INTERNATIONAL

GCSE
BIOLOGY
(9201/2) Paper 2
Report on the examination
June 2023

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INTERNATIONAL GCSE BIOLOGY (9201) Paper 2 Report on the examination

REPORT ON EXAMINATION: INTERNATIONAL GCSE BIOLOGY 9201/2

PAPER 2 JUNE 2023

General
This paper was a similar standard to papers in previous series. There were many straightforward
questions which allowed all students to achieve marks, as well as some challenging questions set at a
high level. A good range of marks was seen.

There appears to be a worrying trend for schools not to be giving priority to performing the required
practical activities. Doing these is a requirement of the qualificatiion, and carrying out practical work and
teachers discussing it with their students gives them a good advantage in the written papers.

Question 1 (low demand)

This question tested knowledge of the nervous system, reflex actions and a reaction time investigation.

1.1
Almost all students knew that receptor cells detect changes in the environment.

1.2
Despite the stem saying that age was being investigated about a quarter of students thought that this
was the control varaible rather than the computer used.

1.3
More than 9 out of 10 students calculated the mean value accurately.
1.4
Although almost all students identified the anomalous value, only half went on to say that it had been
incorrectly used to calculate the mean and so gain credit.

1.5
Two thirds of students gained the first mark for knowing that repeating and calculating a mean would
identify anomalies. However many less understood it was increasing repeatability and instead thought it
was increasing precision. Knowing the meaning of these words is part of the practical skills outlined in
the specification.

1.6
There were many ways to describe the extra reaction time of the person using the stopwatch and how
that might impact the accuracy of the measured reaction time of the person being tested. Nearly three
quarters of students gained this mark.

1.7
‘Rapid’ and ‘automatic’ were the most common correct answers. Many ways to express this were
acceptable, and ‘it protects the body from harm’ was also worth credit. ‘It protects from danger’ did not
score a mark as there is no aspect of avoidance of the situation in a reflex action, only a reaction to it.

1.8
Most students were able to identify both examples of a reflex action. If only one was correct it was most
commonly for removing a hand from a hot object.

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1.9
A muscle as an effector was more well known than a gland. One fifth of students gained 1 mark and a
further two thirds gained 2 marks.

Question 2 (low and standard demand)

The majority of this question was very straightforward and well answered. Part 2.5 was more stretching
and the top level for 5 or 6 marks was set at high demand.

2.1
It was very well known that the universal common ancestor was a simple organism. Three quarters of
students gained the mark.

2.2
Nine out of ten students knew that a species not able to respond to changes in the environment may
become extinct.

2.3
Using the age of animal remains data in the table was the way to find out which animal ancestor
Mesohippus evolved from. A half of students correctly concluded it was Hyracotherium (spelling
disregarded), but many went in the wrong direction timewise to choose Merychippus.

2.4
Comparative differences, and the correct direction, were needed for each point so just stating data from
the table did not gain credit. Two thirds of students gained 2 marks.

2.5
Students who made one or more simple obsevations from the information given in the text or table
gained marks in level 1. If some links were made between features seen in the table and the text, such
as small teeth not being adapted to eat the new food available of tough grass, a student gained 3 or 4
marks and if they could go on to relate this to competition, survival and reproduction or the passing on of
beneficial genes to offspring the students would gain 5 or 6 marks. The top level in this question was the
only part set at high demand. The question discriminated well with a third of students gaining 1 or 2
marks, one third gaining 3 or 4 marks and a tenth gaining 5 or 6 marks. All of the ideas given in the
indicative content section of the mark scheme were seen with about equal frequency.

2.6
Many students described habituation in which exposing the horse to noisy situations from an early age
would eventually result in it not reacting to noise and staying clam. This did gain mark point 1. Rewarding
the horse did need to be linked to it remaining calm for mark point 2. Not many students gained mark
point 3.

2.7
Clearly regional differences in the use of police horses influenced students’ replies to this question.
Aggressive tactics by the police did not gain credit unless linked to them being faster than on foot or
people moving out of the way quickly. And rioters attacking police only gained credit if linked to less
injuries. Most students did note marking point 1, either for referring to greater field of vision for the police
or to people being better able to see the police if they were needed.

A third of students gained at least 1 mark.

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2.8
Sniffer dogs was by far the most common correct response which is understandable as it is given as the
example in the specification. Dogs for the blind, guard dogs and animals trained to do tricks for
entertaining the public were also common. Horses trained for dressage or dogs for shows just gained the
mark, but donkeys or camels to carry loads and hens to produce eggs did not.

Question 3 (low, standard and high demand)

Neither plant reproduction nor ecology appear to be favourite topics so overall marks were low for this
question.

3.1
Three quarters of students undertood that gametes fuse or combine in sexual reproduction. As
fertilisation had not been mentioned in the question ‘fertilise’ was also accepted.

3.2
The plastic bag over flower B was noted by three quarters of students, many of whom went on the say
this would stop any other pollen entering.

3.3
Those students who did not understand the term ‘self-pollination’ referred to the plastic bag again in this
question. Nearly three quarters however noted that the male parts / anthers / pollen / male gametes had
been removed and so could not fertilise the flower.

3.4
Pyramids of biomass are well understood and nine out of ten students gained both marks.

3.5
Reducing the number of wasps so the farmer is less likely to be stung was a common incorrect answer.
The correct answer that the aphids would eat the wheat or reduce the crop yield was given by three
quarters of students.

3.6
Most gained the mark for knowing that genes are found on chromosomes or in the nucleus. DNA is not a
cell structure in a plant so did not gain the mark, but if seen in conjunction with the correct name it was
ignored.

3.7
Approximately half of students knew the gene was isolated using an enzyme. The correct term of
restriction enzyme was of course credited but any other named enzymes such as ligase and lipase were
not.

3.8
Students found this difficult and few linked it to pollution. The most common incorrect responses were
that it reduces the time or money spent by farmers applying pesticde, that it would only be needed once
instead of several times, that it would not poison the wheat or the soil like pesticides or simply that
pesticides are toxic. The third who did score a mark generally gained it for saying that no aphids or
insects would be killed. Killing humans did not gain this mark.

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3.9
Very vague answers were seen which were insufficient for credit. The most common were references to
‘bad for health’, ‘not ethical’, ‘people don’t trust it’ and even ‘people are uneducated’. The one quarter of
students who did gain the mark were usually awarded it for the unknown effects of consuming the GM
wheat, but some did refer to the possibility of the genes spreding to other plants and the disruption to
food chains or food webs if the aphid population declined.

Question 4 (standard and high demand)

Students needed a clear understanding of the equipment, techniques and method of the required
practical activity relating to an investigation into the effects of disinfectants and antibiotics on
uncontaminated cultures of microorganisms.

Not many students appeared to have done or understood this practical, possibly due to covid disruption,
and so they struggled to answer the questions set.

4.1
If a student had understood the rationale for the method to compare the two sanitisers it was easy to
gain all four marks and about a sixth of students did so. Many incorrectly thought that sanitiser was being
added to the plates and so missed MP2 where they said it was to put sanitiser on the plate or to get
bacteria on to the finger, and MP4 where they thought it was to give the sanitiser time to kill the bacteria.
Just over a tenth of students had no idea and so scored 0 marks.

4.2
The calculation was well done by the majority of students, although some lost 1 mark for a rounding
error.

4.3
This was arguably the least well answered question on the paper. Most students gave ideas for
protecting the student such as wearing disposable gloves and masks or even hazmat suits. Very few
understood the use of aseptic technique in relation to placing the discs on the plate. The first bullet point
of using forceps or tweezers to place the discs was the one seen most often. Many students had the
correct idea but incorrectly named the apparatus as tongs, clippers, crimps or just a tool. Bullet point 3
for just opening the lid a little bit for each disc, or for replacing the lid after each disc were sometimes
seen. A quarter of students gained 1 mark and a further tenth gained 2 or 3 marks.

4.4
The precise technique for measuring and calculating the clear zone was seldom seen. A third of students
did gain 2 marks for measuring the radius and using the equation for area of a circle = πr2.

4.5
Usually only 1 mark was gained by students who said that in the clear zone the sanitiser killed the
bacteria.
4.6
The first mark was gained by two thirds of students, usually for saying that the resistant bacteria
reproduced. Reference to competition was rarely seen. An alternative answer of ‘resistant bacteria
reproduce and pass on the gene for resistance’ was awarded 2 marks and some students did give this
response.

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Question 5 (standard, high and very high demand)

Students needed to link their knowledge and understanding to situations and data and give clear,
detailed explanations to gain many marks in this question. It discriminated well between students.

5.1
Although most students had the idea that this must relate to photosynthesis, not all gained marks. The
main reasons for this were to suppose it must be related to less oxygen being released (so we would all
suffocate), or to merely state that photosynthesis took in carbon dioxide and ‘turned it into oxygen’
without relating this to clearing of forests. However a third gained 2 marks and a further third gained 1
mark

5.2
Most students realised that less carbon dioxide released by biofuel was a benefit, but some also gained
the mark for noting that biofuel was renewable, sustainable or carbon neutral. Very few gave the
alternative of referring to global warming.

5.3
Students had no difficulty interpreting this fairly simple table but 9 in 10 restricted themselves to 1 mark
as they ignored the instruction to use data from the table. Comparative data was required. This could be
given as the result of a simple calculation such as 5 MJ less energy released, or as comparative words
or symbols such as 38 MJ ˂ 43 MJ.

5.4
Interpretation of this graph and extracting evidence from it proved extremely difficult for students. The
understanding that as carbon dioxide rose so did the change in air temperature was generally made for 1
mark, but this was often the only valid evidence given. Many attempted to explain that the fluctuations in
one graph was evidence against, but unfortunately almost half confused the 2 graphs and so could not
give proper evidence. To get into level 2 students needed to give accurate data from the graph to
support their claims. The data seen was rarely correct, and if particular points were correct they were
often not consistent with what the student wrote. Only just over a tenth of students entered level 2 to gain
3 or 4 marks.

5.5
Most students failed to make the link between the high air temperatures and the consequences of global
warming. Thus most answers related to the effects of heat on the human body causing headaches, heat
stroke, heart failure, dehydration, hyperthermia and death. Some students linked it to evaporation of
water and not enough left to drink, so all people would die of thirst.

Those students who did make the link generally gained the mark point for ice caps melting and sea
levels rising, or lack of food leading to starvation.

Only a quarter of students gained 2 or more marks.

Question 6 (standard, high and very high demand)

This was a question set to challenge the most able students and it succeded in achieving that.
Discrimination was high.

6.1
Two thirds of students gained all 3 marks for this calculation. Some more gained 2 marks but did not
round correctly to 2 significant figures.

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6.2
About a sixth of students gained 1 mark, usually for noting that the fertilsers used on the crops were
causing the increase in nitrate ions. Nitrate ions on crops was only credited for this mark if it was clear
that they had been added to the field, as many students just said nitrate ions from the plants / soil would
flow into the river. Nitrate ions are in the soil anyway. Some students talked about the crops at A using
up the nitrates so that was why it was lower at A than at B, and some blamed the farmhouse for adding
extra ions at B. Many just referred to the direction of water flow and indicated that it would naturally build
up the nitrate ion concentration as there was more water at B than A. The second mark for how the
nitrate ions got into the river from the fields was not seen often. Washing in, leaching in and even
seeping in were acceptable as were references to rain or ‘run-off’ from the fields. ‘Flowing in’ was not
sufficient as it gave no hint of the mechanism involved.

6.3
It was common to see just 1 mark for the knowledge that plants or algae would increase due to the
nitrates. A few students went on to say that this would block the light but did not make the link to lack of
photosynthesis so missed MP2. Also commonly seen was MP3 for the plants dying. Only the most able
tenth of students linked it further to respiration of decomposing bacteria depleting oxygen in the water
and killing the fish.

Many students had the misconceptions that nitrates were toxic to fish, that they caused acidity linked to
acid rain which killed the fish or that they reacted with oxygen and so used up the oxygen in the water.

6.4
About half of students were able to give that the crop would receive more light, water, minerals or space
if there were less weeds. Nutrients was too vague to score credit and oxygen was not acceptable. Very
few went on to link this to more photosynthesis or more glucose for greater crop plant growth and yield to
gain the second mark.

6.5
Solving this mathematical problem came easily to those students who had the understanding of what the
graph represented so that a mark of 5 was seen for a quarter of students. A result of 12 obtained by a
direct percentage comparison was seen quite often and did not gain any marks.

Some students gained a mark for determining that a 4% loss gave a 96% yield or 2 marks for working
out that this represented 1.5625 kg per m2. Alternatively using the graph to determine that 40 weeds
gave a 48% yield gave 1 mark. Nearly half of all students gained no marks.

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