AQA A-Level Biology Past Papers & Mark Schemes

AQA A-Level Biology (specification code 7402) organises its content into eight topics, split across three papers and a Practical Endorsement. Understanding which topics are examined in which paper helps you target revision effectively — particularly for the synoptic Paper 3. Paper 1 (2 hours, 91 marks) draws primarily from Topics 1–4: Biological molecules (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, DNA and their roles); Cells (structure and function of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, cell division by mitosis and meiosis, transport across membranes); Organisms exchange substances with their environment (gas exchange in insects, fish, and mammals; digestion and absorption; the circulatory system); and Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms (DNA, gene expression, inheritance, population genetics, classification, and phylogeny). Paper 2 (2 hours, 91 marks) draws primarily from Topics 5–8: Energy transfers in and between organisms (photosynthesis including the light-dependent and light-independent reactions; aerobic and anaerobic respiration); Organisms respond to changes (nervous system function, the neuromuscular junction, hormone action, homeostasis of blood glucose and temperature); Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems (the Hardy-Weinberg principle, types of selection, succession, and energy flow through ecosystems); and The control of gene expression (epigenetics, RNA interference, cancer, and gene technology including PCR and electrophoresis). Paper 3 (2 hours, 78 marks) is explicitly synoptic — questions draw on any topic from the full specification. It always includes a comprehension passage (approximately 800 words of unfamiliar scientific text) that tests your ability to apply biological knowledge to novel information, a data analysis section, and questions that assess practical skills and experimental design rooted in the 12 required practicals. The Practical Endorsement (CPAC) is assessed separately and does not affect your grade, but the 12 required practicals inform practical-skill questions across all three papers — particularly around apparatus selection, variable control, sources of error, and data analysis.