Biology

Pearson Edexcel offers two A-Level Biology routes. Biology A (9BN0) is the Salters-Nuffield specification, which teaches the science through real contexts — a case study on cystic fibrosis, for instance, introduces membranes, proteins and genetics together. Biology B (9BI0) is a conventional topic-by-topic course. Schools choose deliberately between them, and the two are not interchangeable.

The Salters-Nuffield route suits students who retain material better when it is anchored to a scenario, but it demands more from those who prefer a linear structure, since concepts recur across contexts rather than being finished in one unit. Both routes include a core practical programme assessed in the written papers and a separately reported practical endorsement.