Feedback on GCSE Science double award Biology 2019

Feedback on GCSE Science (double award): Biology 2019

GCSE Double Award Biology Unit 1 Foundation Tier Maximum mark = 60 Grade boundary Cumulative % at grade Mean mark = 17. 4 Entry = 17529 C D E F G 24 19 14 10 6 26. 2 43. 0 62. 0 77. 2 90. 5

GCSE Double Award Biology Unit 1 Foundation Tier GENERAL COMMENTS FROM PRINCIPAL EXAMINER • Short answer questions usually answered well but candidates struggled with extended answers • Quality of expression was an issue for many • Lack of revision/ preparation was an issue for some • Failure to use comparative responses resulted in many lost marks • Candidates often seemed not to have read the question fully and did not consider diagrams given in questions • Avoid the word amount • Mathematical skills were poor • Practical style questions were done well by a minority of candidates

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 1 Foundation Tier QUESTION 1 – Breathing • Few could label intercostal muscles, but most could label ribs • B was the most common answer in (iv) • Use of the diagram in(b) would have gained both marks. Many vague answers, such as ‘ blew into bell jar’ did not gain credit and few gained the second mark for taking a reading. • Most were able to draw a neat bar chart, but struggled to give two reasons for variation

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 1 Foundation Tier QUESTION 2 – Circulatory system • Most were able to complete the table well. Common error ‘allow’ rather than ‘control’ for cell membrane. • Poor understanding of terms in (b) • (c) was structured to try and help foundation candidates but caused more issues. Many multiplied radius by the diameter. Nearest whole number also caused issues • Few could give the meaning of ‘specialised’.

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 1 Foundation Tier QUESTION 3 – Visking tubing • Some thought that blue indicated that glucose was present or that nothing had happened • Many picked up marks for observing that glucose was present after 15 minutes but few picked up the cues from the stem about pores to access the second mark. • The facility factor was better for (b)

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 1 Foundation Tier QUESTION 4 – Biological indicators • Many were not aware of lichens as biological indicators, but were able to interpret the table • Many were able to pick up the evidence from the diagram for (b)(i) • Facility factor 28. 2 Mean 1. 7 • Most ignored the instruction to design an investigation and only answered the second part of the question. • A candidate who wrote one sentence that stated: ‘Examine trees in woods A and B, identify each type of lichen, then compare the results’ would have covered six points of indicative content, and most probably scored 5 marks.

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 1 Foundation Tier QUESTION 5 – Heart • X was well done but few knew the function of the coronary artery • Most could state the relationship but few referred to oxygen or respiration in their explanations • Many could give one improvement to give a fair test but a common error was ‘repeat’. • Most understood ‘representative.

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 1 Foundation Tier QUESTION 6/1– Photosynthesis • Photosynthesis equation was well done by both tiers • Most higher could calculate a percentage, but few foundation • (c) required candidates to look at the leaves and the graph. Foundation candidates tended to just use the diagram. Some good answers were seen on higher tier.

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 1 Foundation/ Higher Tier QUESTION 7/2 Digestion • Better recall of amino acids and site of absorption were seen on the higher tier papers • Practical skills were poorly answered in this question on both tiers

GCSE Double Award Biology Unit 1 Higher Tier Maximum mark = 60 Mean mark = 22. 3 Entry = 7908 A* A B C D Grade boundary 39 31 23 15 8 Cumulative % at grade 5. 3 21. 0 48. 2 77. 4 93. 7

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 1 Higher Tier QUESTION 3 inspiration • Candidates struggled to name other structures in the thoracic cavity. • Some excellent answers were seen in (b) • Many candidates ignored the ‘two decimal places’ and so could only access one mark • Most were not able to give two limitations of the bell jar model.

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 1 Higher Tier QUESTION 4 Active transport • (a) was well done with most giving photosynthesis in their answer • Highlighting appropriate information in the stem would have helped in (b). • Graph was well done, the inclusion of the origin helped many. • Few understood the significance of giving results as mg/kg rather than mg/plant • Standard form caused issues for many in (iv) • Better candidates were able to give active transport in (v). Although many

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 1 Higher Tier QUESTION 5 Circulation • Candidates found most of this question difficult. Many answers included reference to arteries pumping blood. • Highlighting key words would have helped in (a) • Double circulation was not well understood in (b) • Good understanding of valves

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 1 Higher Tier QUESTION 6 Cleaning mechanism in lungs (QER) • Mean = 2. 2 • Facility factor = 36. 7 • Some good answers where candidates showed an understanding of the role of mucus and cilia in the cleaning mechanism of the lungs • The harmful effect that tobacco smoke has on the cilia and mucus was also understood by some candidates. • Some included irrelevant material such as reference to diseases of the respiratory system.

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 1 Higher Tier QUESTION 7 Energy in food • Most could calculate the energy release but struggled to convert it to k. J. • They then struggled to calculate the mass in (ii) (which just required division by 3) • Evaluation of the apparatus was not done well on this occasion. • Candidates found (b) difficult. Reference to different amino acids or sequence and active sites was needed

GCSE Double Award Biology Unit 4 Foundation Tier Maximum mark = 60 Grade boundary Cumulative % at grade Mean mark = 19. 9 Entry = 12844 C D E F G 24 20 16 12 8 36. 5 52. 1 67. 1 80. 3 90. 8

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 4 Foundation Tier QUESTION 1 – Adaptations • Many gave the full name in (a) • Few gave two adaptations in (b) despite the scaffolding in the question. Common errors included reference to ‘predators’. • (c) was reasonably well done with most able to give a comparison. However they struggled to explain why it was an adaptation.

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 4 Foundation Tier QUESTION 2 – Stem cells • Differentiate was not understood by many candidates, despite the diagram being given to help. • Pleasing performance in (b) about mitosis • The advantages of stem cells were not well known.

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 4 Foundation Tier QUESTION 3 – Disease • Few were able to identify the virus or give the name for a sudden change in a gene. • However most were able to give one way in which pathogens are spread. • Most were able to sequence the responses about invasion by pathogens

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 4 Foundation Tier QUESTION 4 – Control of temperature • Again recall of the structures was an issue. Although most were able to identify the sweat gland. • Graph skills were good, take care with the drawing of the line. • Explanation of the cooling effect of sweat was difficult for many. • Few picked out that without sufficient fluid intake sweating would be inhibited.

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 4 Foundation Tier QUESTION 5 – Biodiversity • Most were able to pick out the definition of biodiversity • To score both marks, candidates had to realise that they then had to divide the calculation from the graph by 1 000. Only a few did that. • Candidates found all parts of (iii) challenging and tended to refer to the annual catch rather than the fish remaining. More were able to gain credit for (III). • Few were able to give a benefit of maintaining biodiversity.

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 4 Foundation Tier QUESTION 6 – Reaction time • Mean = 1. 9 • Facility factor = 31. 6 • Many candidates focussed on how caffeine would affect reaction time rather than on the experimental design Indicative content test reaction time of both groups before drinking give one group decaffeinated drink reference to blind test one group caffeinated drink carry out reaction time test/ do the test/ measure the distance on the ruler/ owtte repeat/ several trials/ idea of doing it again compare/ look at results controlled variable 1 controlled variable 2

GCSE Science (double award) Biology Unit 4 Foundation/ Higher Tier QUESTION 7/1 Genetics • Few understood the terms gene or allele on either tier • Punnett squares were well done by both tiers • Foundation candidates struggled with the term genotype. Better done by higher tier candidates, although they often only gave one in (iii). • Higher tier candidates generally understood there can be multiple genes for a characteristic.

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 4 Foundation/ Higher Tier QUESTION 8/2 Bacteria • Labels were reasonably well done by both tiers. • Candidates needed to make reference to a lack of bacteria growth/ bacteria were killed rather than ‘there were no bacteria’. • Close examination of the table was required in (ii). The value had to be greater than 1 and equal to or less than 2. • Higher tier candidates showed good practical skills in (iii) in testing smaller intervals. Less gave values for this.

GCSE Double Award Biology Unit 4 Higher Tier Maximum mark = 60 Mean mark = 25. 2 Entry = 7028 A* A B C D Grade boundary 41 33 25 17 9 Cumulative % at grade 6. 5 22. 4 49. 8 82. 2 97. 9

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 4 Higher Tier QUESTION 3 Cell division • Many correctly identified the types of cell division. As in previous years candidates are required to spell mitosis and meiosis correctly. • The most common error in (ii) was to use 46 and 23. • Many candidates focussed on chromosome number even though they were told not to in (iii)

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 4 Higher Tier QUESTION 4 Ecology • Surprising variation in the quality of graphs seen. Labels were often incorrect or without units. Lines often missed the plotted points. Lines of best fit were accepted, but often the lines drawn were incorrect. • (b)(ii) required candidates to use the graph and the diagram to explain the results. Many failed to note percentage/coverage/ cover and / or along the transect/ into the wood. • (c) was well answered by some candidates, although common errors included longer transects and repeating. • Maintenance of biodiversity was better understood by higher tier candidates.

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 4 Higher Tier QUESTION 5 Drug testing • Calculation was well done. The most commonly seen error was an incorrect answer as a result of candidates using the number of false positives somewhere in the calculation. • Rest of the question was generally well answered.

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 4 Higher Tier QUESTION 6 Negative feedback • Very few were able to recall the definition of ‘negative feedback’. (12. 5%) • Most could give three factors that should be controlled. • (b)(i) Generally well answered, although there were a large number of candidates who incorrectly stated that not enough insulin had been injected. • Misspelling (or hedging of bets) on the spelling of glucagon and glycogen was an issue in (ii)

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 4 Higher Tier QUESTION 7 Natural selection (QER) • Mean = 2. 6 • Facility factor = 43. 4 • Some excellent answers seen. • A common error seen was reference to rats becoming immune to warfarin. Indicative content • Mutation occurred • in a gene • (Led to) variation • some rats resistant (and some not resistant to warfarin) • Rats with the mutation were {able to survive (in the presence of warfarin)/ not killed (by warfarin)} • This gave them a (selection) advantage. • These rats reproduce/ breed/ produce offspring • {Favourable gene/ the gene for (warfarin) resistance} passed on • This is repeated over many generations

GCSE Science (Double award) Biology Unit 4 Higher Tier QUESTION 8 DNA • (a) was well answered. • Only better candidates were able to gain all three marks in (b)(i). Many failed to make it clear that it is amino acids that join together to form proteins for the third marking point. • Some good answers were seen for (ii). Vague statements such as mutation one has two parts different did not gain credit.

GCSE Science (Double award) POINTS TO NOTE • Candidates are advised to take a highlighter into their exam to highlight key points of information provided. • It is recommended that candidates are given opportunities to develop the set mathematical skills throughout the course and always show their working. It is also advised that candidates always show their working when completing calculations as if they fail to get the correct answer they may be awarded marks for their working. • Responses to questions that required candidates to provide a definition were disappointing. They are outlined in the teacher’s guide and it is important that they are included when teaching topics. • Candidates should keep their answers as concise as possible to reduce the risk of making a contradictory or erroneous point which might negate a correct one.

Any Questions?