EXAM PAPERS, Topic 3 - H2 Biology Paper 3 Free-response Mastery
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)22 Oct 2025, 00:00 Z
Join our Telegram study groupQ: What does EXAM PAPERS, Topic 3 - H2 Biology Paper 3 Free-response Mastery cover? A: Build the argumentation, data analysis, and essay stamina needed for the 75-mark Paper 3 by rehearsing specimen-style long questions and crafting 20-mark essays with scientific storytelling.
TL;DR
Paper 3 fuses extended data analysis with a 20-mark essay that rewards precise scientific narratives. Train Section A responses as mini case studies, then script Section B essays with evidence-led paragraphs that explicitly reference Core and Extension syllabus statements.[1]
Blueprint for Paper 3
| Duration | Marks | Weighting | Format | Assessment Objective focus |
| 2 hours | 75 | 35 % | Section A: ≥2 compulsory long structured questions (≈55 marks). Section B: choose 1 of 2 free-response essays (20 marks). | AO A + AO B at higher-order levels |
- Section A stimulus materials often derive from current journal articles or novel data sets, so you must interpret unfamiliar experiments quickly.[1]
- Section B essays award marks for both scientific content and written communication quality-expect descriptors for coherence, logical flow, and precision.[1]
- The specimen paper’s opening question on Mitochondrial Eve showcases how evolutionary genetics, data analysis, and evaluative commentary intertwine.[2]
Section A: structured investigations
- Narrate the science: For each part, restate what the data show before concluding why. In the Mitochondrial Eve prompt, grounding your answer in mtDNA inheritance patterns is essential before linking to evolutionary hypotheses.[2]
- Chunk stimulus text: Highlight variables, controls, and observed trends in different colours. This accelerates referencing explicit evidence in your prose.
