Prepare for further study with this thorough grounding in the practical skills needed to be a working scientist.
Teachers will find the specification an ideal vehicle to make International GCSE Biology enjoyable and provide the right level of challenge. It allows the freedom to teach biology in a variety of ways and incorporates key themes and concepts throughout. It is the perfect platform to study at A-level.
- Includes carefully balanced depth of content featuring topics with contemporary relevance such as Behaviourism.
- Practical components take into consideration local access to equipment and materials and include topics such as investigating how difference in temperature and pH impact the rate of digestion and the effects of exercise on the human body.
- Practical knowledge is assessed through the main exam papers and clearly sign posted throughout but there is no practical exam.
International GCSE Biology (9201)
View the switching guide to see the differences between your old International GCSE Biology specification and the OxfordAQA specification (version updated November 2022).
OxfordAQA International GCSE Biology covers the following topics:
Organisation
- Cell structure
- Principles of organisation
- Animal tissues, organs and organ systems
- Plant tissues, organs and systems
- Transport in cells
Bioenergetics
- Photosynthesis
- Exchange and transport in plants
- Circulation
- Digestion
- Breathing
- Respiration
Ecology
- Energy transferred in ecosystems
- Adaptations, interdependence and competition
- Decay and the carbon cycle
- The effect of human interaction on ecosystems and biodiversity
Organisms’ interaction with the environment
- The human nervous and hormonal systems
- Principles of homeostasis
- Control of water and ion content of the body
- Temperature control
- Control of blood glucose
- Behaviour
- Infection and response
Inheritance
- Reproduction
- Cell division
- Genetic variation
- Genetic disorders
- Genetic manipulation
Variation and Evolution
- Variation
- Natural selection
OxfordAQA provides all the resources and advice you need to teach the International GCSE Biology specification effectively.
- Download the specification
- Read our switching guide
- View our training courses to help you deliver OxfordAQA International GCSE Biology
- Approved textbooks and resources published by Oxford University Press
We have too many International GCSE Biology resources to list here, so please visit our resources for teachers area to see them all, including:
- Schemes of work to allow you to plan how to deliver the specification in a way that will best suit you and your students
- Teaching guidance to outline clearly the scope of teaching and learning
- Topic tests and mock exam analysers to allow you to track your students’ progress throughout the teaching year.
Paper 1:
- Any part of the specification may be assessed
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- 90 marks
- 50% of GCSE
Paper 2:
- Any part of the specification may be assessed
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- 90 marks
- 50% of GCSE
This specification is designed to be taken over two years. This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.
The exams will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives and the content reflects our approach to Fair Assessment:
• AO1: Knowledge and understanding of scientific principles.
• AO2: Application of knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and concepts in both familiar and novel contexts.
• AO3: Ability to describe, analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information presented in different forms.
• AO4: Ability to select, describe and evaluate scientific procedures.
All four International GCSE Science specifications include section 5.2 on Prohibited Combinations: centres cannot enter a student in a separate OxfordAQA International GCSE Science and the OxfordAQA International GCSE Combined Science in the same series.
Re-sits
- Linear specification; individual components may not be re-sat.
- Candidates can re-take the whole qualification as many times as they wish.
Take a look at:
- The OxfordAQA International GCSE Biology switching guide
- Example specimen exam paper and mark scheme
You must be an approved OxfordAQA centre to enter students for our exams. Make sure you become an OxfordAQA centre before you start teaching a course.