AQA A-level Biology (7402)
Exam structure at a glance for AQA A-level Biology: every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus the facts and links you need.
- Board
- AQA
- Specification code
- 7402
- Level
- A level
- First teaching
- 2015
- First exams
- 2017
- Exam papers
- 3 · 6 h in total
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.
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Papers and weightings
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | What it is (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Topics 1-4 | 2 h | 91 | 35% | Topics 1-4 with practical skills: 76 marks of short and long answers plus a 15-mark extended response. |
| Paper 2: Topics 5-8 | 2 h | 91 | 35% | Topics 5-8 with practical skills: 76 marks of short and long answers plus a 15-mark comprehension question. |
| Paper 3: Topics 1-8 | 2 h | 78 | 30% | All topics: 38 marks structured questions incl. practical techniques, 15 marks critical analysis of experimental data, and one 25-mark essay from a choice of two. |
| Practical endorsement: Practical endorsement Endorsement | not stated | – | Reported separately | Teacher-assessed against the common practical assessment criteria; reported separately on the certificate as Pass, not part of the A-level grade. |
Times are exam lengths; weightings are shares of the whole qualification. Summaries are in our own words.
Good to know
- Number of required practicals: 12
- Required practicals: 12 required practical activities (spec section 7.2); at least 15% of marks assess practical skills; no separate practical assessment at AS.
- Maths skills: at least 10% of marks assess Level 2 (or higher) maths skills
- Practical endorsement: reported separately as Pass or Not Classified; it does not count towards the A level grade.
Not yet confirmed by us: AS qualification code not confirmed from an official page yet (left out).. Check the official documents.
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- First exam (GCSE and A level): Mon, 10 May 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- Special consideration deadline: Wed, 30 June 2027
A levels are linear: all exams are sat at the end of the two-year course. Source: JCQ key dates June 2027. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates and results day.
Specification, past papers and grade boundaries
- AQA: Specification at a glance (board website)
- AQA: Specification (PDF, board website)
- AQA: Past papers and mark schemes (board website)
- AQA: Grade boundaries (board website)
Facts checked against: aqa.org.uk, aqa.org.uk, aqa.org.uk.
More packs
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, codes) are taken from each awarding body's own specification and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers, mark schemes or booklets are reproduced. Exam details checked against the board's specification on 2026-10-20. Always check the current specification on the board's website.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Ofqual and DfE pages on GOV.UK). Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education, Ofqual, JCQ, AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas.
Questions teachers ask
How long are the AQA A-level Biology exams?
Paper 1: 2 h; Paper 2: 2 h; Paper 3: 2 h.