English Maths Science Tuition and Examination Centre (EMSTEC) offer a ‘fast track’ A Level Biology Course. Based at our centre in Birmingham, students attend one day a week . We offer ‘accelerated learning’ and teach the full A Level syllabus in one academic year. The A Level course will be facilitated by our experienced science teachers. We have a laboratory where students will be guided in the correct use of laboratory equipment enabling them to approach the theoretical and practical examinations with confidence. The course fees are inclusive of all teaching materials, support and examination fees.
A Level Biology Course aims to further develop your understanding of how science can be of benefit to you as an individual as well as to society as a whole.
A Level biology covers many different scientific topics as well as how they relate to each other. During the courses duration you will further develop your personal skills, knowledge and understanding of how science works, preparing you for further study.
- Gain up to 56 UCAS points which can be used towards degree level study.
- Develop their knowledge of both practical and theoretical aspects of Biology.
- Understand the science on a practical level during lab based sessions.
- Increase their career potential, using their new gained knowledge to open doors to careers such as medicine or medical science, animal care, veterinary studies or even horticulture .
Please note that under the new A Level specifications set by AQA, the AS Level is now a separate qualification, and does not count towards the full A Level.
AQA A -Level Chemistry is comprised of eight main topics, which are assessed during three examinations. This course has been designed with this in mind, taking students through each topic, these topics are:
Topic 1: Biological Molecules
- Monomers and polymers
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins
- Many proteins are enzymes
- Nucleic acids are important information-carrying molecules
- ATP
- Water
- Inorganic ions
Topic 2: Cells
- Cell structure
- All cells arise from other cells
- Transport across cell membranes
- Cell recognition and the immune system
Topic 3: Organisms exchange substances with their environment
- Surface area to volume ratio
- Gas exchange
- Digestion and absorption
- Mass transport
Topic 4 Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms
- DNA, genes and chromosomes
- DNA and protein synthesis
- Mutation
- Genetic diversity and adaptation
- Species and taxonomy
- Biodiversity within a community
- Investigating diversity
Topic 5: Energy transfers in and between organisms
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Energy and ecosystems
- Nutrient cycles
Topic 6: Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments
- Stimuli, both internal and external
- Nervous coordination
- Skeletal muscles
- Homoeostasis
Topic 7: Genetics, population, evolution and ecosystems
- Inheritance
- Populations
- Evolution may lead to speciation
- Populations in ecosystems
Topic 8: The control of gene expression
- DNA and the structure of proteins
- Gene expression
- Using genome projects
- Gene technologies
- Organism function
- Design of new industrial and medical processes
Examination paper 1.
- Type: Written examination.
- Duration: 2 hours.
- Weighing: 35% of A-Level.
- Total Marks: 91.
- Assessment format: Short and long answer questions (76 marks) and Extended response questions (15 marks).
What’s assessed
Any content from topics 1–4, including relevant practical skills.
The following topics are relevant to this examination:
Examination paper 2.
- Type: Written examination.
- Duration: 2 hours.
- Weighing: 35% of A-Level.
- Total Marks: 91.
- Assessment format: Short and long answer questions (76 marks) and Extended response questions (15 marks).
What’s assessed
Any content from topics 5–8, including relevant practical skills.
The following topics are relevant to this examination:
Examination paper 3.
- Type: Written examination.
- Duration: 2 hours.
- Weighing: 30% of A-Level.
- Total Marks: 78.
- Assessment format: Structured questions, including practical techniques (38 marks), Critical analysis of given experimental data (15 marks) and One essay from a choice of two titles (25 marks).
What’s assessed
Any content from topics 1–8, including relevant practical skills.
Please note that this examination is broad in scope and covers all taught topics of the syllabus, the following topics are relevant to this examination:
- 1 Biological molecules.
- 2 Cells.
- 3 Organisms exchange substances with their environment.
- 4 Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms.
- 5 Energy transfers in and between organisms.
- 6 Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments.
- 7 Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems.
- 8 The control of gene expression.
The following practicals must be carried out by all students taking this course. Written papers will assess knowledge and understanding of these, and the skills exemplified within each practical.
- Investigation into the effect of a named variable on the rate of an enzyme-controlled reaction.
- Preparation of stained squashes of cells from plant root tips; set-up and use of an optical microscope to identify the stages of mitosis in these stained squashes and calculation of a mitotic index.
- Production of a dilution series of a solute to produce a calibration curve with which to identify the water potential of plant tissue.
- Investigation into the effect of a named variable on the permeability of cell-surface membranes.
- Dissection of animal or plant gas exchange or mass transport system or of organ within such a system.
- Use of aseptic techniques to investigate the effect of antimicrobial substances on microbial growth.
- Use of chromatography to investigate the pigments isolated from leaves of different plants, e.g. leaves from shade-tolerant and shade-intolerant plants or leaves of different colours.
- Investigation into the effect of a named factor on the rate of dehydrogenase activity in extracts of chloroplasts.
- Investigation into the effect of a named variable on the rate of respiration of cultures of single-celled organisms.
- Investigation into the effect of an environmental variable on the movement of an animal using either a choice chamber or a maze.
- Production of a dilution series of a glucose solution and use of colorimetric techniques to produce a calibration curve with which to identify the concentration of glucose in an unknown ‘urine’ sample.
- Investigation into the effect of a named environmental factor on the distribution of a given species.
Examination paper 1.
June 2019.
Start time: AM.
Duration: 2 hours.
Examination paper 2.
June 2019.
Start time: PM.
Duration: 2 hours.
Examination paper 3.
June 2019.
Start time: AM.
Duration: 2 hours.
Help and Advice | Call 0121 771 1298
Course Features
- Lectures 0
- Quizzes 0
- Duration 80 hours
- Skill level All levels
- Language English
- Students 45
- Assessments Yes
