Required practicals practiceFoundation and HigherNot yet teacher-reviewed

Required practicals practice (methods, variables, results, evaluation)

Sixty original marks on the practicals examiners love: microscope skills and magnification maths, osmosis percentage change, food tests, enzyme rates, pondweed bubbles, ruler drops, quadrat estimates and decay timing — with a full mark scheme.

In the style of The required practical / core practical skills examined across the GCSE Biology specifications. These are original QuizQuip questions written against the DfE GCSE subject content — not AQA, Pearson Edexcel or OCR past-paper questions, and QuizQuip is not affiliated with any of the boards.

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Total marks
60
Time
1 h 10 min
Format
15 structured questions
Covers
The shared GCSE Biology practicals: microscopy with magnification, osmosis in potato cylinders, food tests, the effect of pH on amylase, the rate of photosynthesis in pondweed, reaction time with a ruler, quadrat population estimates, and the rate of decay — methods, variables, risks and evaluation

Set

The paper and mark scheme

Question paper

Required practicals practice paper

60 marks · 1 h 10 min · 8 pages

10 multiple-choice questions and structured questions with answer lines. The shared GCSE Biology practicals: microscopy with magnification, osmosis in potato cylinders, food tests, the effect of pH on amylase, the rate of photosynthesis in pondweed, reaction time with a ruler, quadrat population estimates, and the rate of decay — methods, variables, risks and evaluation.

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Mark scheme

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Required practicals practice paper — mark scheme

Answers · Marking points · 4 pages

Model answers with a mark for each creditworthy point — for marking at home or in class.

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Coverage

Chapters in this paper

How to use

Work through it like the real exam

  1. 1Print the paper, or open the PDF and write your answers on paper.
  2. 2Set a timer and work without notes — the real thing is timed and closed-book.
  3. 3Mark your work with the mark scheme, one marking point at a time, including M marks for method.
  4. 4Redo every question you lost marks on, then revise that chapter.

Preview

The opening questions

Section A: Multiple-choice questions[10 marks]

Choose one answer for each question. Each question is worth 1 mark.

  1. 1

    In the microscopy practical, a cover slip is lowered slowly at an angle to

    1. Aavoid trapping air bubbles
    2. Bkill the cells
    3. Cadd the stain
    4. Dfocus the image
    ( )
  2. 2

    In the osmosis practical, percentage change in mass is calculated because

    1. Ait removes all units
    2. Bit is faster to work out
    3. Cthe potato chips start at different masses
    4. Dbalances are unreliable
    ( )
  3. 3

    Benedict's solution, heated with a food sample, turns brick-red when

    1. Astarch is present
    2. Ba reducing sugar is present
    3. Cprotein is present
    4. Dfat is present
    ( )
  4. 4

    In the amylase practical, iodine is used to

    1. Astain the enzyme
    2. Btest for protein
    3. Cfeed the starch
    4. Dtest whether starch remains
    ( )
Open the full paper

Revision

Before you sit the paper

  • Revise every chapter this paper covers, using the free notes pages.
  • Do the quick quiz on each chapter and note where you lose marks.
  • Practise the topical questions with the mark schemes.
  • Practise the required practicals: method, variables, controls and typical results are examined every year.
  • Calculators are allowed on every biology paper — the maths is magnification, rates, percentage change, means and probabilities, so practise each chapter’s worked examples.

Tips

Exam tips

Method marks are real marks

  • Write the equation first, then substitute — method marks are awarded for correct steps even with a slip in the arithmetic.
  • Convert before you calculate: mm to µm, g to kg, minutes to seconds.
  • Quote a sensible unit with every final answer, and give answers the accuracy asked for, typically 2 or 3 significant figures.
  • In explain questions, name the biology (structure, process, hormone, organism) before describing the outcome.
  • For 6-markers, plan two sides or a clear sequence, use the data given, and finish with a linked conclusion.

Questions

About the Required practicals practice

Which practicals does this set cover?

The shared GCSE Biology required practicals: microscopy, osmosis, food tests, the effect of pH on amylase, photosynthesis rate in pondweed, reaction time with a ruler, quadrat population sampling and the decay practical — methods, variables, risks, results and evaluation.

Is this a real exam paper?

No — it is an original QuizQuip practice set written in the style of the required-practical questions exam boards ask. It is not an AQA, Pearson Edexcel or OCR past paper, and QuizQuip is not affiliated with or endorsed by any awarding body.

How long should I spend on it?

About 70 minutes for 60 marks — a minute per mark plus a little checking time.

Do I need to have done the practicals first?

No — every method is described in the mark scheme, so the set works as revision even if your school ran a different version of the practical.