AQA A-Level Biology Active Recall Guide (7402)
AQA · A-Level
AQA A-Level Biology Active Recall Guide
Every topic of specification 7402 written as exam-style questions with the answers printed after them. 1,977 questions across 8 topics and 155 subtopics, with nothing optional left out.
- AQA
- A-Level
- Specification 7402
- 1,977 questions
Guide overview All 8 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
What the exam asks of you
AQA A-Level Biology is three written papers of two hours at the end of Year 13. Paper 1 examines topics 1 to 4 and Paper 2 topics 5 to 8, each carrying 91 marks and 35 per cent. Paper 3 carries 78 marks and 30 per cent, draws on all eight topics, and ends with an essay chosen from two titles.
There is nothing optional on this specification. All eight topics are compulsory, so the recall load is fixed from the first day of Year 12 and the only variable is how much of it can be produced with the book shut.
| Paper | Covers | Length | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Paper 1 Topics 1 to 4 |
Biological molecules, and cells Exchange of substances with the environment Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms |
2 hours | 91 marks | 35% of A level |
|
Paper 2 Topics 5 to 8 |
Energy transfers in and between organisms How organisms respond to internal and external change Genetics, populations and ecosystems, and the control of gene expression |
2 hours | 91 marks | 35% of A level |
|
Paper 3 Any content from topics 1 to 8 |
Structured questions, including practical techniques Critical analysis of given experimental data One essay from a choice of two titles |
2 hours | 78 marks | 30% of A level |
What is in the guide
All 8 topics
Every topic has its own page with its subtopics, what it covers and sample questions.
Sample questions
Taken from the guide. Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Monomers, polymers, condensation and hydrolysis
What monomers are joined together to form proteins?
Show the answer
Amino acids. -
Cell-surface membrane, nucleus and mitochondria
What are chromosomes composed of?
Show the answer
Linear DNA bound to proteins. -
Surface area to volume ratio, metabolic rate and calculations
What do organisms with higher metabolic rates require in terms of exchange?
Show the answer
A greater rate of exchange of materials such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients and waste products. -
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA, chromosomes and histones
Are prokaryotic DNA molecules associated with proteins?
Show the answer
No, prokaryotic DNA is not associated with proteins. -
Photoionisation and ATP from the light-dependent reaction
Define photoionisation in the context of photosynthesis.
Show the answer
Photoionisation is the process by which chlorophyll loses electrons after absorbing light energy. -
IAA, gravitropism and phototropism
How do low and high concentrations of IAA affect cell elongation in roots?
Show the answer
Low concentrations promote cell elongation in roots, while high concentrations inhibit it. -
Genotype, phenotype and types of allele
What is a dominant allele?
Show the answer
An allele that is expressed in the phenotype when present in either homozygous or heterozygous form. -
Types of gene mutation and mutagenic agents
Define a substitution mutation.
Show the answer
A type of gene mutation where one base is replaced by a different base
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Look inside
Questions for a subtopic print together and the answers for that section print after them.
- Biological Molecules272
- Cells313
- Organisms Exchange Substances with Their Environment282
- Genetic Information, Variation and Relationships Between Organisms219
- Energy Transfers in and Between Organisms195
- Organisms Respond to Changes in Their Internal and External Environments350
- Genetics, Populations, Evolution and Ecosystems125
- The Control of Gene Expression221
- What is the primary function of the cell-surface membrane?
- Describe the basic structure of the cell-surface membrane.
- What two key roles does the nucleus perform in a eukaryotic cell?
- What are chromosomes composed of?
- How many nucleoli can be present within a nucleus?
- What is the function of the nucleolus?
- What is the nuclear envelope?
- What metabolic processes occur in mitochondria?
- Describe the membrane structure of a mitochondrion.
- It controls the entry and exit of substances into and out of the cell.
- It is a partially permeable barrier composed of a phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins.
- It contains the genetic material and controls cell activities.
- Linear DNA bound to proteins.
- One or more nucleoli.
- It is the site of ribosome production.
- A double membrane that surrounds the nucleus.
- Aerobic respiration and ATP production.
- It has a double membrane, with the inner membrane folded into cristae.
questions
Scroll sideways to turn through the pages.
Questions students ask first
Which topics are on which paper?
Paper 1 is topics 1 to 4: biological molecules, cells, exchange of substances, and genetic information and variation. Paper 2 is topics 5 to 8: energy transfers, how organisms respond, genetics and ecosystems, and the control of gene expression.
Paper 3 can draw on all eight. The full breakdown is here.
What is actually on Paper 3?
Structured questions including practical techniques, critical analysis of given experimental data, and one essay from a choice of two titles. It is 30 per cent of the A-Level and it is the paper that punishes gaps in the earlier topics, because it can reach any of them.
Are the required practicals covered?
The twelve required practicals are assessed two ways. The practical endorsement is marked by your teacher and reported separately as a pass. The techniques themselves are examined on all three written papers, and that content is in the guide inside the topics it belongs to.
Is the maths in it?
Yes. At least 10 per cent of the marks across the papers involve mathematical skills, and the guide asks for them directly: magnification and scale, surface area to volume, water potential, rates from graphs, chi-squared, Hardy-Weinberg, standard deviation and the statistical tests.
AQA A-Level Biology Active Recall Guide
Every question paired with its answer, grouped by topic and subtopic, ready to work in three passes.