Edexcel A-Level Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) exam papers and weighting (9BN0)
Guide overview All 8 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
What each Edexcel A-Level Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) paper assesses
Edexcel A-Level Biology A (specification 9BN0) is the Salters-Nuffield course, built around eight topics and assessed by three written papers of equal weight. Topics 1 to 4 cover molecules, cells, genetics and biodiversity and are examined on every paper. Topics 5 and 6 cover ecology, climate and immunity, and topics 7 and 8 cover exercise physiology and the nervous system. Eighteen core practicals run through the course and are examined alongside the theory.
| Paper | Covers | Length | Marks | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Paper 1 The Natural Environment and Species Survival |
Topics 1 to 6: lifestyle and health, genes, the genome, biodiversity, ecology and climate, and immunity Multiple-choice, short open, open-response, calculation and extended writing questions Includes questions on experimental method and on mathematics at Level 2 or above |
2 hours | 100 marks | 33⅓% |
|
Paper 2 Energy, Exercise and Co-ordination |
Topics 1 to 4, 7 and 8: the core content, then exercise physiology and the nervous system Multiple-choice, short open, open-response, calculation and extended writing questions Includes questions on experimental method and on mathematics at Level 2 or above |
2 hours | 100 marks | 33⅓% |
|
Paper 3 General and Practical Applications in Biology |
Drawn from all eight topics, with synoptic questions spanning two or more of them A scientific article released eight weeks beforehand underpins one section Every question is set in a context and broken into parts |
2 hours | 100 marks | 33⅓% |
Every topic, and where it is examined
| Topic | Examined on | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Lifestyle, Health and Risk | Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3 | 200 |
| Genes and Health | Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3 | 259 |
| Voice of the Genome | Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3 | 194 |
| Biodiversity and Natural Resources | Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3 | 287 |
| On the Wild Side | Paper 1, Paper 3 | 319 |
| Immunity, Infection and Forensics | Paper 1, Paper 3 | 180 |
| Run for Your Life | Paper 2, Paper 3 | 213 |
| Grey Matter | Paper 2, Paper 3 | 240 |
Assessment details from the Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), specification 9BN0. Pearson Edexcel specification.
Edexcel A-Level Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) Active Recall Guide
1,892 questions across every paper on the specification.