Cambridge (CIE) A Level Biology 9700 Grade Thresholds May/June 2022

In May/June 2022, an A* in Cambridge International A Level Biology (9700) needed 176 out of 260 (68%) for candidates taking all five papers in this series on the variant 2 papers (option AY: 12, 22, 33, 42, 52). An A needed 154 (59%) and an E needed 64 (25%). At AS Level (Papers 12, 22 and 33), an A needed 78 out of 130 (60%).

All numbers are taken from Cambridge's own grade threshold table for the series (linked at the bottom). Thresholds for each paper are raw marks. Thresholds for each option are out of the weighted total: 260 for the full A Level and 130 for AS Level. Your grade depends on your option, which is set by the paper variants you sat, so check the variant numbers on the front of your papers.

Grade thresholds for each paper, May/June 2022

Raw marks. Grade A* does not exist for an individual paper.

Paper (component)	Out of	A	B	C	D	E
Paper 1 Multiple Choice, variant 1 (11)	40	30	25	21	18	15
Paper 1 Multiple Choice, variant 2 (12)	40	27	23	19	16	13
Paper 1 Multiple Choice, variant 3 (13)	40	31	28	24	21	18
Paper 2 AS Structured Questions, variant 1 (21)	60	39	34	29	22	16
Paper 2 AS Structured Questions, variant 2 (22)	60	32	27	23	18	14
Paper 2 AS Structured Questions, variant 3 (23)	60	38	32	26	21	14
Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills, variant 1 (31)	40	33	30	25	21	17
Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills, variant 2 (32)	40	31	28	23	18	13
Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills, variant 3 (33)	40	25	22	18	14	11
Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills, variant 4 (34)	40	28	25	21	17	12
Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills, variant 5 (35)	40	32	29	26	23	21
Paper 4 A Level Structured Questions, variant 1 (41)	100	68	60	52	43	33
Paper 4 A Level Structured Questions, variant 2 (42)	100	58	49	40	31	21
Paper 4 A Level Structured Questions, variant 3 (43)	100	60	54	48	41	34
Paper 5 Planning, Analysis and Evaluation, variant 1 (51)	30	18	16	13	10	8
Paper 5 Planning, Analysis and Evaluation, variant 2 (52)	30	18	16	13	10	8
Paper 5 Planning, Analysis and Evaluation, variant 3 (53)	30	18	16	14	12	10
Component 50 (as listed by Cambridge)	75	54	45	36	27	18
Component 60 (as listed by Cambridge)	75	51	42	33	24	15

A Level options, all five papers in May/June 2022

Option	Papers (components)	Out of	A*	A	B	C	D	E
AW	12, 22, 33, 41, 52	260	185	164	143	120	98	76
AX	11, 21, 31, 41, 51	260	202	180	158	133	109	85
AY	12, 22, 33, 42, 52	260	176	154	132	109	86	64
AZ	13, 23, 35, 43, 53	260	190	171	152	132	112	92
HW	12, 22, 34, 41, 52	260	187	166	145	122	99	77
HX	11, 21, 32, 41, 51	260	200	178	156	131	106	82
HY	12, 22, 34, 42, 52	260	178	156	134	111	88	65

AS Level options, May/June 2022

Papers 1, 2 and 3; out of 130. There is no A* at AS Level.

Option	Papers (components)	Out of	A	B	C	D	E
S1	11, 21, 31	130	94	82	69	56	44
S2	11, 21, 32	130	92	80	67	54	41
S3	12, 22, 33	130	78	67	56	45	35
S4	12, 22, 34	130	80	69	58	47	36
S5	13, 23, 35	130	93	82	70	59	48

Other options (staged A Level and A Level only)

The rest of Cambridge's table, exactly as Cambridge lists it. Most of these are staged A Level options, which combine this series' Papers 4 and 5 with AS marks carried forward from an earlier series (the components numbered 75 and above), and A2-only options.

Option	Papers (components)	Out of	A*	A	B	C	D	E
BW1	41, 52, 85	260	195	174	153	129	106	83
BW2	41, 52, 88	260	193	172	151	128	105	82
BX1	41, 51, 84	260	195	173	151	126	101	77
BX2	41, 51, 87	260	196	174	152	127	102	77
BXJ	41, 51	130	98	84	70	57	44	32
BY1	42, 52, 85	260	186	164	142	118	94	71
BY2	42, 52, 88	260	184	162	140	116	93	70
BYJ	42, 52	130	89	74	59	46	33	20
BZ1	43, 53, 86	260	190	170	150	128	106	85
CP1	43, 53, 94	260	181	162	143	123	104	85
CQ1	41, 51, 95	260	194	172	150	126	103	80
CQ2	41, 51, 98	260	191	169	147	124	101	78
CQN	41, 51	130	98	84	70	57	44	32
CR1	42, 52, 96	260	181	156	131	109	87	66
CR2	42, 52, 99	260	180	156	132	110	88	67
CRN	42, 52	130	89	74	59	46	33	20
CX1	41, 51, 94	260	191	170	149	126	104	82
CY1	42, 52, 95	260	185	162	139	115	91	68
CY2	42, 52, 98	260	182	159	136	112	89	66
CYN	42, 52	130	89	74	59	46	33	20
P1	50	75	–	54	45	36	27	18
P2	50, 60	150	123	105	87	69	51	33
P3	60, 80	150	127	111	95	78	61	45

How to use these thresholds

1. Sit a May/June 2022 paper timed, then mark it strictly with its mark scheme.
2. Find your paper and variant in the first table to see roughly which grade your raw mark reached.
3. Read the examiners' report for every question where you dropped marks.

Thresholds move between series and between variants as papers get harder or easier. See how they compare across every series.

Practise with this series

• Cambridge (CIE) A Level Biology 9700 past papers and mark schemes
• May/June 2022 examiners' report (PDF)
• Cambridge 9700 grade thresholds for every series

Source: Cambridge International, Grade thresholds – June 2022, Biology (9700) (PDF). © Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

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