Paper 1
Advanced Biochemistry, Microbiology and Genetics
- Draws on topics 1 to 7
- Questions are broken into parts and include extended response
- Assesses knowledge, application and the handling of experimental data
1 hour 45 minutes90 marks30%
Edexcel A-Level Biology B, memorised fast.
Long notes are boring. Brain-hack the whole 9BI0 specification with active recall and actually remember it.
- Spec 9BI0
- 10 topics
- 138 subtopics
Edexcel A-Level Biology B 9BI0
Biological Molecules
Topic overviewMonosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharidesGlycosidic bonds and condensation reactionsStarch, glycogen and cellulose structureTriglycerides and phospholipidsSaturated and unsaturated fats and lipid propertiesAmino acid structure and the peptide bondPrimary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structureFibrous and globular proteinsThe structure of DNADNA replication and gene mutationsThe structure of RNATranscription and translationEnzymes as globular proteinsFactors affecting enzyme activityMeasuring the rate of enzyme activityUnits, uncertainty and experimental errorEnzyme inhibitionInorganic ionsThe properties of water
Cells, Viruses and Reproduction of Living Things
Topic overviewCell theory and eukaryotic cell structureProkaryotic cells and Gram stainingMicroscopy, magnification and resolutionSignificant figures, estimates and mathematical symbolsVirus structure and classificationThe lytic cycle and latencyTreating viral disease and the ethics of untested drugsThe cell cycle and its regulationMitosis and the behaviour of chromosomesMitosis in growth, repair and root tip squashesMeiosis, genetic variation and chromosome mutationsGametogenesis in mammalsFertilisation and early embryo developmentPollen and embryo sac formationDouble fertilisation in flowering plantsInvestigating pollen tube growth
Classification and Biodiversity
Exchange and Transport
Topic overviewSurface area to volume ratioThe fluid mosaic modelDiffusion, osmosis and facilitated diffusionActive transport, endocytosis and exocytosisGas exchange in insects, fish and mammalsDissecting the insect gas exchange systemGas exchange in flowering plantsThe structure of the heart and blood vesselsThe double circulatory systemThe cardiac cycleMyogenic stimulation and ECG tracesThe composition of bloodThe functions of blood and clottingAtherosclerosis and its risk factorsHaemoglobin and the Bohr effectOxygen dissociation curvesFormation of tissue fluidThe lymphatic systemXylem and phloem structureApoplastic and symplastic pathwaysThe cohesion-tension theoryMeasuring transpiration with a potometerTranslocation and the mass flow hypothesis
Energy for Biological Processes
Topic overviewAn overview of aerobic respirationGlycolysisThe link reaction and the Krebs cycleThe electron transport chainChemiosmosis and ATP yieldAnaerobic respiration and ATP yieldMeasuring respiration with a respirometerAbsorption and action spectraPhotosynthetic pigments and chromatographyChloroplast structure and the light-dependent stageThe Calvin cycleLimiting factors in photosynthesis
Microbiology and Pathogens
Topic overviewCulturing microorganisms and aseptic techniqueMeasuring bacterial growthThe bacterial growth curveBacteria as pathogensThe action of antibioticsAntibiotic resistanceOther pathogenic agentsControlling endemic diseasePhagocytosis and the humoral responseThe cell-mediated immune responseMemory cells and the secondary responseNatural and artificial immunityVaccination and herd immunity
Modern Genetics
Origins of Genetic Variation
Topic overviewMutation, meiosis and random fertilisationGenotype, phenotype and monohybrid inheritanceDihybrid crosses and pedigree diagramsAutosomal linkage and sex linkageThe chi-squared test in geneticsSelection pressures and allele frequencyGenetic drift and the founder effectThe Hardy-Weinberg equation
Control Systems
Topic overviewHomeostasis and negative feedbackChemical control in mammalsPlant growth substancesAuxins, cytokinins and apical dominancePhytochrome and photomorphogenesisThe organisation of the nervous systemBrain regions and divisions of the peripheral nervous systemThe autonomic nervous systemResting potential and the action potentialPropagation and saltatory conductionSynaptic transmissionEffects of drugs on the nervous systemThe structure of the retina and rhodopsinRods, cones and visual acuityControl of heart rateKidney structure and ultrafiltrationSelective reabsorption and the loop of HenleADH and osmoregulationThermoregulation in endotherms
Ecosystems
Topic overviewEcosystems, habitats and nichesPyramids of numbers, biomass and energyEcological techniques for measuring distributionChoosing the right ecological techniquePresenting data in tables and graphsStatistical tests in ecologyProductivity and energy transfer efficiencyDecomposers and nutrient cyclingSuccessionBiotic and abiotic factors in population changeHuman influences on ecosystemsSustainability, resource management and peer review
What Edexcel A-Level Biology B covers
Edexcel A-Level Biology B (specification 9BI0) is the concept-led route, taught as ten topics with no optional content. Paper 1 examines topics 1 to 7, Paper 2 topics 1 to 4 and 8 to 10, and Paper 3 draws on all ten, with synoptic questions that span two or more. The first four topics are examined on every paper, so they carry the most weight of anything on the course.
Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Biology B, specification 9BI0. Read the Pearson Edexcel specification ↗
How it is assessed
Paper 2
Advanced Physiology, Evolution and Ecology
- Draws on topics 1 to 4 and topics 8 to 10
- Questions are broken into parts and include extended response
- Assesses knowledge, application and the handling of experimental data
1 hour 45 minutes90 marks30%
Paper 3
General and Practical Principles in Biology
- Draws on all ten topics and includes synoptic questions spanning two or more
- Carries the heaviest weighting of the three papers
- Carries the largest share of the analysis and evaluation marks, and targets understanding of experimental methods
2 hours 30 minutes120 marks40%
9BI0/04
Science Practical Endorsement
- Teacher assessed against the common practical assessment criteria across at least 12 practical activities, and monitored by Pearson
- Reported separately as a pass, and does not contribute to the A-level grade
Completed during the courseReported separately—
The full specification
10 topics, 138 subtopics. Open any topic to see what is inside it.
01Biological Molecules19 subtopicsOpen topic
- Monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides
- Glycosidic bonds and condensation reactions
- Starch, glycogen and cellulose structure
- Triglycerides and phospholipids
- Saturated and unsaturated fats and lipid properties
- Amino acid structure and the peptide bond
- Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure
- Fibrous and globular proteins
- The structure of DNA
- DNA replication and gene mutations
- The structure of RNA
- Transcription and translation
- Enzymes as globular proteins
- Factors affecting enzyme activity
- Measuring the rate of enzyme activity
- Units, uncertainty and experimental error
- Enzyme inhibition
- Inorganic ions
- The properties of water
02Cells, Viruses and Reproduction of Living Things16 subtopicsOpen topic
- Cell theory and eukaryotic cell structure
- Prokaryotic cells and Gram staining
- Microscopy, magnification and resolution
- Significant figures, estimates and mathematical symbols
- Virus structure and classification
- The lytic cycle and latency
- Treating viral disease and the ethics of untested drugs
- The cell cycle and its regulation
- Mitosis and the behaviour of chromosomes
- Mitosis in growth, repair and root tip squashes
- Meiosis, genetic variation and chromosome mutations
- Gametogenesis in mammals
- Fertilisation and early embryo development
- Pollen and embryo sac formation
- Double fertilisation in flowering plants
- Investigating pollen tube growth
03Classification and Biodiversity8 subtopicsOpen topic
04Exchange and Transport23 subtopicsOpen topic
- Surface area to volume ratio
- The fluid mosaic model
- Diffusion, osmosis and facilitated diffusion
- Active transport, endocytosis and exocytosis
- Gas exchange in insects, fish and mammals
- Dissecting the insect gas exchange system
- Gas exchange in flowering plants
- The structure of the heart and blood vessels
- The double circulatory system
- The cardiac cycle
- Myogenic stimulation and ECG traces
- The composition of blood
- The functions of blood and clotting
- Atherosclerosis and its risk factors
- Haemoglobin and the Bohr effect
- Oxygen dissociation curves
- Formation of tissue fluid
- The lymphatic system
- Xylem and phloem structure
- Apoplastic and symplastic pathways
- The cohesion-tension theory
- Measuring transpiration with a potometer
- Translocation and the mass flow hypothesis
05Energy for Biological Processes12 subtopicsOpen topic
- An overview of aerobic respiration
- Glycolysis
- The link reaction and the Krebs cycle
- The electron transport chain
- Chemiosmosis and ATP yield
- Anaerobic respiration and ATP yield
- Measuring respiration with a respirometer
- Absorption and action spectra
- Photosynthetic pigments and chromatography
- Chloroplast structure and the light-dependent stage
- The Calvin cycle
- Limiting factors in photosynthesis
06Microbiology and Pathogens13 subtopicsOpen topic
- Culturing microorganisms and aseptic technique
- Measuring bacterial growth
- The bacterial growth curve
- Bacteria as pathogens
- The action of antibiotics
- Antibiotic resistance
- Other pathogenic agents
- Controlling endemic disease
- Phagocytosis and the humoral response
- The cell-mediated immune response
- Memory cells and the secondary response
- Natural and artificial immunity
- Vaccination and herd immunity
07Modern Genetics8 subtopicsOpen topic
08Origins of Genetic Variation8 subtopicsOpen topic
09Control Systems19 subtopicsOpen topic
- Homeostasis and negative feedback
- Chemical control in mammals
- Plant growth substances
- Auxins, cytokinins and apical dominance
- Phytochrome and photomorphogenesis
- The organisation of the nervous system
- Brain regions and divisions of the peripheral nervous system
- The autonomic nervous system
- Resting potential and the action potential
- Propagation and saltatory conduction
- Synaptic transmission
- Effects of drugs on the nervous system
- The structure of the retina and rhodopsin
- Rods, cones and visual acuity
- Control of heart rate
- Kidney structure and ultrafiltration
- Selective reabsorption and the loop of Henle
- ADH and osmoregulation
- Thermoregulation in endotherms
10Ecosystems12 subtopicsOpen topic
- Ecosystems, habitats and niches
- Pyramids of numbers, biomass and energy
- Ecological techniques for measuring distribution
- Choosing the right ecological technique
- Presenting data in tables and graphs
- Statistical tests in ecology
- Productivity and energy transfer efficiency
- Decomposers and nutrient cycling
- Succession
- Biotic and abiotic factors in population change
- Human influences on ecosystems
- Sustainability, resource management and peer review
How you work through it
Pick the mode that fits the time you have.
Try three questions
No account needed. Answer from memory first.
Your recallNot started
Process
Why does the branched structure of amylopectin allow rapid energy release?
Key term
Why do unsaturated lipids tend to be liquid at room temperature?
Key term
What chains and prosthetic groups make up a haemoglobin molecule, and how many oxygen molecules can it bind?
Spaced Repetition Schedule
How reviews are timed
Levo will automatically distribute all of your progress into a spaced repetition calendar. Once you’ve answered, it’s scheduled for you on the next day in the spaced repetition schedule. Over time, the gaps between your recall get bigger, from a day to three years, reinforcing memorisation over a long period of time.
Interval sequence
- 1 day
- 3 days
- 7 days
- 14 days
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 4 months
- 8 months
- 1 year
- 2 years
- 3 years
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material
Biology B revision questions
Common questions about revising Edexcel A-Level Biology B. Tap any to open it.
How do you memorise Edexcel A-Level Biology B?
By testing yourself, not rereading. Active recall, pulling each answer from memory then checking it, builds far stronger memory than highlighting notes. Levo runs the method for you across all 10 Biology B topics and brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays memorised.
What is the fastest way to revise Biology B for Edexcel?
Skip the long notes and go straight to retrieval. Levo turns the 9BI0 specification into short questions you drill with rapid recall, cram whole papers in one sitting, and a readiness score tells you exactly what is left to learn.
What topics are on Edexcel A-Level Biology B (9BI0)?
There are 10 topics, split across 138 subtopics, from Biological Molecules, Cells, Viruses and Reproduction of Living Things, Classification and Biodiversity and more. Every topic is listed above, and each one opens to the subtopics inside it.
What do you get inside Levo for Biology B?
Six ways to work the same material. The 3-step method for learning a set, Cram for sorting a whole paper into what you know and what you do not, Blank Blitz for making key facts automatic, Build It for assembling full-mark answers, Test It for catching misconceptions, and Brain Breaks between sessions. A readiness score tracks how much of the subject you have memorised.
Is active recall better than rereading your notes for Biology B?
Consistently, yes. Rereading feels productive but fades quickly. Retrieving an answer from memory, the way Levo tests you, is what actually forms durable memory, and it shows you honestly what you do and do not know.
Does Levo cover the whole Edexcel Biology B specification?
Every topic on the 9BI0 specification is covered, written from the published subject content. The full list is above, and each topic opens to its subtopics so you can see exactly what is there before you subscribe.
How can you encourage your teenager to revise?
Make it short, structured and low-pressure. Levo gives a clear daily plan, quick sessions rather than marathon ones, streaks that reward showing up, and an honest readiness score, so revision feels like progress instead of a chore. Parents can add an account and follow along.
Can you revise Biology B the night before an exam?
Yes. Cram mode is built for exactly that: fly through a whole paper, sort every topic into red, amber and green, then drill just the reds and ambers you do not know yet. It is the honest version of a last-minute session.
Every question in Biology B, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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