Overall assessment breakdown

Stage 2 Biology includes:

• Investigations Folio — 30%
• Skills and Applications Tasks — 40%
• external examination — 30%

Students complete six or seven assessments in total:

• one or two practical investigations
• one Science as a Human Endeavour investigation
• three or four Skills and Applications Tasks
• one external examination

At least one school assessment involves collaborative work, although reports and assessed evidence may still be individual.

Practical investigations and D&D tasks

The practical component is not just about following a method and collecting results. Students may need to deconstruct and design an investigation, commonly shortened by schools to a D&D.

At least one practical should require students to individually break down an uncertain problem, design an appropriate method and justify their decisions. The deconstruction evidence may use notes, tables, flow charts or concept maps and is limited to four A4 sides with a minimum font size of 10. It is submitted with the practical report.

Possible Biology practical areas include:

• factors affecting enzyme activity
• membrane transport or osmosis
• photosynthesis or respiration
• microbial or population growth
• simulations of natural selection
• analysis of biological variation

The formal report includes biological background, a hypothesis or inquiry question, variables, apparatus, method, safety or ethical considerations, results, analysis, evaluation and a justified conclusion. It may be up to 1500 words or nine minutes in oral form.

For a high result, students need to justify why variables are controlled, choose suitable data representations, identify genuine trends and distinguish between random error, systematic error and procedural limitations. Improvements should explain exactly how the proposed change would improve validity, reliability or accuracy.

Science as a Human Endeavour investigation

The SHE investigation explores a contemporary biological discovery, innovation or issue and its interaction with society. Possible areas include:

• CRISPR and gene editing
• genetic testing and DNA databases
• epigenetic research and cancer treatment
• assisted reproductive technologies
• vaccine or diagnostic development
• conservation genomics
• emerging responses to antibiotic resistance

Students must explain the underlying biology and connect it to SHE concepts such as communication and collaboration, development, influence, application and limitation. Social, ethical, economic, cultural or environmental effects should be analysed rather than simply listed.

The report is limited to 1500 words or nine minutes and must include appropriate citations and referencing.

Skills and Applications Tasks — 40%

Students complete three or four SATs, with at least two under direct teacher supervision. Each supervised task is limited to 90 minutes, excluding reading time.

Many schools structure these around the four course topics:

1. DNA and proteins
2. cells as the basis of life
3. homeostasis
4. evolution

Tasks may include short answers, extended responses, data interpretation, diagrams, experimental evaluation and application to unfamiliar scenarios.

Revision should focus on active recall, process diagrams, comparison tables, data-based questions and timed written explanations. Markers are looking for precise terminology, clear cause-and-effect reasoning and the ability to apply knowledge rather than recite a memorised paragraph.

External examination — 30%

The examination is 130 minutes and can assess inquiry skills and science understanding from all four topics. Questions may combine topics and may also assess Science as a Human Endeavour.

Students should practise past examinations, command terms and responses of different lengths. Strong answers directly address the question, use specific biological terminology and link each step in a process logically. In Biology, vague but generally correct writing often loses marks; precision is what separates a good answer from an excellent one.