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CCEA A2 Biology past papers and mark schemes

CCEA A2 Biology is examined in three units: A2 1 (physiology, co-ordination and control, and ecosystems), A2 2 (biochemistry, genetics and evolutionary trends) and A2 3 (practical skills). Below is every series published for the current specification, what each paper tends to ask, and the marking routine that turns a past paper into actual marks. Papers and mark schemes are published by CCEA; BioCCEA is an independent study tool and is not endorsed by CCEA.

Every published CCEA A2 Biology series

These are the exam series available for the current CCEA GCE Biology specification (first taught 2016). CCEA publishes each question paper and mark scheme in its own past-papers archive — open it, choose the series, then download the paper for the unit you are revising.

SeriesUnits examinedNotes
Summer 2025A2 1, A2 2 written papers + practical skillsFull-length paper — usable as a timed mock.
Summer 2024A2 1, A2 2 written papers + practical skillsFull-length paper — usable as a timed mock.
Summer 2023A2 1, A2 2 written papers + practical skillsFull-length paper — usable as a timed mock.
Summer 2022A2 1, A2 2 written papers + practical skillsReduced content — check what was removed before using it as a full mock.
2020 (no summer exams)A2 1, A2 2 written papers + practical skillsGrades were awarded without exams, so no live summer paper exists.
Summer 2019A2 1, A2 2 written papers + practical skillsFull-length paper — usable as a timed mock.
Summer 2018A2 1, A2 2 written papers + practical skillsFirst A2 series of the 2016 specification.
Open CCEA’s official past papers & mark schemes

What each A2 paper actually asks

A2 1 · Physiology, Co-ordination and Control, and Ecosystems

A2 1 written paper (2 hours)

  • Synapse questions that ask you to explain unidirectionality or the effect of a named drug.
  • Data on nephron filtrate composition — apply selective reabsorption rather than recall it.
  • Energy-flow calculations: percentage efficiency between trophic levels, with reasons for losses.
A2 1 topic list

A2 2 · Biochemistry, Genetics and Evolutionary Trends

A2 2 written paper (2 hours)

  • Full genetic crosses including sex linkage, drawn out in the CCEA layout.
  • Chi-squared tests: expected ratio, degrees of freedom, critical value and conclusion.
  • Extended response on natural selection applied to an unfamiliar species.
A2 2 topic list

A2 3 · Practical Skills in A2 Biology

A2 3 practical booklet plus a written practical-skills paper (1 hour 15 minutes)

  • Selecting and justifying a statistical test from a short data description.
  • Calculating standard deviation or standard error and interpreting error bars.
  • Explaining whether the data support the hypothesis, using the numbers given.
A2 3 topic list

How to use a past paper so it actually raises your grade

  1. 1Sit it timed and closed-book. An open-book attempt tells you what you recognise, not what you can retrieve under pressure.
  2. 2Mark it against the CCEA mark scheme literally. If the scheme says 'water potential' and you wrote 'concentration', that is not a mark.
  3. 3Log every lost mark by unit topic, not by question number — that list is your revision plan.
  4. 4Re-answer only the questions you dropped marks on, 48 hours later, from memory.
  5. 5Repeat the same topic in a different series. Same content, unfamiliar wording, is what the real paper does to you.

Get your A2 paper marked in CCEA mark-scheme language

Photograph a written answer and BioCCEA marks it the way a CCEA examiner would — marking points hit, marking points missed, and the exact wording that would have earned them. Free to try, no account needed.

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