a level study tips

prince magwere

what study tips can i use to pass my a level biology?

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BCU Student Rep

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Original post by prince magwere

what study tips can i use to pass my a level biology?

Hi @prince magwere,

I did biology for my A-Levels as well! I was struggling a lot during AS due to the depth and how complex the content was, but I was thankfully able to secure an 'A' for my exams. Here are some tips that worked for me:

1) Treat the specification points and past papers as your best friend!
Every time I was going to begin my revision sessions I would always refer to the spec points as it told me exactly what I need to know for my exam. Nothing more, and nothing less. I treated it as a checklist, and worked through it in chronological order. The spec points are also especially useful as they list out key words and definitions you should know that could easily score you 1-3 marks on your exam.

As for past papers, during the early stages of my biology revision I would opt for answering topical past paper questions which are less overwhelming. After I revised one topic, I would answer questions for that topic. This was better for me as I would often feel demotivated if I attempted a complete past paper without being able to answer all the questions to my best ability. However, toward the end of your syllabus- you can attempt full past papers as it allows you to recall topics from all stages of your syllabus and you become more aware of the format and the type of questions you can expect from the exam.

2) Flashcards and blurting
I noticed that biology was one of my subjects that required lots and lots of memorisation. A pattern I found throughout these biology past papers is the similarity of questions, most of the time you'll be thrown big mark questions but it isn't as scary as you think it to be. These 'big mark' questions usually ask of a particular process, but just by mentioning specific keywords you can easily get the marks you need. You might also find it useful to write down those big mark questions on a flashcard, and write the answers in memorable bullet points on the back of it. Flashcards are also useful for memorising biological processes and mechanisms.

Blurting on the other hand, was a technique I adopted when I was revising for my mocks. After reading my textbook and online resources, I would blurt out everything I just read on a piece of paper. From keywords, to definitions, to biological processes and diagrams. After I felt like I had recalled everything I can remember, I'll refer it back to the textbook and compare any notes I missed out on or need refining. I'd repeat this process a couple more times until I felt like I had become familiar with the bulk I need to know.

Although, I am aware what worked for me may not be as effective for you- you can refer to our page on revision techniques here: https://bit.ly/3uCzvZl for a more in-depth explanation to more helpful revision techniques.

Hope this helps,
Danish
BCU Student Rep