Biology

Year 11 is the first GCSE year in Northern Ireland, where students take CCEA GCSE Biology as a separate science or biology content within Double Award Science. Early units cover cells, transport, enzymes, respiration, photosynthesis and the digestive system.

The demand rises sharply from Key Stage 3: students must explain mechanisms rather than describe them, and CCEA's prescribed practicals are assessed through both the practical skills component and data questions in the written papers.