This free quiz has all 15 multiple choice questions from Section A of the OCR A Level Biology A Biological Diversity paper (H420/02), June 2022. It marks itself, so you get your score as soon as you finish.
What the multiple choice section covers
Enzyme action inside and outside cells, and immobilised enzymes (2.1.4, 6.2.1)
How animal and plant diseases are transmitted (4.1.1)
Types of pathogen and plant defences (4.1.1)
Interpreting Simpson's Index of Diversity (4.2.1)
Protein secondary structure, cellulose and glycogen (2.1.2)
The nitrogen cycle and gel electrophoresis (6.3.1, 6.1.3)
ATP structure and molecular evidence for evolutionary relationships (2.1.3, 4.2.2)
Competition and population size (6.3.2)
How to use it
Section A is worth 15 of the 100 marks in 2 hours 15 minutes, so aim to spend roughly 20 minutes on it. Several recall questions were answered correctly by only a third to a half of candidates, so precise specification knowledge matters, and watch for questions asking which option is not correct. Paper 2 tests modules 1, 2, 4 and 6, so expect Year 12 and Year 13 content side by side.
Where students lost marks on this paper (from the OCR examiners' report and mark scheme)
These points cover the whole paper, not just the multiple choice section. Each is followed by wording that gained marks.
'Name' needs a specific answer: Around half of candidates gave a general term such as 'prosthetic group' or 'iron' when asked to name the labelled part of haemoglobin.
✔ Gains credit: the specific name haem; general terms were ignored, so when the question gives context, use it to name the exact structure.
What RNA polymerase does: Many candidates thought RNA polymerase forms hydrogen bonds between mRNA and the template strand, and a few confused it with DNA polymerase or helicase.
✔ Gains credit: RNA polymerase joins RNA nucleotides together by forming phosphodiester bonds, building the sugar-phosphate backbone.
Anticodon, not codon: Many candidates gave the mRNA codon when the tRNA anticodon was asked for.
✔ Gains credit: working out the mutated mRNA codon first, then giving the complementary tRNA anticodon.
Why a log scale is used: Many gave the circular reason that growth is exponential, did not quote data, or could not convert log values back to real numbers before calculating.
✔ Gains credit: cell numbers range from very small to very large so would not fit on a linear scale, supported by two figures read from the graph; log values must be converted (log 6 is 1 000 000) before calculating a percentage change.
Bacteria do not have births: References to a bacterial 'birth rate' were not credited, and competition only gained credit when described as increasing.
✔ Gains credit: reproduction rate lower than death rate, build-up of waste products, shortage of nutrients or oxygen and increased intraspecific competition, supported by figures with units.
Evaluate the evidence itself: Most candidates only described falling wild animal populations as support for the claim; few questioned the limitations of the evidence or gave points against it.
✔ Gains credit: discussing aspects of the graph that support and do not support the claim and questioning the validity of the data, which was needed for the top level.
Link back to the calculation: Many recognised that recording all grasses as one species would lower D but did not explain which part of the calculation changes, or only discussed biodiversity in general.
✔ Gains credit: D is lower because the sum of (n/N) squared is larger when one combined group replaces several separate species, so a bigger number is subtracted from 1.
Keep practising
Try the multiple choice sections of the June 2022 AS paper and June 2022 Biological Processes paper, or practise by topic with the Genetics and Evolution, Biodiversity, Communicable Diseases, Cell Structure quizzes. You can also browse all our OCR A Level Biology quizzes. Our OCR A masterclasses (Year 12 on Wednesdays at 5.15pm, Year 13 on Tuesdays at 6.30pm) work through real exam questions on one topic each week.
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