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Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Biology (1BI0)

Edexcel GCSE Biology, cell to ecosystem.

Learn each process in the right order and the right words, then practise the long-answer and data questions. Your tutor marks your answers the way the mark scheme does.

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In an osmosis practical, a potato cylinder’s mass falls from 2.50 g to 2.20 g. Calculate the percentage change in mass.[2 marks]

This is worth 2 marks. They go for:

  • Change in mass = 2.20 − 2.50 = −0.30 g (1 mark)
  • Percentage change = −0.30 ÷ 2.50 × 100 = −12% (1 mark)

Examiner tip: Divide by the starting mass, and keep the minus sign: it shows the potato lost water.

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Assessment

How Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Biology is assessed

Two papers, each worth 50%, both taken at the same tier in May and June of one year. Foundation tier covers grades 1–5 and Higher tier grades 4–9. A Higher student a few marks below grade 4 can be awarded a 3.

Specification 1BI0, first examined in 2018. Reformed GCSEs are planned for first teaching from 2029, so exams in 2027 and 2028 use this one.

Foundation or Higher tier

  • Paper 1

    Topics 1–5, from key concepts to health and medicines

    Time
    1 h 45 min
    Marks
    100
    Weight
    50%

  • Paper 2

    Topics 1 and 6–9, from plants to ecosystems

    Time
    1 h 45 min
    Marks
    100
    Weight
    50%

Each paper has ten questions: multiple choice, short answers, calculations and extended open responses. Calculators are allowed.

There is no coursework. You carry out eight core practicals, and exam questions test what you learned from them.

From the official Pearson Edexcel syllabus, checked October 2026. Read the syllabus

Syllabus content

What’s on the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Biology syllabus

Paper 1

  • Key concepts in biology
  • Cells and control
  • Genetics
  • Natural selection and genetic modification
  • Health, disease and the development of medicines

Paper 2

  • Key concepts in biology
  • Plant structures and their functions
  • Animal coordination, control and homeostasis
  • Exchange and transport in animals
  • Ecosystems and material cycles

Where marks are lost

Common Pearson Edexcel GCSE Biology mistakes

  • Saying antibiotics treat viral infections.

    Antibiotics work against bacteria, not viruses. That’s why they don’t cure colds or flu, and why overusing them helps resistant bacteria spread.

  • Describing natural selection as organisms choosing to adapt.

    Variation already exists. Individuals better suited to the environment survive and reproduce, passing on their alleles, so the population changes over generations.

  • Forgetting to heat Benedict’s solution.

    The test for reducing sugars needs Benedict’s solution heated in a water bath. A positive result goes from blue to green, yellow or brick-red.

Six biology tutors, six ways to learn

Practise past-paper style questions with the exam coach, drill facts before a test with quick revision, or slow down with a step-by-step tutor. Switch any time.

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  • KaiConcept explainer
  • ElenaStep by step
  • SamuelExam coach
  • MayaQuick revision
  • JonahChallenger
  • NiaConfidence builder

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FAQ

Pearson Edexcel GCSE Biology questions, answered.

Yes. Ask about the method, variables and results for any of the eight, from osmosis in potatoes to food tests, then practise the exam questions on them.

Yes. Key concepts in biology, such as cells, microscopy and enzymes, can be tested on Paper 1 and Paper 2, so revise it before both exams.

Yes. Paste your answer and the exam coach shows which points earn credit, what’s missing and how to link the ideas together.

Yes. The free plan includes 5 tutor messages and 15 minutes of calls a day. Pro and Max give you more when exams get close.

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More Pearson Edexcel GCSE subjects

Biology in other curricula