Most home-ed students take International GCSE (IGCSE) biology exams, which consist of written exams only. Unlike GCSEs, IGCSEs do not require core practical work to be carried out in the exam centre.
Cambridge (CAIE) and Edexcel IGCSE Biology are exam-only syllabuses and are available to private candidates. Edexcel also offer Human biology.
Other useful pages:
Science - this page gives a general overview of your options for GCSE/IGCSE Level Science.
Science A levels (includes information on practical endorsements for A level)
Alternative Qualifications (see Science and Engineering section)
Biology - FAQs[]
Can I do GCSE Biology?[]
For most home educators, GCSE Biology is not an option and they must do IGCSE. GCSE biology does not have a practical exam, BUT the head of the exam centre has to sign a form saying that each candidate has been offered the opportunity to carry out all core practicals at the centre. Most centres won't do this for external candidates.
Do I need to complete practicals for IGCSE Biology?[]
Although there is no practical exam in IGCSE Biology, an understanding of practical work is necessary. Both specifications have a list of core practicals that the candidate is required to understand, but no form has to be signed to say these have been done/observed making the specifications easier for private candidates to access. IGCSE biology specifications have 'alternative to practicals' questions as part of the written exam papers. Carrying out practicals will help with understanding but it is not a requirement, videos can be found of most experiments - the Biology Practicals page offers ideas and support.
Edexcel International GCSE Biology[]
This is a popular choice among home educators, as it is often easier to find an exam centre in the UK for Edexcel exams.
Edexcel International GCSE Biology page and specification
- Exams from: June 2019
- Available in June and November
- Specification code: 4BI1
Subject Content[]
The Edexcel International GCSE Biology has 5 topics:
- The nature and variety of living organisms
- Structures and functions in living organisms
- Reproduction and inheritance
- Ecology and the environment
- Use of biological resources
Assessment[]
100% exam based.
- Paper 1 - 2hrs - 110 marks - 61.1%
- A mixture of different question styles, including multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, calculations and extended open-response questions.
- Will include questions about practicals
- Covers topics 1- 5 but only the content that is listed in the syllabus not in bold
- Can use a calculator
- Paper 2 - 1hr 15 minutes - 70 marks - 38.9%
- A mixture of different question styles, including multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, calculations and extended open-response questions.
- Will include questions about practicals
- Covers topics 1- 5 all content listed in syllabus (bold and not bold)
- Can use a calculator
Resources[]
If you are not sure what textbooks or revision books to buy, or where to find answers, please ask on the HE exams and alternatives group You only need one student textbook and one is not better than the others, it is personal preference.
Student textbooks
(Pearson) Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) Biology Student Book (2017) by Bradfield and Potter. Some people find the layout a little cluttered, so check on Amazon's 'see inside' feature to compare with other textbooks. Answers are available here
(Hodder) Edexcel International GCSE Biology Student Book Second Edition (2017) by Larkcom and Delpech Answers are available here
(Collins) Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) Biology Student Book (2017) by Clegg, Kearsey, Price and Smith
Practicals workbook
Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) Biology Student Lab Book: Exam practice and further application Not essential, but some families have found this helpful.
Revision books and workbooks
Revision books and workbooks aren't essential, but some students find them helpful. There are lots of options below, so they have been organised by publisher. You don't need to buy all of them!
CGP
Some people find CGP revision books cluttered, and other people love them. Take a look on the 'look inside' feature of Amazon to see whether they will suit your child.
Grade 9-1 Edexcel International GCSE Biology: Revision Guide (2017) designed for revision, but can also give a useful overview.
Grade 9-1 Edexcel International GCSE Biology: Exam Practice Workbook (2017) A workbook to accompany the above revision book.
Grade 9-1 Edexcel International GCSE Biology: Complete Revision & Practice with Online Edition This book combines the CGP revision guide with questions, but has fewer questions than if buying the exam practice workbook. There might be overlap with the above books.
Edexcel International GCSE Biology: Grade 8-9 Targeted Exam Practice Workbook (with answers) questions for students aiming for top grades.
New Edexcel International GCSE Biology Practice Papers for the Grade 9-1 Course (2020).
New Grade 9-1 Edexcel International GCSE Biology: Revision Question Cards (2019) Note these are question cards not flash cards of topic summaries.
Grade 9-1 Edexcel International GCSE Biology: 10-Minute Tests (with answers) Again, not essential, but a possible tool for some students.
Hodder
My Revision Notes: Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) Biology (2018) By Nixon
Edexcel International GCSE Biology Workbook (2017) by Larkcom, Delpech and Evans Answers are available here
Exam board resources
The Teaching and Learning materials on the specification page has topic guides, mapping documents, exemplars, past training and getting started guides which are really helpful.
Past papers can be accessed through the specification page or here. Papers with an R suffix were available in a different time zone. They are the same specification and can be used as practice. Paper 1B will also have Double Award listed on the front - this is because the same paper is used for both qualifications - those sitting IGCSE Biology sit 1B and 2B, those sitting Double Award Science sit 1B, 1C and 1P.
You can use questions from the past papers of the 2011 syllabus for practice, but be mindful of any minor changes in the syllabus that happened when updated in 2017. There is a mapping document on the 2017 specification page, (2016 - Word Doc) which describes changes and additions from the previous 2011 specification which might be helpful.
Other useful resources for Edexcel IGCSE Biology
Exam App is great for revision. Covers entire curriculum for Biology plus Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Discount for Home Educators on AWE Discounts.
MrExham Youtube channel has a series of good videos which are geared toward the Edexcel IGCSE biology syllabus.
Study plan that combines Hodder textbook with CGP exam practice workbook and online videos for each topic/chapter. Created by a home educator for the latest (2017) syllabus.
Click4biology Youtube channel has videos with a no-frills approach to covering the topics. It is aligned to the old Edexcel biology syllabus, but still a useful resource for the new syllabus.
Cambridge (CAIE) IGCSE Biology[]
Cambridge offer 2 IGCSEs in Biology from 2019. The difference is in the grading, 0970 being 9-1 and 0610 being A*-G, otherwise the syllabus is identical. Some exam centres will only enter students for 0970.
CAIE International GCSE Biology (0970) page and specification
CAIE International GCSE Biology (0610) page and specification
0970 was new in 2019, any tweaks to 0610 at the same time look to be minor so papers from pre-2019 will still be useful.
- Exams from: 2019
- Available in Autumn and Summer series
- Specification code: 0970 (9-1) or 0610 (A*- G) There are small amendments to the specification for exams from 2023, mainly a couple of subtopics being removed.
Subject Content[]
Cambridge Biology has more human biology content than Edexcel.
Candidates study the following topics:
Characteristics and classification of living organisms, Organisation of the organism, Movement in and out of cells, Biological molecules, Enzymes, Plant nutrition, Human nutrition, Transport in plants Transport in animals, Diseases and immunity, Gas exchange in humans, Respiration, Excretion in humans, Coordination and response, Drugs, Reproduction, Inheritance, Variation and selection, Organisms and their environment, Biotechnology and genetic engineering, Human influences on ecosystems
Cambridge Biology is 'tiered' students enter for core (which allows them to achieve grade 5-1) or extended (which allows them to achieve grade 9-1). Those doing Core just need to study the core content, those doing Extended need to study the core and supplementary content.
Assessment[]
The specification has three papers: a 1h Alternative to Practical, a 45 min Multiple Choice and a 1 hr 15 Theory paper. The multiple choice and theory exams used to be taken back to back (so effectively 2 hours), but for the past two years have been examined on separate days.
CAIE science IGCSEs are tiered. This means that less able students can opt for the core tier, (papers 1, 3 and 6) but can only get a maximum grade of C or 5. More able students can opt for the higher (extended) tier (papers 2, 4 and 6) with the grade range of 9-1.
100% exam based.
- Paper 1 (core) or 2 (extended) - Multiple choice - 45 mins - 40 marks - 30%
- Forty compulsory multiple-choice questions
- Covers all content
- Paper 3 (core) or 4 (extended) - Theory - 1hr 15 minutes - 80 marks - 50%
- Short-answer and structured questions
- Covers all content
- Paper 6 - (sat by both core and extended) - Alternatives to Practical - 1hr - 40 marks - 20%
- Questions will be based on the experimental skills outlined in Section 4 of the specification.
Resources[]
Some books include answers, others don't. Some publishers will provide links to answers if you contact them. If you are not sure what textbooks or revision books to buy, or where to find answers, please ask on the HE exams and alternatives group
There are new books available for exams from 2023 because of spec changes, 2022 are also listed
Student Textbooks
For Exams from 2023
(Cambridge University Press) Cambridge IGCSE Biology Coursebook with Digital Access (2021) by Jones and Jones
(Hodder) Cambridge IGCSE Biology 4th Edition (2021) by Mackean and Hayward
(Collins) Cambridge IGCSE Biology Student's Book (2021) by Kearsey and Clegg.
(Oxford University Press) Complete Biology for Cambridge IGCSE Student Edition (2020) by Pickering
Revision books and workbooks
Revision books and workbooks aren't essential, but some students find them helpful.
For Exams from 2023
(Cambridge University Press) Cambridge IGCSE Biology Workbook with Digital Access (2 Years) (2021) by Jones and Jones.
(Oxford University Press) Cambridge IGCSE® & O Level Complete Biology: Workbook Fourth Edition. (2021) by Pickering.
(Oxford University Press) Cambridge IGCSE (R) & O Level Biology: Exam Success. (2021) by Pickering.
(Hodder) Cambridge IGCSE Biology Workbook (2021) by Hayward.
(Hodder) Cambridge IGCSE Biology Practical Skills Workbook (2021) by Salma Siddiqui
(CGP) Cambridge International GCSE Biology Complete Revision & Practice (2021)
Past papers
Past papers can be found on the specification pages or sites such as pastpapers.co and papacambridge. Each series of 0610 (besides the March series - which is only sat in India) has 3 sets of papers available. These are because they were sat in different time zones. They are the same syllabus and useful for practice. You can use both 0970 and 0610 papers to practice either spec. 0970 was new in 2019, any tweaks to 0610 at the same time look to be minor so papers from pre-2019 will still be useful. There are a couple of subtopics being dropped from 2023 exams, but papers from before will still be useful.
Other resources
Seneca Learning is a free resource site with courses on CIE Biology for IGCSE.
Free download from iTunes of CIE Biology textbook. The actual downloads are available from the iTunes Stephen Pearse Foundation Store. The free material is only available in the iTunes U app on iPhone or iPad, not on a PC or windows laptop.
Click4biology Youtube channel has videos with a no-frills approach to covering the topics. It is aligned to the old Edexcel biology syllabus, so not CAIE specific, but is still a useful resource.
www.youtube.com/@igbiocomplete short videos created in 2023 on each topic of the syllabus - specific to Cambridge.
D G Mackean has a website, Biology Resources with some resources. (Note that the textbook answers on the site appear to be for the 2nd edition of the book, not the most recent edition, and other resources might be similarly out of date).
Other exam boards[]
At GCSE level, generally the most popular board in schools is AQA, however OCR and WJEC/Eduqas also offer exams.
AQA Combined[]
AQA Synergy[]
AQA Synergy is the award which combines the three sciences, instead of teaching them separately. Synergy combines two sections:
- Life and Environmental Sciences: About the world we live in, from the tiniest of atoms and cells to the environment's effect on living organisms.
- Physical Sciences: About the world not regarding living things: this section covers the structures of atoms to sustainability in our future.
Synergy combines all three sciences into both sections, and most students have a teacher for each section.
AQA Trilogy[]
The Trilogy course is a more conventional Science course and is split into the three sciences, and much of the content and key practicals align with the Triple Science content. Trilogy students will have two papers on each science.
OCR Combined[]
OCR is not the most popular exam board for GCSE Science, but is often considered to be one of the easiest. However, the grade boundaries are known to be quite high compared to other exam boards with more rigorous content.
OCR 21st Century Science[]
Here, students study each of the three sciences; but the knowledge is applied to more contemporary topics than would be expected of a conventional science course. The 21st Century papers ask learners to apply their knowledge to situations which aim to reflect the reality of the world around us.
OCR Gateway[]
This functions as a more conventional science course. Students are assessed with two papers on each science, with the first paper being on parts 1-3 of the unit, and the second on parts 4-6.
Practical Work[]
Doing some practicals at home will be useful for answering the practical questions in the exam. IGCSE exams contain questions about equipment, experiment design, and procedures, as well as safety and general scientific methodology, such as controlling variables.
Please see our page Biology Practicals about doing biology experiments from home. It includesinformation on obtaining supplies and hints and tips. There are many practicals on the GCSE and IGCSE syllabus which can easily be carried out at home.
Note that the practical components of Edexcel and CAIE syllabuses for single sciences are very similar, so you can use resources for either.
General Resources[]
Key Biology Practicals for Edexcel IGCSE - table of key activities and resources, videos etc compiled by our member Tracey S.
IGCSE Biology Pinterest board resources for general Biology, compiled by one of our members.
www.biology-resources.com- list of experiments
Quizlet flashcard sets on IGCSE Biology
RSC Teacher Resources For a little extra
Sciencebuddies Most of the projects suggested were 'hard beginner' or intermediate but some of the advanced look highly doable.
Naked Scientists Tip: use 'search' and then 'advanced search' (eg. bacteria in 'search for', internal pages in 'search in' and experiments in 'category' will come up with a few experiments mostly suitable to GCSE, some a bit young)
Distance Learning
Many home-educated students study Biology successfully using just the textbook and free online resources, but some find a distance learning course suits their family better, or want to use a tutor occasionally for marking essays or past papers. Course providers can be found on the Distance Learning Providers page.