AQA biology synoptic exam

Could anyone tell me how much detail we have to be able to recall from last year in this synoptic exam? Is it just general things we'll have to write about or will it be very specific like it was at AS with specific details? I'm seriously panicking because I can't remember it all!!

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Reply 1

supertramp

Most of the exam questions I have seen have been very general, like "the role of negative feedback in biology" or "cycles in biology" or "structure and function of carbohydrates". I've only seen a couple of specific ones.

I'm starting to worry about my complete and utter inability to revise, now. I try so hard, and yet still can't do it, like some sort of mental block.

Reply 2

louieb

Me too. I've completely lost motivation and i'm just so fed up of exam hell! Still got 3 to go though. Must try harder!

Reply 3

calamitymaud

it has the potential to be horrible (if they ask an essay about anything genetic) but also can be good e.g. if they ask about "the importance of proteins in biology" i could write for days on that just with little tidbits i remember from the course.

i don't like the weird calculation questions. they get the weirdest answers and the mark scheme never really explains why.

a tip ive found useful for synoptic is before you say "i havent a clue what thats about" really think about it and read the question a few times, more often than not ive come up with something to put down that is related.

Reply 4

supertramp

You know what - I won't be at all surprised if there is an essay question about the structure and function of either proteins or lipids in this paper. Why am I not revising?

Reply 5

tortured

I did it last year... And after getting Cs continuously throughout the entire two years of the course, I got a high A in it! It's not so much detail that you need, but being able to vaguely link everything you've learnt on the course, and using a wide variety of examples. At least that's what got me through, I'm no science geek, I'm just good at memorizing and finding links between things. I think my English Lit skills benefitted as much as the science-stuff in this paper.

Reply 6

chocolatecheese

i think it will be on lipids....just my suspicion...i haven't seen a question on that before...but theres been proteins (which would be a great question) and carbohydrates...as well as...."the importance of water" :p:

good luck everyone :smile:

Reply 7

calamitymaud

ok so as a test what would we say for lipids.

lipid digestion,
test for lipid (is that the biuret and the lilac one?)
phospholipid membranes,
erm...pesticides as they are soluble in lipids,
errrm....liposomes?

what else?

Reply 8

calamitymaud

just thought of saturated and unsaturated too!

Reply 9

calamitymaud

and waxy cuticle on plant leaves.

Reply 10

supertramp

energy store, obviously. useful for desert animals because respiring lipids metabolises more water.

Reply 11

rishman

calamitymaud

ok so as a test what would we say for lipids.

test for lipid (is that the biuret and the lilac one?)

QUOTE]

nah its ice cold ethanol- milky white emulsion confirms lipids present

Reply 12

sn0wflak3

How about the role of enzymes in biology? That'd be a gift question!

Reply 13

supertramp

You know what? There hasn't been anything about the heart yet.

Reply 14

Felicity9

Last night I convinced myself that it would be about enzymes but apparently it's already come up...lipids sounds plausible though...it's gotta beat that microscope essay that came up a while back.
Good luck everyone!

Reply 15

Lee1709

There is a very high chance of the essay being lipids. Carbs and Protein have both already come up previously and no synoptic essay questions have EVER been repeated so proteins/enzymes wont come up. The examiners obviously do this so that people dont just remember the markscheme.
My money is on lipids definately.

Reply 16

~Kristina~

Does anyone else plan doing a plan for the essay ..... im not sure whether it'd we a waste of time ????

I hope the lipids one comes up... that was one of the practice ones i did :smile:

...

Good Luck!!!

Reply 17

happyfacedani

So what else did you put in the lipids question? I'm totally stressing about this exam, don't know what to look over!

Reply 18

supertramp

Has there been one about hormones yet?

The nervous system?

Different types of cell?

Beginning to panic, now. I do not know this stuff!

Reply 19

happyfacedani

I think there was one a while ago about cell structure related to function. The nervous system is mostly A2 but I guess all the nerve impulses from the baroreceptors and chemoreceptors and so on are AS...oh help...and isn't hormones mostly in the human bio specification? I think the synoptic is for both parts of the course...