9700 · Cambridge International AS Level
9700/32
Advanced Practical Skills 2
Biology · June 2024 · Variant 2
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Cambridge Assessment International Education
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.4 / 5
140
270 min
Enzyme Kinetics and Experimental Investigation of Factors Affecting Catalysis
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
140
Duration
270 min
Session difficulty
3.4 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
High-yield marks are heavily concentrated in Factors that affect enzyme action and Structure of transport tissues/mechanisms.
Students who mastered enzyme-substrate complex kinetics, lock-and-key mechanism illustrations, and active proton-pumping mechanisms (for sucrose/amino acid cotransport) managed to secure the lion's share of conceptual marks.
In the practical paper, clean microscopic plan drawings and a structured, dual-variable comparison table for stomata differences yielded significant points.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Knowledge and Understanding
Weight: 4100%Handling Information
Weight: 375%Experimental
Weight: 125%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Cambridge Principal Examiner Report — component performance and international standards
Level A
Approx. 69% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 60% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 51% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 44% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 36% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.
Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.
Match the expected response style for “State” questions.
Apply knowledge to an unfamiliar context; concise, practical points score best.
Match the expected response style for “Outline” questions.
Present multiple perspectives with evidence; balance breadth and depth.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.3
Min per mark: 0
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Factors that affect enzyme action
26 marks this session
Structure of transport tissues
20 marks this session
Transport mechanisms
13 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Cell structure
Transport in plants
Cell structure (Biology (AS Level))
Cell membranes and transport
Cell membranes and transport (Biology (AS Level))
Enzymes
Transport in mammals
Biological molecules (Biology (AS Level))
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 12 (Multiple Choice):
Paper 22 (AS Level Structured Questions):
Paper 32 (Advanced Practical Skills 2):
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Factors that affect enzyme action
26 marks this session
Practise in RevuiStructure of transport tissues
20 marks this session
Practise in RevuiTransport mechanisms
13 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
High-yield marks are heavily concentrated in Factors that affect enzyme action and Structure of transport tissues/mechanisms.
- 2Message
Students who mastered enzyme-substrate complex kinetics, lock-and-key mechanism illustrations, and active proton-pumping mechanisms (for sucrose/amino acid cotransport) managed to secure the lion's share of conceptual marks.
- 3Message
In the practical paper, clean microscopic plan drawings and a structured, dual-variable comparison table for stomata differences yielded significant points.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2024 2024
Biology
High-yield marks are heavily concentrated in Factors that affect enzyme action and Structure of transport tissues/mechanisms. Students who mastered enzyme-substrate complex kinetics, lock-and-key mechanism illustrations, and active proton-pumping mechanisms (for sucrose/amino aci
High-yield marks are heavily concentrated in Factors that affect enzyme action and Structure of transport tissues/mechanisms.
Students who mastered enzyme-substrate complex kinetics, lock-and-key mechanism illustrations, and active proton-pumping mechanisms (for sucrose/amino acid cotransport) managed to secure the lion's share of conceptual marks.
In the practical paper, clean microscopic plan drawings and a structured, dual-variable comparison table for stomata differences yielded significant points.
- Total marks
- 140
- Duration
- 270 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.4 / 5
Session analysis
High-yield marks are heavily concentrated in Factors that affect enzyme action and Structure of transport tissues/mechanisms. Students who mastered enzyme-substrate complex kinetics, lock-and-key mechanism illustrations, and active proton-pumping mechanisms (for sucrose/amino acid cotransport) managed to secure the lion's share of conceptual marks. In the practical paper, clean microscopic plan drawings and a structured, dual-variable comparison table for stomata differences yielded significant points.
Updated Jun 12, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 12 (Multiple Choice):
Paper 22 (AS Level Structured Questions):
Paper 32 (Advanced Practical Skills 2):
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
79% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Structured/Short Answer
60·28·43%
Multiple Choice
40·40·29%
Practical/Investigation/Drawing
40·12·29%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 12 (MCQ)
0.80 m/minPaper 22 (Structure…
20.05 m/minTotal marks
461
Total time
95 min
Avg pace
4.85
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Structure of nucleic acids and semi-conservative DNA replication
85%85%
Monoclonal antibodies and their diagnostic/therapeutic uses
80%80%
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Unit Neglect: In magnification and scaling questions, candidates frequently failed to specify or convert units correctly (e.g., converting 250 μm \mu \text{m} μm to 0.25 mm).
- Imprecise Drawing Annotations: When illustrating the lock-and-key hypothesis, students often forgot to label the active site explicitly or draw distinct, recognizable products (NAG and NAM).
- Vague Comparative Language: Discussing nitrate uptake curves without manipulating data or mentioning both the 5.0 and 0.2 mmol dm−3 \text{mmol dm}^{-3} mmol dm−3 concentrations resulted in immediate mark losses.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 2h
- Total marks
- 40
- Weighting
- 23%
- Question types
- Practical Skills
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.