These pages collect real AQA A Level Biology past-paper questions by topic, so you can practise one skill at a time instead of working through a whole paper. Every question comes with its mark scheme, a tip based on the examiners' report, and a list of the mistakes that cost students marks, with the wording that gained credit.
There are 30 pages and 491 questions so far: the maths skills that make up at least 10% of your marks, four of the required practicals, and the content topics from 3.1 to 3.4 in specification order. Each page also has a printable PDF pack with the mark schemes at the end.
Pick the area you find hardest, write your answers on paper, then mark them strictly. If you'd like to work through questions like these with me each week, my AQA masterclasses run on Tuesdays at 5.15pm for Year 12 and on Wednesdays or Thursdays at 6.30pm for Year 13. See the timetable.
Maths skills (MS 0 to MS 3)
At least 10% of the marks on your AQA papers are for maths. Work through these in order if maths is a weak spot.
MS 0 Arithmetic and numerical skills · 17 questions
Seventeen real AQA exam questions on the MS 0 arithmetic skills, from converting units to using the eˣ button.
MS 1 Handling data · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on the MS 1 handling data skills, from means and medians to chi-squared, standard deviation and percentage uncertainty.
MS 2 Algebra · 17 questions
Seventeen real AQA exam questions on the MS 2 algebra skills, from rearranging y = mx + c and magnification to the index of diversity, Hardy–Weinberg and log scales.
MS 3 Graph skills · 17 questions
Seventeen real AQA exam questions on the MS 3 graph skills, from reading a log scale to drawing a tangent.
Required practicals
Questions on the required practicals turn up across all three papers, and Paper 3 leans on them.
Required Practical 1: enzyme rates · 17 questions
Seventeen real AQA exam questions on required practical 1, investigating the rate of an enzyme-controlled reaction.
Required Practical 2: mitosis and root tip squashes · 13 questions
Thirteen real AQA exam questions on required practical 2, root tip squashes and the mitotic index.
Required Practicals 3 and 11: dilution series and calibration curves · 13 questions
Thirteen real AQA exam questions on required practicals 3 and 11, making a dilution series and using a calibration curve to find water potential or concentration.
Required Practical 4: membrane permeability · 15 questions
Fifteen real AQA exam questions on required practical 4, the effect of a named variable on the permeability of cell-surface membranes.
3.1 Biological molecules
3.1.1, 3.1.7 and 3.1.8 Monomers, water and inorganic ions · 17 questions
Seventeen real AQA exam questions on monomers and polymers, condensation and hydrolysis, the properties of water and the roles of inorganic ions.
3.1.2 Carbohydrates · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on carbohydrates, from monosaccharides to cellulose and the Benedict's test.
3.1.3 Lipids · 16 questions
Sixteen real AQA exam questions on lipids, from forming an ester bond to phospholipid bilayers and the emulsion test.
3.1.4.1 Proteins · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on proteins, from drawing an amino acid to quaternary structure and the biuret test.
3.1.4.2 Enzymes · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on enzymes, from induced fit and activation energy to competitive and non-competitive inhibitors.
3.1.5.1 Structure of DNA and RNA · 15 questions
Fifteen real AQA exam questions on the structure of DNA and RNA, from drawing a nucleotide to comparing DNA with mRNA and tRNA.
3.1.5.2 DNA replication · 16 questions
Sixteen real AQA exam questions on semi-conservative DNA replication, from the roles of DNA helicase and DNA polymerase to the heavy and light nitrogen experiment.
3.1.6 ATP · 16 questions
Sixteen real AQA exam questions on ATP, from its structure and ATP hydrolase and ATP synthase to coupled reactions and phosphorylation.
3.2 Cells
3.2.1.1 Eukaryotic cell structure · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on eukaryotic cell structure, from the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts to the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes and specialised cells.
3.2.1.2 Prokaryotic cells and viruses · 15 questions
Fifteen real AQA exam questions on prokaryotic cells and viruses, from murein cell walls, plasmids and capsules to capsids, attachment proteins and HIV.
3.2.1.3 Methods of studying cells · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on methods of studying cells, from optical, TEM and SEM microscopes and magnification calculations to cell fractionation and ultracentrifugation.
3.2.2 Cell division and the cell cycle · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on cell division, from the cell cycle and the stages of mitosis to cancer, binary fission and viral replication.
3.2.3 Transport across cell membranes · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on transport across cell membranes, from the fluid-mosaic model and diffusion to osmosis, active transport and co-transport in the ileum.
3.2.4 Cell recognition and the immune system · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on cell recognition and the immune system, from phagocytosis, T cells and B cells to vaccines, HIV, monoclonal antibodies and ELISA.
3.3 Exchange and transport
3.3.1 Surface area to volume ratio · 14 questions
Fourteen real AQA exam questions on surface area to volume ratio, from size, diffusion and body shape to metabolic rate and ratio calculations.
3.3.2 Gas exchange · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on gas exchange, from tracheoles, gill lamellae and leaves to alveoli, breathing and lung disease data.
3.3.3 Digestion and absorption · 17 questions
Seventeen real AQA exam questions on digestion and absorption, from amylase, peptidases and bile salts to micelles and co-transport in the ileum.
3.3.4.1 Haemoglobin and oxygen transport · 15 questions
Fifteen real AQA exam questions on haemoglobin and oxygen transport, from cooperative binding and the Bohr effect to fetal, seal, goat and crab dissociation curves.
3.3.4.1 The heart and circulation · 14 questions
Fourteen real AQA exam questions on the heart and circulation, from coronary arteries and the route from kidney to heart to valves, pressure graphs and cardiac output.
3.3.4.1 Blood vessels and tissue fluid · 14 questions
Fourteen real AQA exam questions on blood vessels and tissue fluid, from the aorta wall and arterioles to tissue fluid, lymph and cardiovascular disease risk data.
3.3.4.2 Mass transport in plants · 18 questions
Eighteen real AQA exam questions on mass transport in plants, from cohesion-tension in the xylem to mass flow in the phloem and tracer and ringing experiments.
3.4 Genetic information and variation
More 3.4 pages are on the way.
3.4.1 DNA, genes and chromosomes · 15 questions
Fifteen real AQA exam questions on DNA, genes and chromosomes, from histones and circular prokaryotic DNA to loci, the genetic code, exons and introns.
More practice
- All AQA A Level Biology quizzes
- AQA Paper 3 essay: all resources
- AQA A Level Biology past papers
- AQA A Level Biology masterclasses
Questions, mark schemes and examiners' report extracts © AQA.