Description
This International A Level Biology will give you essential knowledge and understanding of different areas of the subject and how they relate to each other. You will gain a deep appreciation of the skills, knowledge and understanding of scientific methods. You will also become competent and confident in a variety of practical, mathematical and problem solving skills and develop an interest in and enthusiasm for the subject, including developing an interest in further study and careers associated with the subject.
Support
The course will be delivered online including Tutor Support for two years. All assignments are marked by one of our professional Tutors who will offer regular feedback and guide you through your course. Postal assignments cannot be accepted without prior permission from the tutor and you must have access to email in order to contact your Tutor.
Throughout your course, you'll have the support of a Tutor to guide you. Additionally, you can reach out to the Student Support Team for help with any other questions you may have. You can be assured that you will receive unlimited support for your home study course, so there is no need to struggle or feel isolated during your studies.
International A Level Biology Assessment
The course contains a number of assignments which your tutor will mark and give you valuable feedback on. You will also have access to a range of online resources.
Students will be required to arrange and pay for their examinations at an approved centre when an examination forms part of the course. We can provide an extensive list of these centres for you.
Whats included?
Students will be provided with logins for the student portal where they will find all the study materials they need to complete their course. They will also be provided with an e-textbook to assist them in completing their assignments.
Students will be provided with a Tutor who will help guide them through their course, and their Tutor will expect them to submit a number of assignments in order that their progress can be monitored. These assignments will be graded for them and feedback provided. You will also be able to ask the Tutor any questions about the course or for more help if needed. Once their course has been completed, they will then be allocated practice exam papers to ensure that they are familiar with the procedure and layout of their exams. Learners will be expected to complete these under exam conditions (i.e.. stick to the time scales allowed and try to find somewhere quiet), their Tutor can then provide them with a grade and feedback. More practice papers can be provided if required.
Difference between Cambridge & Edexcel Exam Boards
Cambridge and Edexcel A Levels are international qualifications. Cambridge A-Levels can be taken worldwide including the United Kingdom, whereas Edexcel A-Levels can only be taken outside of the United Kingdom. Both exam boards offer a similar specification however different courses can have a different structure. Both the Cambridge and Edexcel courses are full A Level qualifications.
For the sciences, (biology, chemistry and physics) there are some differences between the specifications. With Edexcel all of the specification is taught in theory and as a result you will be assessed by written exam papers, including the practical element. If you sat the sciences with Cambridge, you will have to perform the practical element at a nearby centre, and this is not optional.
Fees
Course fees for payment in full include:
- Assessment and feedback on all assignments.
- Access to your personal Tutor via our online portal.
- Access to a range of online resources, student materials, assessments, assignments, eBooks etc
- Practice exam papers to prepare you for the real thing.
- Help with UCAS application if attending University.
- Tutor references and predicted grades once a satisfactory amount of work has been completed.
- Help finding an exam centre for you to sit your exam.
Cambridge Exam Board
Awarding Body: Cambridge
Course Code: 9700
Study Hours: Recommended 300 – 360 hrs
Exams Available: June & November (also March in India only)
Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE)
The key concepts for Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology are:
Cells as the units of life
A cell is the basic unit of life and all organisms are composed of one or more cells. There are two fundamental types of cell: prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Understanding how cells work provides an insight into the fundamental processes of all living organisms.
Biochemical processes
Cells are dynamic structures within which the chemistry of life takes place. Biochemistry and molecular biology help to explain how and why cells function as they do.
DNA, the molecule of heredity
Cells contain the molecule of heredity, DNA. DNA is essential for the continuity and evolution of life by allowing genetic information to be stored accurately, to be copied to daughter cells, to be passed from one generation to the next and for the controlled production of proteins. Rare errors in the accurate copying of DNA known as mutations result in genetic variation and are essential for evolution.
Natural selection
Natural selection acts on genetic variation and is the major mechanism in evolution, including speciation. Natural selection results in the accumulation of beneficial genetic mutations within populations and explains how populations can adapt to meet the demands of changing environments.
Organisms in their environment
All organisms interact with their biotic and abiotic environment. Studying these interactions allows biologists to understand better the effect of human activities on ecosystems, to develop more effective strategies to conserve biodiversity and to predict more accurately the future implications for humans of changes in the natural world.
Observation and experiment
The different fields of biology are intertwined and cannot be studied in isolation. Observation, enquiry, experimentation and fieldwork are fundamental to biology, allowing relevant evidence to be collected and considered as a basis on which to build new models and theories. Such models and theories are further tested by experimentation and observation in a cyclical process of feedback and refinement, allowing the development of robust and evidence-based conceptual understandings.
Modules
- Cell structure
- Biological molecules
- Enzymes
- Cell membranes and transport
- The mitotic cell cycle
- Nucleic acids and protein synthesis
- Transport in plants
- Transport in mammals
- Gas exchange
- Infectious diseases
- Immunity
AS Level candidates also study practical skills.
Candidates for Cambridge International A Level Biology study the AS topics and the following topics:
- Energy and respiration
- Photosynthesis
- Homeostasis
- Control and coordination
- Inheritance
- Selection and evolution
- Classification, biodiversity and conservation
- Genetic technology
A Level candidates also study practical skills.
Exam Papers
Paper 1:
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
40 multiple choice questions
Paper 2:
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
AS Level Structured Questions
6o marks
Paper 3:
Time: 2 hours
Practical work & structured questions. Questions are based on the practical skills in the practical assessment section of the syllabus.
4o marks
Paper 4:
Time: 2 hours
Based on the A Level syllabus
Structured Questions
100 marks
Paper 5:
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
30 marks
Questions are based on the practical skills of planning, analysis & evaluation.
Edexcel Exam Board
Awarding Body: Edexcel
Course Code: YBI11
Study Hours: Recommended 300 – 360 hrs
Exams Available: January, June & October
Edexcel
This International A’ Level Biology Course with Edexcel will develop your knowledge and understanding of biology by applying the concepts in this specification to a range of different problems, set in a variety of contexts.
The content is relevant for students who have achieved a GCSE (or equivalent) in Biology and who want to study this subject at a higher level. It covers the major topics in biology, including biological molecules, diet, transport, health, cells, development, biodiversity, conservation, energy, the environment, microbiology, immunity, respiration, the internal environment, coordination and gene technology.
Unit 1: Molecules, Diet, Transport and Health
Molecules, Transport and Health
Membranes, Proteins, DNA and Gene Expression
Unit 2: Cells, Development, Biodiversity and Conservation
Cell Structure, Reproduction and Development
Plant Structure and Function, Biodiversity and Conservation
Unit 3: Practical Skills in Biology I
Learners are expected to develop experimental skills, and a knowledge and understanding of experimental techniques, by carrying out a range of practical experiments and investigations while they study Units 1 and 2. This unit will assess Learners’ knowledge and understanding of experimental procedures and techniques that were developed in Units 1 and 2.
Unit 4: Energy, Environment, Microbiology and Immunity
Energy Flow, Ecosystems and the Environment
Microbiology, Immunity and Forensics
Unit 5: Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination and Gene Technology
Respiration, Muscles and the Internal Environment
Coordination, Response and Gene Technology
Unit 6: Practical Skills in Biology II
Learners are expected to develop further the experimental skills and the knowledge and understanding of experimental techniques they acquired in Units 1 and 2, by carrying out a range of practical experiments and investigations while they study Units 4 and 5. This unit will assess learners’ knowledge and understanding of the experimental procedures and techniques that were developed in Units 1, 2, 4 and 5.
Practical skills are assessed through a dedicated examination unit both at AS (Unit 3) and at A Level (Unit 6). The practical assessment is by written exam only.
Exams
Unit 1: Molecules, Diet, Transport and Health
Written examination: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Availability: January, June and October
80 Marks
Content overview:
Molecules, Transport and Health
Membranes, Proteins, DNA and Gene Expression
Unit 2: Cells, Development, Biodiversity and Conservation
Written examination: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Availability: January, June and October
80 Marks
Content overview:
Cell Structure, Reproduction and Development
Plant Structure and Function, Biodiversity and Conservation
Unit 3: Practical Skills in Biology I
Written examination: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Availability: January, June and October
50 marks
Content overview
Students are expected to develop experimental skills, and a knowledge and understanding of experimental techniques, by carrying out a range of practical experiments and investigations while they study units 1 and 2.
This unit will assess students’ knowledge and understanding of experimental procedures and techniques that were developed in units 1 and 2.
Unit 4: Energy, Environment, Microbiology and Immunity
Written examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Availability: January, June and October
90 marks
Content overview
Energy Flow, Ecosystems and the Environment
Microbiology, Immunity and Forensics
Unit 5: Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination and Gene Technology
Written examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Availability: January, June and October
90 marks
Content overview:
Respiration, Muscles and the Internal Environment
Coordination, Response and Gene Technology
Unit 6: Practical Skills in Biology II
Written examination: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Availability: January, June and October
50 marks
Content overview:
Students are expected to develop further the experimental skills and the knowledge and understanding of experimental techniques they acquired in units 1 and 2, by carrying out a range of practical experiments and investigations while they study units 4 and 5.
This unit will assess students’ knowledge and understanding of the experimental procedures and techniques that were developed in units 1, 2, 4 and 5
