remembering a lot through that - I understand everything this time round too. My plan was always (and I'm still hoping I had the right strategy): only learn from the revision books first, because I only wanted the information I needed to pass the exam, not the extra stuff; then I go through the course, and I can get the context, but focus on remembering only what I need for the exam.

Tomorrow if the scanner is working, I'll scan the pages in the book. I'm not exactly sure how much knowledge from the whole Biology A-level course I need for the Unit 3 and 6 exams, but I'd like to go over everything before I do practice exams.

How is your revision going?

Hi, i am also appearing for AS Biology in may/june so what do you think that which topic is more likely come in unit 3 this time , like which experiment?

My revision has been all over the place! I'm actually starting to panic now! I just found out I am terrible at Maths S1 and obviously have very limited knowledge about the practicals for AS-Bio

Starting from the 1st of next month I'm going to attempt full study days (at least 6-8 hours a day!). But it's easier said than done due to commitments because of work and other aspects of life!

Hi, i am also appearing for AS Biology in may/june so what do you think that which topic is more likely come in unit 3 this time , like which experiment ?

My revision has been all over the place! I'm actually starting to panic now! I just found out I am terrible at Maths S1 and obviously have very limited knowledge about the practicals for AS-Bio

Starting from the 1st of next month I'm going to attempt full study days (at least 6-8 hours a day!). But it's easier said than done due to commitments because of work and other aspects of life!

Hey again, I've been looking through past biology exam papers (I still haven't given myself a timed exam yet though, need to do that soon), and I think I've figured out what the core practicals are for. I've found at least one part of the exam that asks you questions about a particular core practical test. I'm looking at the Jan 2009 U1 paper, it asks about the beetroot / cell membrane permeability experiment.

So apart from general knowledge on the scientific process for the U3 and U6 exams, it seems we need to have a good knowledge of the core practical experiments, enough to answer questions on them.

But it seems that all the information in the pdf links you sent me are enough. They're definitely a bit more than I have in these revision books!

Yes you are correct. As I've mentioned before, you can be assessed about any of the core practicals which is why it is essential to know enough about them. In Units 1 and 2 you are assessed on 1 or 2 of the practicals and there are quite a lot of marks involved which is why I'm panicking as I don't know much about them I'm slowly getting to grips with the practicals but, for now, I have just been blagging my answers when doing past papers. It's mainly the procedure of the core practicals that I am having trouble getting marks for so I am trying to make a template of these procedures that I can adjust and relate to questions in the exam. I'm condensing the procedures of the core practicals according to the mark schemes of practical method questions I come across. I'm hoping that this will prevent me from losing too many marks, but we'll see!

As for Maths.. S1 is still a nightmare to me. But I have a 1 week gap in my exam timetable just before I have to sit it so I will be doing solid revision/studying nearer to the time

How's things on your end? You made them flashcards yet for Bio yet?

Same for me. I haven't learned S1 properly yet. I can see that I'll be learning/practicing mathematics more next month(!), because I haven't had the time. I'll actually have more free time then! My uni work deadline is 31 may, and I actually want to go through the entire biology course again - learning this time - before first exam next week. I'll just do mathematics when i can this month. Hopefully i'll finish S1 and M1 before month end. But I was expecting this, seeing as only started everything 3 months ago (beginning february i couldn't even remember how to multiply/divide fractions! - now i know calculus). I may have made a rash choice, but i'm going to fight on. I've cut my work hours down to about 15 hours/week.

I've only made a few flashcards yet. But tbh i think i've discovered the learning method that works best for me. 1) Read the CGP review books to understand, but not necessarily remember (finished all this), 2) watch the khan video series - it has too much information, but that's very good I find, because the context helps me understand, and i only have to remember some of it, then 3) finally i read the 2nd review book i have (I also have the Edexcel revision books) to actually review, then 4) i'm starting to do practice tests. Instead of flash cards, because I don't have free time, I find I'm just asking myself questions about formulae and all the biology through the day! Today i'll do practice questions but not timed, tomorrow i'll do a timed test. It's a bit close, but that's all the time i've had : /

I have a few flashcards, but really, they're for the processes and molecules. Simplified to jog my memory. I'm surprised how much I can remember - and i understand it much better now i'm watching the khan videos (i really recommend those actually) - but time is running out to go through everything!

I have a question: I was looking through the june 2015 exam for U3 and one question (regarding pH value and temperature on enzyme reactions/productivity) was "suggest a suitable temperature, and describe how it could be controlled". Okay I think I know a suitable temperature based on graphs they've given. But how are we supposed to answer a way to control the temperature?? Set the fridge temperature to a specific temperature? It seems like an odd question

The answer was "temperature controlled incubator/oven/water bath". It just seems like a very general question, almost TOO easy. It threw me off.

Oh wow, I'm glad you've found a technique that is working for you!! Any chance you could send me a link/s of the review books/revision guides you're using?

Yeah you're doing extremely well with how quick you're learning all the material for Maths as well as Biology! I barely knew how to multiply and divide fractions too when I first started and algebra was a riddle to me as we barely covered that when I was back at school as I was only 2nd set for maths

Yeah, enzymes work best at body temperature (37.5 Degrees Celsius). The question seems simple enough as it is just testing your knowledge about the equipment used in Bio labs.I personally would have chosen the answer "Electric water bath" as it is easier to maintain the temperature of the water. But yeah it is definitely one of those questions that are so simple that it throws you off into thinking outside of the box. If you come across any similar questions I say just go with your gut instinct.

I can send you the Edexcel book for the A2 exam. Shall I send to your email? Everything else I have is in paper, and my time with the work scanner is very limited now : /. Although, I bought them very cheaply (sometimes 1p) on Amazon because the exams are changing (I'm doing the old one), and they sent them quick, so I'll bet you can even buy them now and get them in a few days.

About your answer, it says specifically "temperature controlled water bath", in the marking scheme is says "water bath" is not enough : / these are all from the past papers you can download from the edexcel website.

How are you doing your study/revision?

Yeah obviously make sure you describe that the electric water bath can be adjusted/control the temperature and that you should use a thermometer to measure the accuracy.

I'm on the new syllabus for Edexcel A-level Bio so I probably won't be needing the A2 stuff until next year.

Oh, and the studying is so overwhelming atm

Is it just me or do S1 "Probabilities" really confuse you?

Hey, sorry again. I'm studying as much as my brain will allow. If I'm learning well, I don't like to interrupt myself for anything : / You're lucky. Although, if I don't do well in the exams, I may end up taking them all again. I already worked too many hours, too long in the year, and didn't really give myself enough time to study. So I guess I can at least afford to pay for the exams again if necessary. But I'm still going for them seriously this time round. I don't seem to be too bad at memorizing - which is essentially what these exams are(!) - but I need time, and it doesn't mean I remember everything. It's also gonna depend on luck in the exam too. I'm making a quick list of the key glossary terms, concepts/description, processes and method/experiments, then I'll attack each one, one by one. I'm getting pretty nervous, but then I have about 4 pretty big projects this month and they're taking their toll.

One thing about the daphnia heartbeat experiment: in this video (it's not A-level) they say DON'T give them distilled water, because it will kill the daphnia. It doesn't have the nutrients it needs. But on the Core Practicals pdfs I have, it says use distilled water. The books I have don't mention any distilled water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhOUwlOdxkA

And the probabilities are okay for now. But I'm having to go back over all of statistics and mechanics. I did not learn those well at all.

EDIT: On this webpage it says:

"Daphnia are quite sensitive to the chemistry of the water in which they live. In order to provide standardized culture water, professional scientists start with distilled water and add essential minerals and nutrients (see Table 1). The problem with this approach in schools is that you may not have access to distilled water of sufficient purity. Supermarket-grade distilled or deionized water may contain trace-level contaminants at concentrations high enough to be detrimental to populations of Daphnia. An alternate possibility is to use unchlorinated water such as bottled spring water, or water from a local well, spring, stream, or lake."

http://ei.cornell.edu/toxicology/bioassays/daphnia/culture.html

So it seems it's a question of distilled water purity.

Ah no worries, I know you're extremely busy so expect you not to be able to reply.

As for the procedures of experiments I would just follow what Edexcel mention on their website. That's the best thing to do if you want to gain the most marks! That's what I'm going to do anyway e.g.

But obviously try to condense these procedures down into bullet points for the exam.

Stay motivated! All this torture you're going through will be over before you know it!!

Hi guys, when will be you have your biology unit 3 exam?

For me, Monday. I'm currently watching an hour long series on improving my memory(!). If I remember all the AS core practicals with it by tomorrow morning, I'll let you know! So far, the video series is pretty good. Let me know if you want the link. It's only about 45 minutes long, and fun (which is always the best way to learn). When is your U3 exam?

Hey could u pls share the link?? My U3 exams are tomm as well that's why just wanted to revise again! Freakin out a little bit😖 thanks !


Posted from TSR Mobile