Paper 1 (Biology)
Paper 1 (Biology)
- Cell Level Systems
- Organism Level Systems
- Scaling Up
- Practical skills (PAGs B1–B5)
1 hour 10 minutes60 marks16.7%
OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology, memorised fast.
Long notes are boring. Brain-hack the whole J250 specification with active recall and actually remember it.
- Spec J250
- 6 topics
- 51 subtopics
OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology J250
Cell Level Systems
Topic overviewMicroscopy, and sub-cellular structuresDNA structure: polymer, double helix and nucleotidesEnzyme action, and investigating enzymesCellular respiration as an exothermic processAerobic and anaerobic respiration comparedSynthesis and breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and lipidsPhotosynthesis: producers and the processPhotosynthesis as endothermic, and investigating itLimiting factors in photosynthesis
Community Level Systems
Genes, Inheritance and Selection
Topic overviewGenetic terms, and the genomeGenome, environment and mutationsHaploid, diploid and meiosisSingle gene inheritance and Punnett squaresSex determination and characteristics controlled by many genesVariation within a population, and classificationNatural selection and evolutionEvidence for evolution from fossils and antibiotic resistance
Global Challenges
Topic overviewField investigations, and human impact on ecosystemsMaintaining biodiversity, monitoring conservation and ecotourismSelective breeding and genetic engineeringHealth, disease, and types of diseaseInteractions between diseases, and how they spreadReducing the spread of disease, and named examplesWhite blood cells, antibodies and plateletsNon-specific defences and the immune systemVaccines, medicines and aseptic techniqueDeveloping new medicines, and non-communicable diseaseTreating cardiovascular disease, and lifestyle factorsCancer, and the use of stem cells in medicineGene technology in medicine, and the human genome
Organism Level Systems
Scaling Up
Topic overviewDiffusion, osmosis and active transportMitosis, the cell cycle and cell differentiationStem cells in animals and meristems in plantsSurface area to volume ratio and exchange surfacesThe circulatory system, the heart and blood vesselsRed blood cells and plasmaRoot hair cells, transpiration and translocationXylem and phloemFactors affecting water uptake, and the potometer
What OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology covers
OCR GCSE Combined Science A (Gateway Science, specification J250) is worth two GCSEs and is examined by six papers, two for each science, each 1 hour 10 minutes and 60 marks. The biology content is sat as Paper 1 (Biology) and Paper 2 (Biology), together a third of the qualification. This is the Foundation tier, which sits its own pair of papers and offers grades 5–5 to 1–1 of the double award.
OCR GCSE Combined Science A (Gateway Science) J250, version 5.0, May 2026. Read the OCR specification ↗
How it is assessed
Paper 2 (Biology)
Paper 2 (Biology)
- Community Level Systems
- Genes, Inheritance and Selection
- Global Challenges
- Practical skills (PAGs B1–B5)
- Assumes knowledge of the Paper 1 topics
1 hour 10 minutes60 marks16.7%
The full specification
6 topics, 51 subtopics. Open any topic to see what is inside it.
01Cell Level Systems9 subtopicsOpen topic
- Microscopy, and sub-cellular structures
- DNA structure: polymer, double helix and nucleotides
- Enzyme action, and investigating enzymes
- Cellular respiration as an exothermic process
- Aerobic and anaerobic respiration compared
- Synthesis and breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids
- Photosynthesis: producers and the process
- Photosynthesis as endothermic, and investigating it
- Limiting factors in photosynthesis
02Community Level Systems4 subtopicsOpen topic
03Genes, Inheritance and Selection8 subtopicsOpen topic
- Genetic terms, and the genome
- Genome, environment and mutations
- Haploid, diploid and meiosis
- Single gene inheritance and Punnett squares
- Sex determination and characteristics controlled by many genes
- Variation within a population, and classification
- Natural selection and evolution
- Evidence for evolution from fossils and antibiotic resistance
04Global Challenges13 subtopicsOpen topic
- Field investigations, and human impact on ecosystems
- Maintaining biodiversity, monitoring conservation and ecotourism
- Selective breeding and genetic engineering
- Health, disease, and types of disease
- Interactions between diseases, and how they spread
- Reducing the spread of disease, and named examples
- White blood cells, antibodies and platelets
- Non-specific defences and the immune system
- Vaccines, medicines and aseptic technique
- Developing new medicines, and non-communicable disease
- Treating cardiovascular disease, and lifestyle factors
- Cancer, and the use of stem cells in medicine
- Gene technology in medicine, and the human genome
05Organism Level Systems8 subtopicsOpen topic
06Scaling Up9 subtopicsOpen topic
- Diffusion, osmosis and active transport
- Mitosis, the cell cycle and cell differentiation
- Stem cells in animals and meristems in plants
- Surface area to volume ratio and exchange surfaces
- The circulatory system, the heart and blood vessels
- Red blood cells and plasma
- Root hair cells, transpiration and translocation
- Xylem and phloem
- Factors affecting water uptake, and the potometer
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
Give the word equation for photosynthesis, say where the plant obtains each reactant, and describe its two stages in order.
Key term
Explain how enzyme activity changes as pH leaves the optimum, why extra substrate eventually stops raising the rate, and why extra enzyme raises it.
Key term
Explain why a DNA molecule is compared to a twisted ladder, what holds its two strands together, and why that structure is stable.
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
Combined Science Biology revision questions
Common questions about revising OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology. Tap any to open it.
How do you memorise OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology?
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 6 Combined Science Biology topics and brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays memorised.
What is the fastest way to revise Combined Science Biology for OCR?
Skip the long notes and go straight to retrieval. Levo turns the J250 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 OCR GCSE Combined Science Biology (J250)?
There are 6 topics, split across 51 subtopics, from Cell Level Systems, Community Level Systems, Genes, Inheritance and Selection and more. Every topic is listed above, and each one opens to the subtopics inside it.
What do you get inside Levo for Combined Science Biology?
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 Combined Science Biology?
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 OCR Combined Science Biology specification?
Every topic on the J250 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 Combined Science Biology 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 Combined Science Biology, 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.
Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.