GCSE Biology: Exam Structure by Board
Your Teacher Information Pack for GCSE Biology: how the exams are built for each board, the key dates for summer 2027, and links to specifications, past papers and grade boundaries.
- Qualification
- GCSE (9 to 1)
- Years
- Year 10 and Year 11 (KS4)
- Boards covered
- AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR
- Entries 2026 (England)
- 169,915 (no. 9 by entries)
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Entries: Ofqual provisional entries, summer 2026 (rounded).
The national curriculum content behind this GCSE: KS4 Science programme of study.
Exam structure by board
Pick your board to see every paper with its length, marks and weighting, plus practicals, tiers and links.
AQA GCSE Biology (8461)
Tiers: Foundation and higher · first taught 2016 · 10 required practicals
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Topics 1-4: cell biology; organisation; infection and response; bioenergetics | 1 h 45 min | 100 | 50% |
| Paper 2: Topics 5-7: homeostasis and response; inheritance, variation and evolution; ecology | 1 h 45 min | 100 | 50% |
Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Biology (1BI0)
Tiers: Foundation and higher · first taught 2016 · 8 required practicals
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Topics 1-5 | 1 h 45 min | 100 | 50% |
| Paper 2: Topics 1, 6-9 | 1 h 45 min | 100 | 50% |
Full Pearson Edexcel pack · specification on the Pearson Edexcel website
OCR GCSE (9-1) Biology A (Gateway Science) (J247)
Tiers: Foundation and higher · first taught 2016 · 8 required practicals
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papers 1 / 3: Topics B1-B3 and B7 | 1 h 45 min | 90 | 50% |
| Papers 2 / 4: Topics B4-B6 and B7 (synoptic) | 1 h 45 min | 90 | 50% |
OCR GCSE (9-1) Biology B (Twenty First Century Science) (J257)
Tiers: Foundation and higher · first taught 2016
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papers 1 / 3: Breadth in biology | 1 h 45 min | 90 | 50% |
| Papers 2 / 4: Depth in biology | 1 h 45 min | 90 | 50% |
WJEC Eduqas: No GCSE biology page on the Eduqas qualifications list read 2026-10-20 (only AS/A level).
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- Entries deadline: Sun, 21 February 2027
- First exam: Mon, 10 May 2027
- Last GCSE exam: Fri, 18 June 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- GCSE results day: Thu, 19 August 2027 (from a provisional board timetable)
Sources: JCQ key dates June 2027 (final (JCQ key dates)); JCQ key dates and timetables; JCQ timetable commentary. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates. Last checked 2026-10-20.
Official documents
- Ofqual subject-level conditions and requirements (GOV.UK)
- Grade boundaries: AQA
- Grade boundaries: Pearson Edexcel
- Grade boundaries: OCR
- Grade boundaries: WJEC Eduqas
- JCQ access arrangements
More packs
Other GCSEs: GCSE Combined science, GCSE Mathematics, GCSE English language, GCSE English literature, GCSE History, GCSE Geography, GCSE Religious studies, GCSE Art and design, GCSE Chemistry, GCSE Physics. Find another TIP
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, tiers, codes) are taken from each exam board's own specification pages and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers or mark schemes 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 many papers are there in GCSE Biology?
AQA 8461: 2 exam papers; Pearson Edexcel 1BI0: 2 exam papers; OCR J247: 2 exam papers; OCR J257: 2 exam papers. Check the board's specification for options and routes.
Is GCSE Biology tiered?
Yes. Students are entered for foundation or higher tier.