A Levels Biology Tutors: Online and Home Tuition

About A Level Biology

Biology is a subject with a lot to remember and a lot to explain. A Level is the pre-university stage for students of about 16 to 18. Cambridge AS & A Level and Pearson Edexcel International A Level are common in Pakistan and the Gulf, while AQA and OCR A Levels follow the UK specifications.

A Level Biology is examined by written papers on the core content and applied or data-handling skills, plus practical assessment that depends on the board.

Cambridge A Level and Pearson Edexcel International A Level report grades from A* to E. Cambridge AS Level reports a to e. Check how your board combines AS and A2 results.

A Level Biology Syllabus Codes and Exam Boards

Every syllabus has a code, and past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports are filed under it. Use the code on your school's course outline, and check it against the board's current syllabus, because boards withdraw and add syllabuses.

Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel International A Level are examined in the May/June and October/November series. AQA and OCR A Levels are examined in the summer series.

For the rules, syllabuses and dates themselves, use the official websites: Cambridge International Education, Pearson Edexcel, AQA and OCR. Boards change details from time to time, so check them before you plan.

What You Study in A Level Biology

The exact content depends on the syllabus, but A Level Biology usually covers these areas. Your tutor will follow your own syllabus and school.

Students normally prepare over two years, often split into AS and A2, and the course leads on: a Level results are used for university admission, in Pakistan and abroad, so universities' own entry requirements matter as much as the grade.

• Cell structure and biological molecules
• Enzymes and cell membranes
• The cell cycle, DNA and protein synthesis
• Transport in plants and mammals
• Gas exchange, infectious disease and immunity
• Energy and respiration, photosynthesis
• Homeostasis and coordination
• Inheritance, selection and evolution
• Ecology and biotechnology
• Practical and data skills

Where Students Lose Marks in A Level Biology

These are the patterns we see described most often by teachers and examiners in Biology. A tutor can spot which of them applies to a particular student and work on it directly.

For A Levels Biology the papers are filed under CAIE 9700, Edexcel WBI (unit codes begin WBI), AQA 7401, OCR H020. Mark schemes and examiner reports for these codes show how A Level answers are credited, and cambridge A Level and Pearson Edexcel International A Level report grades from A* to E. Cambridge AS Level reports a to e. Check how your board combines AS and A2 results.

How Biology Lessons Work

Each tutor plans lessons in their own way, so ask what a lesson with them looks like. A A Level student usually has about two years, often split into AS and A2 to cover the course, so lessons are paced against the exam series the student is aiming for. These parts are common to good Biology lessons:

• turning lists of facts into chains of cause and effect
• labelled diagrams drawn from memory and checked
• keyword lists built from mark schemes
• data and graph questions that practise quoting figures

A Level Biology Study Plans: Full Course, Crash Course and Retakes

Students come to Biology at different points: some are starting the syllabus, some are weeks from an exam and some are sitting the paper again. These are the plans we usually discuss. They are examples, not fixed packages: the tutor and the family agree the length and the number of lessons.

Online and Home Biology Tutors

Lessons can be online or, in some cities, at the student's home. Our A Levels online tutors page explains how online lessons work, and the A Levels home tutors page explains home tuition.

Home tuition is arranged in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. Online lessons are available in Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.

For A Levels Biology, ask the tutor which of CAIE, Edexcel, AQA and OCR they teach, because the syllabus and the paper names differ between boards.

• Home tutors in Islamabad
• Home tutors in Rawalpindi
• Home tutors in Lahore
• Home tutors in Karachi

A Level Biology Past Papers and Revision Resources

Past papers are the most useful revision material once the content has been learnt. Compare the key terms in the mark scheme with your own wording, and check how many separate points a question expects.

Browse the A Levels Biology past papers in our library, or use the board's subject list. We list only the files we have added, so check the board's website for the full set. Our guide on how to use past papers explains the method step by step.

More study help is on the A Levels resources page.

How to Choose a Biology Tutor

Tutors on this site list the subjects and levels they teach, and our team approves a profile before it appears. What each tutor offers, where and at what fee differs, so read the profile and ask about a short trial lesson before you book.

Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel International A Level are examined in the May/June and October/November series. AQA and OCR A Levels are examined in the summer series. Choose a tutor whose schedule fits the series the student is entering, and compare tutors fairly with these questions:

• Which board and syllabus code do they teach, and have they taught A Levels Biology before?
• How do they use past papers and mark schemes in lessons?
• What does a lesson look like, and how is progress shared with parents?
• Can they offer a short trial lesson, and what are the fee and the schedule?
• How do they handle a topic the student keeps getting wrong?

Frequently Asked Questions