Biology A-Level Course

The Biology A-level Course will teach learners about the study of life: its organisms, its cells, its molecular basis, its history and the ecosystems that it inhabits. The course will examine animals, plants, bacteria and viruses and investigates how genetic information is encoded and passed on, and also explores the application of this knowledge in medicine, agriculture and industry.

Biology A-level provides learners with a solid foundation for further study at university or possible careers in health, science, and environmental fields. 

The course covers the Pearson Edexcel 9BN0 specification, and it includes 11 assignments and covers 19 core practicals.

The Biology A-Level Course prepares students for the Pearson Edexcel Biology A-Level (9BN0) Specification.

The Biology A-level is assessed by three written exam papers and an optional practical endorsement:

• Paper 1: The Natural Environment and Species Survival

This paper is 2 hours and is 100 marks in total (33.33% of the total A Level).

This paper will examine the following topics: Lifestyle, Health and Risk; Genes and Health; Voice of the Genome; Biodiversity and Natural Resources; On the Wild Side; and Immunity, Infection and Forensics.

• Paper 2: Energy, Exercise and Co-ordination

This paper is 2 hours and is 100 marks in total (33.33% of the total A Level).

This paper will examine the following topics: Lifestyle, Health and Risk; Genes and Health; Voice of the Genome; Biodiversity and Natural Resources; Run for your Life; and Grey Matter.

• Paper 3: General and Practical Applications in Biology

This paper is 2 hours and is 100 marks in total (33.33% of the total A Level).

This paper will include questions from multiple topics and a scientific article will be pre-released 8 weeks before the examination.

The exams are written, with no practical element, but throughout the exam you will be expected to use your understanding of practical theory which are gained through the 18 core practicals detailed within the course.

Science Practical Endorsement:

The Biology A-level specification also assesses practical skills through a practical endorsement. This assessment leads to a statement of "practical competency” which will be reported alongside the grade on the final A-level certificate. The grade will be listed as "Pass”.

The Biology A-Level has 10 assignments for learners to complete. The practical elements are assessed throughout the assignments, and the course materials include videos and advice on how to complete "at-home experiments" to develop their practical science skills.

All A-Level Courses are delivered through the NEC online learning platform which is available 24/7 and where you will find everything you need to complete your studies.

The Learning Platform Includes: 

• Your complete course materials covering the full syllabus
• Additional study resources
• Exam and assessment information
• Direct communication with your tutor
• Support from the Student Support Team
• Connect with other learners in the portal community

As this is an online course, you will need a computer operating system, internet access and a browser. Google Chrome is recommended, but the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge can be used. Some content will be in video format via YouTube, so a suitable internet connection is required, and you will be required to work with PDF documents during your course. If your browser does not support PDF display, you can use Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The course notes are all supplied in the course platform, and you can view example screenshots below:

There are no specific academic requirements for this course. It is recommended that the learner has previously completed GCSE or equivalent qualifications and may need prerequisite knowledge of the subject. Course materials are written in English, so a good level of written English is required. 

Please Note: The minimum age for applicants is 13 years old, and learners under 18 years old will require parental or guardian consent.

The below books are included as free ebooks with your course:

• Salters-Nuffield AS/A level Biology Student Book 1, University of York Science Education Group, Pearson Education, 2015
• Salters-Nuffield A level Biology Student Book 2, University of York Science Education Group, Pearson Education, 2015

You will receive support from the designated Student Services team and a course tutor through the online platform. 

Student Support Team: Your first point of contact. The team ensures every student is enrolled correctly, has access to their course materials, and can log in smoothly. They will also handle any technical queries.

Tutor Support Team: Manages all academic queries. Our subject tutors provide expert marking, feedback, and guidance, helping students stay on track and motivated.

Your allocated tutor will send a welcome message via the learning platform after you have enrolled on a course and will provide support, feedback, and mark assignments as you progress through your course. All tutors are subject-qualified experts with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and have been teaching in a school for a minimum of 3 years, and they are also required to have an enhanced DBS. Many are experienced teachers or trainers, and several serve as examiners for major awarding bodies.

You can contact the support teams through the secure messaging platform and you can also post messages in the course forum. There is no limit on how often you can contact support.

Please Note: If a learner requires live one-to-one support from a tutor, then this can be arranged at an additional charge.

Registered learners have course access and are supported on each course for 2 years from their enrolment.

Please Note: We recommend that learners aiming for the Summer 2026 exams are enroled on their course by 31 October 2025.

It may be possible to complete a course if you enrol after this date, or you are using the course as a resit guide, but we would only recommend doing this if you are confident that you have the time to complete the estimated study hours, have an understanding of the work required and have researched closing dates set by exam centres for exam entries.

All A-Level Examinations must be taken at an external examination centre registered with the appropriate Awarding Body on the set exam dates.

Finding Exam Centres:

All exams must be booked directly by the learner with an appropriate examination centre. The student support team can guarantee exam places at a partner exam centre, but they cannot guarantee which centres will be available or whether the location will be suitable for learners. If you have specific requirements regarding travel or distance from a centre, then it is recommended that you research and contact centres prior to enrolling on a course.

You can research and contact possible exam centres prior to enrolment by visiting the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) private candidates page, which provides a search facility for centres in the UK. You can also try Tutors & Exams who have 9 exam centres listed and pricing is displayed on their website.

Examination Dates and fees:

A-Level examinations are only available in the Summer examination window (May/June) and all examination fees need to be paid direct to your chosen centre. The cost of exams will vary depending on the Awarding Body and the exam centre's administration costs.

Each exam centre will set its own dates for when you need to have booked your exams, but the earlier you book, the better the chance you have of guaranteeing a place. We would recommend contacting centres as early as possible to arrange your exams and this can usually be done as early as September/October. Many exam centres will fill up and will have closed exam bookings by early February.

• AQA: A-Level and AS-Level Summer 2026 Exam Timetable
• Pearson Edexcel: A-Level and AS-Level Summer 2026 Exam Timetable
• OCR: A-Level and AS-Level Summer 2026 Exam Timetable

The course developer is a registered UCAS centre and can facilitate predicted grades, references and any personal statement support if required.

Each A-Level Course has a minimum number of assignments required to receive predicted grades, but on average 50% of the course assignments would need to be completed to be eligible, and information on applying to universities is included on the learning platform.

For standard university entries, learners will be expected to have completed the required assignments by mid-December. Some universities will have earlier applications, and assignments may need to be completed much earlier, e.g. Oxbridge would be 15 October.

The following services are available for registered learners:

• Official confirmation of predicted grades and a reference: £60.00

This service provides official confirmation of predicted grades for each subject and a reference. Your predicted grades and reference can be uploaded to your UCAS application either via a link (if you are applying as an individual), or via the dashboard if you are using the course developer as your UCAS centre, or they can be sent directly to another educational provider or external referee if required.

• Official confirmation of predicted grades: £20.00

The course developer can provide official confirmation of predicted grades in PDF format which can be sent to external referees or directly to universities/colleges.

• Personal statement review service: £45.00

A personal statement review is a chance for you to gain additional support by submitting a draft of your personal statement to one of the experienced tutors for feedback. You will be matched with one of the tutors who has a background in the area you want to study.