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OxfordAQA · A Level

OxfordAQA A Level Biology

Biology for OxfordAQA A Level (syllabus 9610) — what the qualification covers, and the study material Marlbridge publishes for it.

Syllabus
9610
Board
OxfordAQA
Qualification
A Level

At a glance

Qualification
OxfordAQA A Level Biology
Spec code
9610
Does Marlbridge teach it?
Yes
Are resources available?
Yes — 6 published
Is enrolment open?
Enquire to join — no online enrolment yet
Where was this verified?
2026-08-18, official OxfordAQA specification

Compiled and maintained by the Marlbridge Academic Team, checked against the official OxfordAQA specification on 2026-08-18.

Spotted something wrong on this page? Report an error — see the corrections policy.

The qualification

OxfordAQA International AS and A-level Biology (9610)

Thanks to relevant, up-to-date and motivating content, this International AS and A-level Biology specification gives students an excellent springboard to higher level study, allowing them to demonstrate the skills required for university study of subjects such as Biology, Medicine or Dentistry. — OxfordAQA, official syllabus page

Five units carry students from diversity of living organisms and biological systems/disease at AS through to populations and genes, control, and a synoptic paper at A2. Students complete ten required practical activities, assessed through the written papers rather than a separate practical exam; AS units are cashable as a stand-alone AS award or carried forward at 20% each toward the full A-level, with unlimited resits. First teaching September 2016; first AS exams May/June 2017; first A-level exams May/June 2018.

Specifications change between examination series. Always confirm the current syllabus and assessment structure on the OxfordAQA syllabus page for your examination year.

Assessment structure

Modular qualification

Assessment components for OxfordAQA Biology 9610
Component Duration Marks Weighting Type
AS Paper 1: AS Paper 1 -- Unit 1: The Diversity of Living Organisms 1h 30m 75 20% Written exam
AS Paper 2: AS Paper 2 -- Unit 2: Biological Systems and Disease 1h 30m 75 20% Written exam
A-level Paper 1: A-level Paper 1 -- Unit 3: Populations and Genes 1h 30m 75 20% Written exam
A-level Paper 2: A-level Paper 2 -- Unit 4: Control 1h 30m 75 20% Written exam
A-level Paper 3: A-level Paper 3 -- Unit 5: Synoptic Paper 1h 30m 75 20% Written exam

Source: official OxfordAQA specification, verified 2026-08-28. Directly confirmed against the official live "Assessment" section: a modular qualification of five equally weighted papers (20% of A-level each). Students complete ten required practical activities, assessed through the written papers rather than a separate practical exam. AS units cashable as a standalone AS award or carried forward, unlimited resits, best result counts. First teaching September 2016; first AS exams May/June 2017; first A-level exams May/June 2018.

Assessment FAQs

How is OxfordAQA Biology (9610) assessed?

OxfordAQA Biology (9610) is assessed through: AS Paper 1 (AS Paper 1 -- Unit 1: The Diversity of Living Organisms) — 1h 30m, 75 marks, 20% of the qualification; AS Paper 2 (AS Paper 2 -- Unit 2: Biological Systems and Disease) — 1h 30m, 75 marks, 20% of the qualification; A-level Paper 1 (A-level Paper 1 -- Unit 3: Populations and Genes) — 1h 30m, 75 marks, 20% of the qualification; A-level Paper 2 (A-level Paper 2 -- Unit 4: Control) — 1h 30m, 75 marks, 20% of the qualification; A-level Paper 3 (A-level Paper 3 -- Unit 5: Synoptic Paper) — 1h 30m, 75 marks, 20% of the qualification. It is a modular qualification. Source: official OxfordAQA specification, verified 2026-08-28.

The subject

Biology teaching and study resources, organised by level and topic.

All Biology at Marlbridge

Syllabus topics

The 4 topics below are the official subject content of OxfordAQA International AS and A-level Biology (9610), for the Version 5.1, for International A-level exams May/June 2018 onwards examination series, reproduced from the OxfordAQA syllabus document.

A topic listed here is part of the syllabus. It does not mean Marlbridge has published material for it — topics with resources are marked. Marlbridge currently has resources for 2 of 4 topics.

AS Level

Topics 1–22. Studied in the first year, and assessed on the AS papers.

  1. AS 1 The diversity of living organisms

    3 Marlbridge resources

  2. AS 2 Biological systems and disease

    3 Marlbridge resources

    The causes of disease: pathogens, lifestyle and genes · Digestion and absorption · Cholera · HIV as an example of a human disease caused by a virus · The defensive functions of mammalian blood · The circulation of blood and the structure of the mammalian heart

A Level

Topics 23–37. Studied in addition to the AS content for the full A Level.

  1. A 3 Populations and genes

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

  2. A 4 Control

    Syllabus topic · no resource yet

Source: OxfordAQA -- official International AS and A-level Biology (9610) specification PDF, Version 5.1 — Version 5.1, for International A-level exams May/June 2018 onwards series. Verified 2026-08-19. Always check the current syllabus for your examination year.

Study resources

Revision material

Exam preparation

Biology at other qualifications

These are separate qualifications with different syllabuses and assessments — not different names for the same course. Check which one your school enters you for.

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