HUMAN-BIOLOGY · Pearson Edexcel IGCSE
Human Biology Exam Tips
In Edexcel IGCSE Human Biology, candidates lose the most marks not from lack of revision, but from misinterpreting command words. There is a strict functional difference between 'Describe' and 'Explain'. When asked to 'describe' a trend in a graph, you must state exactly what is …
Source: Pearson Edexcel
Papers
2
Total marks
180
Time limit
3h 30min
Grade scale
Additional note
Calculator policy
A scientific or graphical calculator is permitted. Graphical calculators must be in exam mode with all stored programs and data cleared before the exam; the calculator must not be able to retrieve stored text or formulae.
2
Papers
5
Strategies
9
Mistakes
- In Edexcel IGCSE Human Biology, candidates lose the most marks not from lack of revision, but from misinterpreting command words. There is a strict functional difference between 'Describe' and 'Explain'. When asked to 'describe' a trend in a graph, you must state exactly what is happening (e.g., 'the blood alcohol level peaks at 1 hour and then decreases steadily to zero at 5.5 hours'). You do not need to say why it happens. However, when asked to 'explain', you must provide a scientific reason using biological theory (e.g., 'alcohol is absorbed into the blood via the stomach and later carried to the liver where it is broken down and detoxified by enzymes'). Top scorers spend the first 5 minutes of the exam underlining every command word to ensure they match their answers to the exact marking criteria.
Tips are paraphrased for study purposes from exam structure data and marking patterns. Always verify against your official syllabus and mark scheme.