Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.
Multiple choice questions are perhaps the easiest to complete - you simply put a cross in a box. However, the questions often have two answers that could, at first glance, be correct. Don't make the mistake of reading the first answer and thinking this is correct without checking all the others.
If it says 'Tick one box', you must tick one box. If you leave it blank or tick two or more boxes you will get zero marks. These multiple choice questions will not start with command words like 'describe' or 'explain'. They will be written in the form of a question like 'What…?' or 'Why…?'.
There will be more multiple choice questions on the Foundation paper.
These questions have been written by Bitesize consultants as suggestions to the types of questions that may appear in an exam paper.
Sample question 1 - Foundation
Question
What does a potometer measure? [1 mark]
Tick one box.
A
Water uptake in a plant
B
Glucose uptake into the blood
C
Oxygen diffusion into the lungs
D
Carbon dioxide diffusion into the blood
A
Water uptake in a plant
B
Glucose uptake into the blood
C
Oxygen diffusion into the lungs
D
Carbon dioxide diffusion into the blood
A
Water uptake in a plant
✔
B
Glucose uptake into the blood
C
Oxygen diffusion into the lungs
D
Carbon dioxide diffusion into the blood
A
Water uptake in a plant
✔
B
Glucose uptake into the blood
C
Oxygen diffusion into the lungs
D
Carbon dioxide diffusion into the blood
Sample question 2 - Foundation
Question
What process involves the movement of water across a membrane? [1 mark]
Tick one box.
A
Diffusion
B
Osmosis
C
Active transport
D
Ventilation
A
Diffusion
B
Osmosis
C
Active transport
D
Ventilation
A
Diffusion
B
Osmosis
✔
C
Active transport
D
Ventilation
A
Diffusion
B
Osmosis
✔
C
Active transport
D
Ventilation
Sample question 3 - Higher
Question
What happens immediately before mitosis in the cell cycle? [1 mark]
Tick one box.
A
A period of growth
B
DNA synthesis
C
Checking for errors in copied DNA
D
Cytokinesis
A
A period of growth
B
DNA synthesis
C
Checking for errors in copied DNA
D
Cytokinesis
A
A period of growth
B
DNA synthesis
C
Checking for errors in copied DNA
✔
D
Cytokinesis
A
A period of growth
B
DNA synthesis
C
Checking for errors in copied DNA
✔
D
Cytokinesis
Sample question 4 - Higher
Question
What phase in mitosis involves the pulling of chromosomes and their copies to different ends of the cell? [1 mark]