How to get an A* in A-level Biology

Years of experience as a teacher and especially as an examiner has taught me how to maximise the use of students' time, and teach them how to get an A* in A-level Biology.

Step 1: The Foundation

As you are probably aware, there is a lot of content in A level biology, and step one is to make sure you understand all the topics fully. I don't mean "memorising" it; I mean properly understanding what is happening, how it's happening and how it links with all the other topics. Without this foundation you won't be able to access the application questions and they are the foundation of the A level exams.

Time is of the essence with A-levels, so speed up this process by getting help from an experienced tutor. My students are taught complex concepts and topics in an easy to access, condensed yet complete way, without the need to go off and do extra work "reading around". I also provide the digital resources so they have their own set of ready-made revision notes tailored to them and their needs. 

Step 2: The big difference

This is the part that makes the difference. In A level Biology each topic has a unique and very specific set of exam techniques. There will be key words and phrases that are essential and words that will lose you marks. While the questions are not negatively marked, using particular key words in an answer will stop you from gaining marks in that question. Hence, it's useful to know both; we want to gain all possible marks available! This exam technique can be learnt by yourself, if you have lots of time to trail through thousands of questions for each topic so you can see the wordings in the mark schemes and link them altogether into easy chunks to memorise for each topic. As you can imagine, this takes a lot of time, and most students already have a busy and full schedule to contend with. As an Examiner I have already been through all the questions, analysed them, compared them and condensed them into bespoke units that are easily accessible to my students.

Step 3: Celebrate your A*

Your hard work is done. Now simply celebrate your fantastic A* in style.

BONUS: Choosing the right tutor for you

It may seem odd, but various exam boards have specific words and phrases they expect (or disallow) for each subject. What earns you marks on an AQA exam may not do so on an OCR or EDEXCEL exam, and the reverse is also true.

When selecting a tutor, ensure they have expertise with your specific exam board to ensure investment in time and money is directed towards effective support.

Securing an A or A* in Biology requires a tutor who is specialised in the subject, rather than one who is stretched across multiple disciplines. I dedicate my time to tutoring Biology students, focusing exclusively on exam content and techniques to excel in Biology examinations.

For more information contact me at ClairePersonalTraining.co.uk