Go to first unread
Back
to top
How can I get an A* in OCR a level biology
Watch this thread
Announcements
Butterflyshy
Badges:
12
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#1
I got a B in my as internal exam and really want to get an A*. I have struggled a lot with the calculations and application questions.I am doing the new spec and wanted to get some advice as I am willing to put the work in.
0
reply
The RAR
Badges:
21
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#2
MrGoreHelp
Badges:
13
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#3
Report
#3
(Original post by Butterflyshy)
I got a B in my as internal exam and really want to get an A*. I have struggled a lot with the calculations and application questions.I am doing the new spec and wanted to get some advice as I am willing to put the work in.
I got a B in my as internal exam and really want to get an A*. I have struggled a lot with the calculations and application questions.I am doing the new spec and wanted to get some advice as I am willing to put the work in.
1
reply
Butterflyshy
Badges:
12
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#4
(Original post by HamedxAli)
I got an A in OCR bio so hopefully, my advice with be of some use. Basically, what I did was learn all the content without the help of school by January by making notes on everything in the CGP books. However, if you do this your mock grades might drops, as did mine, as your most focused on covering the content. After that, I went through all my notes and made flash cards in ANKI, and reviewed these until the exams started. In the end, I think I had thousands of cards just for bio. After the cards were made, I did as many past papers as possible and went over the questions I didn't get the answers with my teacher.
I got an A in OCR bio so hopefully, my advice with be of some use. Basically, what I did was learn all the content without the help of school by January by making notes on everything in the CGP books. However, if you do this your mock grades might drops, as did mine, as your most focused on covering the content. After that, I went through all my notes and made flash cards in ANKI, and reviewed these until the exams started. In the end, I think I had thousands of cards just for bio. After the cards were made, I did as many past papers as possible and went over the questions I didn't get the answers with my teacher.
How did you prepare for the practical questions?
1
reply
MrGoreHelp
Badges:
13
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#5
Report
#5
(Original post by Butterflyshy)
Thanks for the great advice, you got an amazing grade.
How did you prepare for the practical questions?
Thanks for the great advice, you got an amazing grade.
How did you prepare for the practical questions?
0
reply
Gambit150
Badges:
7
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#6
Report
#6
(Original post by Butterflyshy)
I got a B in my as internal exam and really want to get an A*. I have struggled a lot with the calculations and application questions.I am doing the new spec and wanted to get some advice as I am willing to put the work in.
I got a B in my as internal exam and really want to get an A*. I have struggled a lot with the calculations and application questions.I am doing the new spec and wanted to get some advice as I am willing to put the work in.
Learn the content but dont sacrifice practical skills over content.
Dont stress and you will be fine
1
reply
Butterflyshy
Badges:
12
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#7
(Original post by Gambit150)
I got an A in ocr bio (idk how it was ridiculously hard) my advice is that you look at all the pags properly and practice questions on how to improve experiments.
Learn the content but dont sacrifice practical skills over content.
Dont stress and you will be fine
I got an A in ocr bio (idk how it was ridiculously hard) my advice is that you look at all the pags properly and practice questions on how to improve experiments.
Learn the content but dont sacrifice practical skills over content.
Dont stress and you will be fine
0
reply
Science1996
Badges:
2
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#8
Report
#8
(Original post by Butterflyshy)
I got a B in my as internal exam and really want to get an A*. I have struggled a lot with the calculations and application questions.I am doing the new spec and wanted to get some advice as I am willing to put the work in.
I got a B in my as internal exam and really want to get an A*. I have struggled a lot with the calculations and application questions.I am doing the new spec and wanted to get some advice as I am willing to put the work in.
0
reply
Butterflyshy
Badges:
12
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#9
(Original post by Science1996)
Biology is more memory over understanding (especially at GCSE and A - Level), my advice is revise continuously and properly. Make sure you can remember the required course booklet(s) in a way that gets you marks (continuously working through past papers over and over and consulting mark schemes thoroughly). Best of luck to you, an A* isn't as unobtainable as people make them out to be. Just encase you question my advice.. I have an A* in GCSE Biology, A-Level Biology and a First in my Biology degree and the advice I give to everyone is revise lots and cement the info in your head! You'll get there, I believe in you!!
Biology is more memory over understanding (especially at GCSE and A - Level), my advice is revise continuously and properly. Make sure you can remember the required course booklet(s) in a way that gets you marks (continuously working through past papers over and over and consulting mark schemes thoroughly). Best of luck to you, an A* isn't as unobtainable as people make them out to be. Just encase you question my advice.. I have an A* in GCSE Biology, A-Level Biology and a First in my Biology degree and the advice I give to everyone is revise lots and cement the info in your head! You'll get there, I believe in you!!
0
reply
Science1996
Badges:
2
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#10
Report
#10
(Original post by Butterflyshy)
Thanks so much for believing in me, I will put as much effort as I can into achieving the best grade I can.
Thanks so much for believing in me, I will put as much effort as I can into achieving the best grade I can.
0
reply
JStebz
Badges:
8
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#11
Report
#11
Hi, I managed to get an A* for OCR Bio A2 this year for the new spec. I got 192/270 (176 or something is the A* borderline). As for advice,
1. A level Biology is VERY memory orientated, so make sure you keep checking through your textbook / notes that you UNDERSTAND near enough all of the content (it isn't as hard as you think). The reason why I capitalised 'understand' is because it makes it so much easier to understand the biology in order to remember things.
2. When faced with an exam question, if it isn't pure data analysis, then it will ALWAYS reference at least one part of the syllabus that you would have learned. If you find in a paper that a question is particularly tricky / vague, think of any area of your knowledge that links to the question and reference that in your answer.
3. With calculation questions, it just comes with practice. Ask your teacher for some improvised calculation questions that are in a similar style to what you might find in an exam. Do every calculation question that you can do in the practice / sample / past papers, understand where you went wrong if you get questions wrong, and fix the misunderstanding.
4. Do all of the past / practice / specimen papers that you can for the new syllabus, and do your best to understand the 'vibe' of the mark scheme to the questions; i.e what examiners look for in answers to score marks.
Good luck! Hope this helps.
1. A level Biology is VERY memory orientated, so make sure you keep checking through your textbook / notes that you UNDERSTAND near enough all of the content (it isn't as hard as you think). The reason why I capitalised 'understand' is because it makes it so much easier to understand the biology in order to remember things.
2. When faced with an exam question, if it isn't pure data analysis, then it will ALWAYS reference at least one part of the syllabus that you would have learned. If you find in a paper that a question is particularly tricky / vague, think of any area of your knowledge that links to the question and reference that in your answer.
3. With calculation questions, it just comes with practice. Ask your teacher for some improvised calculation questions that are in a similar style to what you might find in an exam. Do every calculation question that you can do in the practice / sample / past papers, understand where you went wrong if you get questions wrong, and fix the misunderstanding.
4. Do all of the past / practice / specimen papers that you can for the new syllabus, and do your best to understand the 'vibe' of the mark scheme to the questions; i.e what examiners look for in answers to score marks.
Good luck! Hope this helps.
5
reply
Butterflyshy
Badges:
12
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#12
(Original post by JStebz)
Hi, I managed to get an A* for OCR Bio A2 this year for the new spec. I got 192/270 (176 or something is the A* borderline). As for advice,
1. A level Biology is VERY memory orientated, so make sure you keep checking through your textbook / notes that you UNDERSTAND near enough all of the content (it isn't as hard as you think). The reason why I capitalised 'understand' is because it makes it so much easier to understand the biology in order to remember things.
2. When faced with an exam question, if it isn't pure data analysis, then it will ALWAYS reference at least one part of the syllabus that you would have learned. If you find in a paper that a question is particularly tricky / vague, think of any area of your knowledge that links to the question and reference that in your answer.
3. With calculation questions, it just comes with practice. Ask your teacher for some improvised calculation questions that are in a similar style to what you might find in an exam. Do every calculation question that you can do in the practice / sample / past papers, understand where you went wrong if you get questions wrong, and fix the misunderstanding.
4. Do all of the past / practice / specimen papers that you can, and do your best to understand the 'vibe' of the mark scheme to the questions; i.e what examiners look for in answers to score marks.
Good luck! Hope this helps.
Hi, I managed to get an A* for OCR Bio A2 this year for the new spec. I got 192/270 (176 or something is the A* borderline). As for advice,
1. A level Biology is VERY memory orientated, so make sure you keep checking through your textbook / notes that you UNDERSTAND near enough all of the content (it isn't as hard as you think). The reason why I capitalised 'understand' is because it makes it so much easier to understand the biology in order to remember things.
2. When faced with an exam question, if it isn't pure data analysis, then it will ALWAYS reference at least one part of the syllabus that you would have learned. If you find in a paper that a question is particularly tricky / vague, think of any area of your knowledge that links to the question and reference that in your answer.
3. With calculation questions, it just comes with practice. Ask your teacher for some improvised calculation questions that are in a similar style to what you might find in an exam. Do every calculation question that you can do in the practice / sample / past papers, understand where you went wrong if you get questions wrong, and fix the misunderstanding.
4. Do all of the past / practice / specimen papers that you can, and do your best to understand the 'vibe' of the mark scheme to the questions; i.e what examiners look for in answers to score marks.
Good luck! Hope this helps.
1
reply
Gambit150
Badges:
7
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#13
Report
#13
(Original post by Butterflyshy)
Thanks so much for believing in me, I will put as much effort as I can into achieving the best grade I can.
Thanks so much for believing in me, I will put as much effort as I can into achieving the best grade I can.
thats the difference between a c and an a
0
reply
Marva_
Badges:
6
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#14
Report
#14
(Original post by HamedxAli)
I got an A in OCR bio so hopefully, my advice with be of some use. Basically, what I did was learn all the content without the help of school by January by making notes on everything in the CGP books. However, if you do this your mock grades might drops, as did mine, as your most focused on covering the content. After that, I went through all my notes and made flash cards in ANKI, and reviewed these until the exams started. In the end, I think I had thousands of cards just for bio. After the cards were made, I did as many past papers as possible and went over the questions I didn't get the answers with my teacher.
I got an A in OCR bio so hopefully, my advice with be of some use. Basically, what I did was learn all the content without the help of school by January by making notes on everything in the CGP books. However, if you do this your mock grades might drops, as did mine, as your most focused on covering the content. After that, I went through all my notes and made flash cards in ANKI, and reviewed these until the exams started. In the end, I think I had thousands of cards just for bio. After the cards were made, I did as many past papers as possible and went over the questions I didn't get the answers with my teacher.
0
reply
MrGoreHelp
Badges:
13
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#15
Report
#15
(Original post by Marva_)
Did you use the CGP revision guide or textbook
Did you use the CGP revision guide or textbook
0
reply
Shockez
Badges:
12
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#16
Report
#16
(Original post by HamedxAli)
I got an A in OCR bio so hopefully, my advice with be of some use. Basically, what I did was learn all the content without the help of school by January by making notes on everything in the CGP books. However, if you do this your mock grades might drops, as did mine, as your most focused on covering the content. After that, I went through all my notes and made flash cards in ANKI, and reviewed these until the exams started. In the end, I think I had thousands of cards just for bio. After the cards were made, I did as many past papers as possible and went over the questions I didn't get the answers with my teacher.
I got an A in OCR bio so hopefully, my advice with be of some use. Basically, what I did was learn all the content without the help of school by January by making notes on everything in the CGP books. However, if you do this your mock grades might drops, as did mine, as your most focused on covering the content. After that, I went through all my notes and made flash cards in ANKI, and reviewed these until the exams started. In the end, I think I had thousands of cards just for bio. After the cards were made, I did as many past papers as possible and went over the questions I didn't get the answers with my teacher.
Last edited by Shockez; 3 years ago
0
reply
MrGoreHelp
Badges:
13
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#17
Report
#17
(Original post by Shockez)
hey is it possible for you to share the ANKI cards please?
hey is it possible for you to share the ANKI cards please?
1
reply
Shushaxx
Badges:
13
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#18
Report
#18
(Original post by Marva_)
Did you use the CGP revision guide or textbook
Did you use the CGP revision guide or textbook
Last edited by Shushaxx; 3 years ago
0
reply
deborah_31
Badges:
7
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#19
deborah_31
Badges:
7
Rep:
?
You'll earn badges for being active around the site. Rep gems come when your posts are rated by other community members.
#20
Report
#20
(Original post by HamedxAli)
Sure send me your email
Sure send me your email
0
reply
X
Quick Reply
