Top 10 Tips for Excelling in A-Level Biology
Studying A-Level biology allows for a wide variety of academic and career pathways. For those interested in studying and working in fields such as medicine, pharmacology, biomedical sciences, and environmental sciences, A-Level biology is an essential stepping stone. However, the course is not easy and, due to the amount of content covered, consistent independent study is needed. This can be difficult for some, but today we’ll be discussing a number of A-Level biology tips and revision techniques to help make things easier.
Understand the A-Level Biology Syllabus
The first A-Level biology tip is likely the most important, and most obvious. All learners should familiarise themselves thoroughly with the A-Level biology syllabus. Not only that, they must also become accustomed to the format of the A-Level biology exam. To succeed in the A-Level biology course means to understand what is expected, what are the aims and the desired learning outcomes of the subject, as well as the types of questions commonly asked on examination papers. The best way to become familiar with the A-Level biology syllabus is to review, in detail, the course guide. Each exam board—Cambridge, Pearsons, and OxfordAQA—have all made their biology guides available for access online. Through establishing a level of comfort with the course guide, A-Level biology candidates will recognise the key topics and areas of focus of the syllabus and what to expect in terms of not only their final examinations but also any biology coursework that must be completed during their A-Level years.
Create a Study Schedule
Another key A-Level biology tip, and an exam technique that can be employed cross-disciplinarily, is creating a study schedule. The key to a successful study schedule, and one of the more challenging aspects of drawing one up, is to be realistic. A-Level candidates must realistically assess how much work they can complete in a day and go from there. For some, this may mean seven to eight hours, for others this may mean four or five. Understanding your own capabilities is necessary to ensure greater focus and to maintain overall health, both physical and mental. It is important to also consider the benefits of regular breaks and task switching. It can actually be detrimental to learning to focus solely on one task or topic for an extended period of time. Instead, spend an hour revising content and another answering exam questions, then repeat this process with a different aspect of the syllabus and another set of exam questions. While it may seem a little counterintuitive, this technique does help in the long run.
Utilise High Quality Biology Resources
For A-Level biology students, an essential tip is to make use of high quality resources. The key phrase here is ‘high quality’: not all content is created equal and some may even be detrimental to study. As has been already mentioned, the first port of call is the corresponding study guide to your particular exam board. From there, search for resources like past papers or specimen papers from your respective exam board—Cambridge, Pearson, or OxfordAQA—or textbooks recommended by the three exam boards—Cambridge, Pearson, and OxfordAQA. A-Level biology candidates should also make use of the mark schemes that come as part of any past paper or specimen papers. Incorporating these into revision is an invaluable revision technique as it allows students to understand where they may have gone wrong with an incorrect answer, as well as how answers are marked and how they differ in quality.
Master Practical Exam Skills
Insofar as practical exam techniques are concerned, A-Level biology learners can improve their outcomes keeping in mind one tip above all others. This is, write things down; note taking and recording values must become habitual. Students must write down everything, including methodology, variables, both dependent and independent, if ranges were adjusted to produce suitable results and how they were adjusted, and so on, while graphs and tables should be rendered where necessary to display data. It should also be noted that A-Level biology candidates engaged in practical exams can often begin by assessing the risk inherent in their work through the use of the CLEAPSS® Student Safety Sheets.
Join Study Groups for Biology
Extended periods of revision can often feel isolating. A tip for overcoming this is to join a study group. Incorporating collaborative learning into your A-Level biology revision can be an excellent technique to improve focus and aid in learning new approaches to study and exam technique. As every person learns slightly differently, study groups allow for the examination of differing approaches to the subject in question and, ideally, combine the most effective methods into something that works for them. Along with sharing tips and techniques, working in groups can also improve motivation as it makes members accountable to one another. However, to succeed as a study group it is important to come up with a study plan just as you would if working alone. Otherwise, sessions can quickly lose focus. It may also be useful to delegate topics among the group, with each person creating flashcards and/or having to present on their chosen topic for the benefit of the other members.
Practice Regularly
While it is beneficial to create a study guide and accumulate past and specimen exam papers, it all amounts to little if A-Level biology learners do not regularly practise, engage in self-assessment, and refine their technique. This does not always have to be sitting down to complete a full A-Level exam paper within the required time. Rather, it can mean creating flashcards to drill definitions and/or key concepts and running through these at the start and end of every revision session. This can often be an effective group activity, as can developing short pop quizzes. However, it is also recommended to complete exam papers but these can be broken up into chunks, as working on a small number of questions regularly is far more effective than completing an exam paper every few weeks.
Stay Healthy and Positive
Success in academics should not be to the detriment of a person’s physical or mental health. It is essential that all those sitting their A-Level take appropriate care of themselves while studying. This is truly an invaluable tip, as negative health outcomes will, sooner or later, impact academic outcomes. A balanced lifestyle—having a consistent sleep schedule, taking time to work and focusing on personal interests, eating nutritious meals, and exercising regularly—can only improve a person’s academic performance. However, maintaining all of this can be overwhelming. It can be useful to ask for assistance in reviewing any study schedules you create, to ensure it is as balanced as possible. Moreover, incorporating mindfulness activities into your daily routine can help reduce stress and stay motivated.
Seek Help From A-Level Biology Tutors
A-Level biology is challenging for even the most academic candidate. What may be the most valuable tip of all in terms of improving understanding and exam technique is to call upon the help of an experienced A-Level biology tutor. At BartyED, our team of expert biology tutors have guided countless students through the A-Level biology syllabus, as well as other final-year examinations like the International Baccalaureate. Our tutors employ a learner-first approach whereby we meet the individual where they are at in terms of their academic strengths and weaknesses. Each student is different and it is this understanding that forms the foundation of a BartyED tuition session. If you believe that you or your child could benefit from a BartyED A-Level biology tutor, get in touch today by phone (+852 2882 1017) or email (enquiries@bartyed.com).
Frequently Asked Questions
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The best way to study A-Level biology is to access your exam board’s course guide and past papers. Familiarise yourself with the course content, exam structure, and question types and build a study schedule that both consolidates foundational knowledge and bolsters any weaknesses you might have in the subject.
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A-Level biology is one of the more difficult A-Level subjects. Statistically speaking it is more difficult than maths, physics, and chemistry. What makes this a challenging subject is the volume of content. That’s why it is essential for A-Level biology candidates to construct and closely follow a well-formulated study schedule throughout their A-Level years.
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One aspect of A-Level biology is memorisation, as is the case with many subjects, but biology is more than only this. Students must also be able to recognise the requirements of different question types and suitably apply their knowledge to meet these requirements.
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Improving in A-Level biology questions requires careful examination of the mark schemes. Students must investigate why they got a question wrong in relation to the mark scheme and then approach this question type again. Investigation and repetition are the keys to improvement.