OCR A Level Biology B (Advancing Biology) (H422)
Exam structure at a glance for OCR A Level Biology B (Advancing Biology): every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus the facts and links you need.
- Board
- OCR
- Specification code
- H422
- Level
- A level
- First teaching
- 2015
- First exams
- 2017
- Exam papers
- 3 · 6 h in total
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
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Papers and weightings
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | What it is (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component 01: Fundamentals of biology | 2 h 15 min | 110 | 41% | Written paper across the course. |
| Component 02: Scientific literacy in biology | 2 h 15 min | 100 | 37% | Written paper testing reading and use of scientific information. |
| Component 03: Practical skills in biology | 1 h 30 min | 60 | 22% | Written paper on practical skills. |
| Component 04: Practical Endorsement Endorsement | not stated | – | Reported separately | Teacher-assessed practical skills (at least 12 practical activities across PAG1-PAG12); reported separately as Pass/Not Classified. |
Times are exam lengths; weightings are shares of the whole qualification. Summaries are in our own words.
Good to know
- Status: OCR is withdrawing Biology B: final first teaching September 2026, final A level assessment June 2028, final AS June 2027 (no resit).
- Practical endorsement: reported separately as Pass or Not Classified; it does not count towards the A level grade.
- AS level: H022 (AS marks do not count towards the A level)
Not yet confirmed by us: Spec PDF could not be read by the fetcher (client error); calculator rule, pre-release and spec version not confirmed.. 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
- OCR: Specification at a glance (board website)
- OCR: Specification (PDF, board website)
- OCR: Past papers and mark schemes (board website)
- OCR: Grade boundaries (board website)
Facts checked against: ocr.org.uk, ocr.org.uk, ocr.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 OCR A Level Biology B (Advancing Biology) exams?
Component 01: 2 h 15 min; Component 02: 2 h 15 min; Component 03: 1 h 30 min.