Current syllabus · first assessment 2028
A-Level CAIE Biology A2 Study Guide & Review
Prepare for Cambridge International A2 Biology 9700 by connecting advanced biological mechanisms to unfamiliar evidence, structured Paper 4 reasoning and complete Paper 5 planning, analysis, statistics and evaluation.
- 01Learn concepts
- 02Practise questions
- 03Review mistakes
Syllabus knowledge tree
Explore Cambridge A2 Biology Topics 12–19
Navigate 24 local Topics across the eight official A2 content groups plus dedicated Paper 5 practical and mathematical-statistical skill groups. The map follows syllabus Version 1 for exams in 2028, 2029 and 2030 without duplicating AS Topics 1–11.
- 10
- syllabus groups
- 24
- mapped topics
Preview the course map
Explore the course units and topics. Sign in to open the full mastery workspace and see your progress.
How to study Cambridge A2 Biology 9700
Cambridge A2 Biology rewards connected reasoning. For each pathway or regulatory system, retrieve its location, inputs, transfers, outputs and controls, then explain unfamiliar evidence. Use the A2 syllabus map to connect respiration, photosynthesis, homeostasis, coordination, inheritance, evolution, biodiversity and genetic technology. Bring in AS knowledge only when a Paper 4 mechanism requires it, rather than rebuilding the AS course here.
After learning a mechanism in Concept, retrieve it in Mastery and apply it through the Question Bank. Classify the first error as missing knowledge, broken causal link, command word, transformed data, calculation, statistical choice, unsupported conclusion or impractical improvement. Repair that exact failure, then answer a matched structured or planning-and-analysis task without notes.
Practise A2 Biology through mechanisms and investigation
Use connected pathways, regulatory systems, inheritance, population evidence, biotechnology and complete Paper 5 planning-and-analysis cycles across the exact A2 scope.
Energy transfer and regulation
Respiration, photosynthesis, limiting factors, homeostasis, nervous and hormonal coordination, and plant responses
Map location, input, carrier, transfer, output and control for each pathway. Explain graph gradients or plateaus causally, compare regulatory loops and design limiting-factor investigations with appropriate variables, ranges, controls, repeats and evidence-bounded conclusions.
Practise Topics 12–15Inheritance and gene control
Genetic crosses, probability, phenotype, gene expression and environmental influence
Alternate crosses and ratios with molecular-to-phenotype explanations. State assumptions, show probability working, distinguish genotype from expression and environment, and use unfamiliar inheritance or gene-control evidence to justify rather than merely name the pattern.
Practise Topic 16Evolution, biodiversity and conservation
Variation, selection, evolution, classification, sampling, diversity indices and conservation evidence
Connect variation and selection pressure to population change, then test ecological claims using sampling, indices, correlations and their limitations. Separate association from causation and evaluate conservation decisions only as far as the supplied biological evidence permits.
Practise Topics 17–18Genetic technology
Principles, medicine, agricultural applications, controls, results, benefits, risks and evidence
Sequence each method, explain why every stage or control is needed and interpret its result. Distinguish biological mechanism from application judgment, compare benefits and limitations from the given evidence and avoid unsupported medical or ethical claims.
Practise Topic 19Paper 5 planning, data and statistics
Hypotheses, variables, ranges, repeats, uncertainty, graphs, tests, conclusions, evaluation and improvements
Complete the whole investigation cycle: operationalise the hypothesis, control variables, choose measurements and repeats, process and display data, justify a suitable statistical test, limit conclusions to evidence, identify anomalies or weaknesses and propose feasible targeted improvements.
Practise Paper 5 skillsWhere to start
Start from one known weak Topic or use mixed evidence to locate the earliest repeated mechanism, application, calculation, planning or evaluation failure.
Choose your starting point
- Browse A2 Topics 12–19
I know the weak Topic
Open its exact group and identify the mechanism, evidence, command word, calculation or investigation decision that is failing.
- Start a diagnostic
I do not know what is weak
Use mixed A2 questions to identify the first repeated Paper 4 reasoning or Paper 5 investigation failure.
Choose the right A2 starting point
- Review a Concept
Build the causal model
Reconstruct locations, inputs, transfers, controls and outputs, then connect the mechanism to observable biological evidence.
- Check Mastery
Retrieve and transform
Recall without notes, interpret unfamiliar diagrams or data and complete calculations with justified biological or statistical choices.
- Practise questions
Mark and repair
Compare every claim with evidence, find the first failed step and rewrite a complete Paper 4 or Paper 5 response.
Cambridge A2 Biology 9700 assessment
A2 study prepares candidates for Papers 4 and 5, which together contribute 50% of the full A Level. AS knowledge remains required, but there is no standalone A2 award or A2-only weighting.
SourceCambridge International · Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology 9700 syllabus9700 · Version 1 · exams 2028, 2029 and 2030
Cambridge A2 Biology 9700 questions
No. A2 describes the second-stage content and Papers 4–5 for the full Cambridge International A Level. In the staged route, eligible AS marks from Papers 1–3 are carried forward under Cambridge rules; in the linear route, candidates take Papers 1–5 together. Full A Level grades are A*–E.
Start with the question purpose and data type. Use chi-squared for observed against expected frequencies, a t-test for comparing two means, Pearson for linear correlation with suitable continuous data and Spearman for ranked association. State a null hypothesis, check the required conditions, calculate degrees of freedom where needed and interpret significance without claiming causation.
The syllabus says needed named population, diversity and statistical formulae and critical-value tables are supplied in examination material, but degrees-of-freedom formulae are not. A compliant scientific calculator is allowed; graphing, algebraic, stored-text and communication features are prohibited. Recheck the current paper front and Cambridge Handbook for your series.
Cambridge publishes a selection of past papers, examiner reports and specimen material, while registered schools receive more through the School Support Hub. Cambridge warns that older papers may not match the current syllabus, so align every question to a current Topic and skill before use. Do not assume a dedicated 2028 specimen set exists.