a guide to doing well for A lvl h2 bio 🧫🧬🔬

helloo im back w another study guide ! this time abt how to conquer h2 bio 🙏🙏 lengthy post ahead ! but ill split the guide into how to tackle each of the 4 papers 🤓🤓

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PAPER 1 MCQ

🧪 complete every single past year A lvl mcq paper !

- this is bc camb tends to repeat questions; for some repeated questions, even the options r identical

- i rmb that my A lvl paper had at least 2-3 qns that alr appeared in past year papers

- these questions r usually frm the front of the paper (first 15 qns)

- since A lvl bio mcq is alw the last paper, i think that its best to spend the 2 days before the paper revising past year A lvl mcqs, rather than practicing new mcqs from other schs' prelim papers

🧪 leave sufficient time for questions at the back

- these questions tend to bombard u w new info that youve never encountered before

- ensure that u hv enough time to read, digest and understand the new info

- answer the question based on the info given > any prior knowledge --> u shld be using ur content knowledge to guide u and help u understand the new info

🧪 read carefully !

- don't skim through the info given ! i feel that in most bio papers, the difference between the right option and the wrong option lies in the phrasing 🥲🥲

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PAPER 2 STRUCTURED QUESTIONS

🧬 manage your time well

- paper 2 is usually pretty rushed, with 10-12 full questions to complete in just a short 2 hours

- skip the 1 mark questions and come back to them when/ if u have time

🧬 strategise

- since paper 2 is so rushed, and it's honestly quite difficult to finish the entire paper, strategizing is rly impt

- during the checking of scripts, i like to look through the entire paper and make a mental note of questions im confident ik how to do. i'll head straight to complete those questions, to bag as many marks i can as early on in the paper.

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PAPER 3 ESSAY QUESTIONS

i used to score 10/25 for these qns, but these tips helped me to score 22-24/25 by j2 mid years. paper 3 essay questions are not about regurgitating all u know. rather, examiners look for keywords in your answers.

🧫 before answering the question directly, it is impt to explain the main subject of the question.

- using the example, 'explain the importance of hydrogen bonds'

- there are marks for explaining what hydrogen bonds are and how they arise.

🧫 plan and organize your essay before starting to write

- for more generic questions like:

- 'explain the importance of hydrogen bonds',

- first think about which topics hydrogen bonds appear in

- structure your essay according to topics

- not sure if this applies to every sch / in the actual A lvls, but my sch awarded a max of 2 marks for 'quality of written work', which refers to a highly organised and coherent essay

🧫 for more generic questions, don't go into detailed elaboration

- once u identify a question as a generic one, there is no need for detailed explanations of concepts

🧫 finally, this is probably the most bizarre tip, but the most effective one for me, which is to analyze answer keys of paper 3 essays.

- this helps u to know how marks are allocated + what examiners are looking out for

- keywords are usually worth one mark each

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PAPER 4 PRACTICAL

🔬 do have a little bit of content knowledge before going into the exam

- can focus on topics that are testable for pracs, like photosynthesis, anaerobic respiration etc

🔬 learn how to use the microscope accurately

- this was one of the most frustrating things i've ever had to do in jc idk i struggled sm to learn how to use it to to the pt i just gave up 💀💀✋ but pls don't be like me 😔😔

- microscope skills are tested in every practical; it's the easiest marks to bag once u master it

🔬 memorise unit conversions

- from cm to mm to micrometers etc

🔬 memorise degree of accuracy of instruments

- like syringe, measuring cylinder etc

- this will allow u to record ur results to the correct decimal place ( i cannot even begin to imagine how many marks i lost for recording my results to the wrong decimal place ...)

🔬 pay close attention to every single practical lesson

- ultimately, A lvl prac tests your skills, which u will learn and put into practice in practical lessons by carrying out the prac

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oki thats all hope it was helpful 😌😌

#alevel #alevels #exam #examtips #study #biology