At a glance
- Cambridge code
- 9700 (AS and A Level)
- Edexcel IAL units
- WBI11 to WBI16
- AQA code
- 7402 (A-level), 7401 (AS)
- Grades
- A* to E (AS: a to e at Cambridge)
- Cambridge series
- June and November
Which A-Level Biology does your child take?
Ask the school for the exact qualification and code before booking any help, because the three courses are examined very differently. Most British-curriculum schools in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman enter students for Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology (9700) or Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level Biology, often written IAL. A smaller number of schools that follow the English National Curriculum closely use a UK board such as AQA (7402).
Cambridge and Edexcel IAL are both modular in practice: students can take the AS half at the end of Year 12 and carry it forward to complete the full A Level in Year 13. AQA is linear: the AS (7401) is a separate qualification, and the A-level grade comes only from the three papers sat together in one May/June series.
Cambridge International 9700: how it is assessed
From the 9700 syllabus for exams in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Papers 1 to 3 make the AS Level; Papers 4 and 5 complete the A Level.
| Paper | Length | Marks | Share of A Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 Multiple Choice (AS content, 40 questions) | 1 hour 15 minutes | 40 | 15.5% (31% of AS) |
| Paper 2 AS Level Structured Questions | 1 hour 15 minutes | 60 | 23% (46% of AS) |
| Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills (lab exam) | 2 hours | 40 | 11.5% (23% of AS) |
| Paper 4 A Level Structured Questions | 2 hours | 100 | 38.5% |
| Paper 5 Planning, Analysis and Evaluation | 1 hour 15 minutes | 30 | 11.5% |
Cambridge schools in the Gulf can enter students in the June and November series. Check the syllabus for the year your child sits the exam: a new 9700 syllabus applies from 2028.
Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology: the six units
From the IAL Biology specification (Issue 2). Units 1 to 3 make the International AS; units 4 to 6 complete the International A Level.
| Unit | Length | Marks | Share of IAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBI11 Unit 1: Molecules, Diet, Transport and Health | 1 hour 30 minutes | 80 | 20% |
| WBI12 Unit 2: Cells, Development, Biodiversity and Conservation | 1 hour 30 minutes | 80 | 20% |
| WBI13 Unit 3: Practical Skills in Biology I | 1 hour 20 minutes | 50 | 10% |
| WBI14 Unit 4: Energy, Environment, Microbiology and Immunity | 1 hour 45 minutes | 90 | 20% |
| WBI15 Unit 5: Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination and Gene Technology | 1 hour 45 minutes | 90 | 20% |
| WBI16 Unit 6: Practical Skills in Biology II | 1 hour 20 minutes | 50 | 10% |
The specification lists January, June and October availability for every unit. Unit 5 comes with a pre-released scientific article. An A* needs an A overall plus at least 90% of the uniform marks across units 4 to 6.
AQA A-level Biology 7402
All three papers are sat in the same May/June series at the end of the course.
| Paper | Length | Marks | Share of A-level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: topics 1 to 4, including a 15-mark extended response | 2 hours | 91 | 35% |
| Paper 2: topics 5 to 8, including a 15-mark comprehension question | 2 hours | 91 | 35% |
| Paper 3: all topics, data analysis and a 25-mark essay | 2 hours | 78 | 30% |
The practical endorsement is assessed by teachers and reported separately as Pass; it does not change the A-level grade.
Where students lose marks
The biology itself is rarely the main problem. Students lose marks by writing a correct idea in words the mark scheme does not accept, for example "the enzyme dies" instead of describing the active site changing shape so substrates no longer fit. Each board's mark schemes reward specific terms, and learning them is a skill in its own right.
Data questions are the second big leak. Every board asks students to describe trends with figures from the graph, calculate rates or percentage change, and judge whether data supports a conclusion. Cambridge Papers 3 and 5, Edexcel units 3 and 6 and the practical questions in all three AQA papers test this directly, and school lab time rarely covers it in enough depth.
Long answers are the third: the AQA 25-mark essay, Edexcel's pre-released article questions and Cambridge Paper 4's extended parts all reward structured, linked explanation across topics. Students who write lists rather than connected arguments drop marks even when they know the content.
How one-to-one A-Level Biology lessons run
Lessons are 60 minutes, one to one, in LiveTutor's online classroom with video and a shared whiteboard. The tutor works from your child's own board: Cambridge 9700 past papers and mark schemes for a Cambridge student, IAL unit papers for an Edexcel student. A typical lesson starts with one or two exam questions on the week's school topic, marked against the official scheme, then re-teaches whatever caused the lost marks and finishes with a similar question to check it stuck.
For practical papers, the tutor drills the question types that recur: identifying variables, drawing results tables with units, plotting and reading graphs, and evaluating sources of error. For essays and long answers, the tutor builds plans with your child and marks full answers. Homework is short and targeted, and you can follow lessons and progress in your parent account.
When to start
- Early Year 12: the jump from IGCSE is steep in biochemistry and cell biology. Weekly lessons that track school teaching stop gaps forming.
- Before the AS exams (Cambridge Papers 1 to 3, or Edexcel units 1 to 3): a term of timed past papers lifts the result that is carried forward into the full A Level.
- Autumn of Year 13: predicted grades for UCAS and medicine applications are set now, so this is the window where improvement changes offers.
- January to May of Year 13: past-paper cycles on Paper 4 or units 4 and 5, plus practical-skills papers.
Common questions
Is Cambridge 9700 harder than Edexcel IAL Biology?
Neither is easier overall. Cambridge examines the AS and A Level content in fewer, longer papers and includes a hands-on lab exam (Paper 3). Edexcel IAL spreads the course over six shorter units with written practical papers instead, and allows resits unit by unit in January, June or October. The right one is the one your child's school enters them for.
Does my child need A-Level Biology for medicine?
Many medical schools ask for Chemistry, and often Biology, at A Level, but requirements vary by university and country. Check each university's entry page; our guide to medicine from the Gulf summarises the common patterns.
Can my child resit one Edexcel IAL unit?
Yes. IAL is unitised, so a student can resit an individual unit in a later series. If a unit is resat more than once, the better of the two most recent attempts counts towards the grade. Cambridge allows the AS result to be carried forward; AQA requires all three papers in one series.
How much do A-Level Biology lessons cost?
Every lesson is $15, the same for all subjects and levels, bought as a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial, and there is a 7-day money-back guarantee before the first paid lesson.
Can we choose a tutor who knows our exam board?
Yes. Tell us the board and code when you book, for example Cambridge 9700 or Edexcel IAL, and we match a tutor who teaches that course. Matching normally takes up to 24 hours.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.