A level biology

Alihaider26

Hi
I’m looking to do Alevel Biology self learn
Can anyone recommend an exam board .

Reply 1

kitty15

Study Forum Helper

Original post

by Alihaider26

Hi
I’m looking to do Alevel Biology self learn
Can anyone recommend an exam board .

Hi, honestly up to you but I would recommend OCR or AQA (I did AQA and you hear everyone complaining about the specific mark schemes, but there are the greatest amount of resources out there for AQA. Note AQA has a 25 mark synoptic essay, which can take a while to practice and get good at (it’s not that scary) so it really depends on how much time you have to practice. You only need worry about it after learning all the content.) I’m not really familiar with ocr but I know that miss estruch biology YouTube does videos for ocr so there are definitely ocr resources out there.
Do of course check with your exam centre if they can use the board.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions.

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 2

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Original post

by Alihaider26

Hi
I’m looking to do Alevel Biology self learn
Can anyone recommend an exam board .

Hi,

I’d recommend AQA for A-level Biology if you’re planning to self-learn. The AQA syllabus is well-structured and covers all the biology topics in a clear way, which makes it easier to follow on your own. There are lots of official resources like specification documents, past papers, mark schemes, and examiner reports available on their website for free, which are really useful when studying independently.

Also, there are many textbooks and online resources designed specifically for AQA, including popular publishers like CGP, so you’ll have plenty of study materials. Many YouTube channels and websites offer tutorials aligned with the AQA topics too, which can be great for understanding difficult concepts.

I hope this helps, good luck with your studies!

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 3

Lettuce272

I did ocr and didn’t find it too bad and there are lots of resources apart from on YouTube there was a hit of a lack of content, the markscheme was specific but you just have to learn it! Personally I would go ocr to avoid the essay but if you’re okay with essays then go aqa

Reply 4

WILD_CHILD1407

Original post

by Alihaider26

Hi
I’m looking to do Alevel Biology self learn
Can anyone recommend an exam board .

I would do AQA. In my opinion, it's the easiest of all exam boards and the most straightforward.
Using a CGP textbook + exam questions will help you in biology.
One thing to note is that paper 3 includes a 25 marker essay on a chosen topic in biology.
However, it isn't as daunting as it seems, there are plenty of videos on Ms Estruch's youtube channel, which tackle these questions, as well as others in AQA.

You should also look at grade boundaries as well, when deciding. I know that's not typically the first thing someone would look at when choosing an exam board, but it will be a significant determiner when you do your exam. Regardless of how you perform, some exam boards have higher grade boundaries than others. So be sure to check that out.

What exam board did you do for GCSE? It might be easier to stick to the same for A level, if you are used to the format.

Reply 5

Alihaider26

Thank you
Ill look into doing AQA

Reply 6

Reality Check

Original post

by Alihaider26

Hi
I’m looking to do Alevel Biology self learn
Can anyone recommend an exam board .

What are you planning on doing about the Practical Endorsement?

Reply 7

Alihaider26

I didn’t realise there was one
Is that just for the AQA Exam board

Reply 8

WILD_CHILD1407

You can find centres which will let you do it privately.
ie https://examcentrelondon.co.uk/a-level-endorsment

Reply 9

Alihaider26

Thank you

Reply 10

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Original post

by Alihaider26

I didn’t realise there was one
Is that just for the AQA Exam board

No, all A level Biology exam boards include the practical endorsement. It’s a separate pass or fail shown on your results based on practical work done in class. Many universities, especially for science or healthcare-related courses, expect a pass in it, so it’s worth checking the entry requirements for the course you’re applying to. As shown above, you can find centres that offer it for private candidates.

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 11

Lettuce272

Original post

by Alihaider26

I didn’t realise there was one
Is that just for the AQA Exam board

No its for all of them, it is handy to have a pass in it as some unis require it, esp if you’re planning on doing something sciencey in the future

Reply 12

Reality Check

Original post

by Alihaider26

I didn’t realise there was one

Oh dear. The practical endorsement is a separate element of the course, where your teacher 'signs off' that you have carried out the required practicals satisfactorily. This is separate to the assessment of the practical content, which happens in the examinations. Getting the practical endorsement as a private candidate is difficult and very expensive.

You need to find out if your uni course requires you to have a pass in the practical endorsement. If you want to take any sort of science course, healthcare or medicine then the answer is almost certainly 'yes'. If you're doing a non-science subject, then some unis will accept the A level without the practical endorsement. It's really important that you find out now, otherwise you could come out of your A levels with, essentially, a worthless qualification for your purposes.

Reply 13

Kingston Jenifer

Official Rep

Original post

by Alihaider26

Hi
I’m looking to do Alevel Biology self learn
Can anyone recommend an exam board .

Good morning,

Could I have more clarity on your situation?
While you are able to self-learn, you need to pass your practical endorsement. Many universities that offer science courses will expect a pass. The practical endorsement shows you are competent in the lab. If you are applying to university, please have a look into their entry requirements. Contact admissions so you have clarity.

Kind regards, Jenifer.

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