Oxford Cambridge and RSA GCSE (9–1) Biology A (Gateway Science) FJ247/01 Paper 1 - Foundation Tier - Sample Question Paper - Version 2.2

Sep 5, 2026

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Sample question paper for Oxford Cambridge and RSA GCSE (9–1) Biology A (Gateway Science) FJ247/01 Paper 1 in the Foundation Tier. The booklet provides candidate information and exam instructions, states total marks and time allowance, and outlines the assessment of answers including marks for each question and quality of extended response. Section A focuses on knowledge and short responses on topics such as cells, plants, hormones, DNA, enzymes, respiration, and photosynthesis. Section B includes structured questions using onion cell slides, microscopes, and calculation tasks related to magnification and cell size.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages44

Reading Time1 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Instructions

Section A

Short-answer questions (1-15)

Section B

Onion cell slides and microscopy questions (16)

* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 * Oxford Cambridge and RSA GCSE (9–1) Biology A (Gateway Science) FJ247/01 Paper 1 (Foundation Tier) Sample Question Paper Date – Morning/Afternoon Version 2.2 Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes You must use: • a scientific or graphical calculator • a ruler * 0 0 0 0 0 0 * | First name | | | | | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Last name | | | | | | | | | | | | | Centre number | | | | | | | Candidate number | | | | | INSTRUCTIONS • Use black ink. You may use an HB pencil for graphs and diagrams. • Complete the boxes above with your name, centre number and candidate number. • Answer all the questions. • Write your answer to each question in the space provided. • Additional paper may be used if required but you must clearly show your candidate number, centre number and question number(s) . • Do not write in the barcodes. INFORMATION • The total mark for this paper is 90 . • The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ] . • Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*) . • This document consists of 24 pages © OCR 2021 J247/01 [601/8589/2] D10018/2.2 Turn over SECTION A Answer all the questions. You should spend a maximum of 30 minutes on this section. 1 The pictures show four foxes. Which fox has the largest surface area : volume ratio? Your answer [1] 2 The diagram shows the brain. What is the name of part X? A Cerebellum B Cerebrum C Hypothalamus D Medulla Your answer [1] 3 The diagram shows the eye. What is the name of part X? A Cornea B Iris C Lens D Pupil Your answer [1] 4 A student uses a microscope. • The magnification on the eyepiece lens is ×10 . • The magnification on the objective lens is ×4 . What is the total magnification? A 2.5 B 6 C 14 D 40 Your answer [1] 5 What are proteins made of? A Amino acids B Fatty acids C Nucleotides D Sugars Your answer [1] 6 Which hormone is involved in controlling the menstrual cycle? A Auxin B Insulin C Progesterone D Testosterone Your answer [1] 7 What is the word equation for aerobic respiration? A Carbon dioxide + water ➞ glucose + oxygen B Glucose + carbon dioxide ➞ oxygen + water C Glucose + oxygen ➞ carbon dioxide + water D Oxygen + water ➞ glucose + carbondioxide Your answer [1] 8 What type of reactions are photosynthesis and respiration? | | photosynthesis | respiration | | --- | --- | --- | | A | endothermic | endothermic | | B | endothermic | exothermic | | C | exothermic | endothermic | | D | exothermic | exothermic | Your answer [1] 9 Which type of plant cell takes in water? A Guard cell B Phloem cell C Root hair cell D Xylem cell Your answer [1] 10 Which process takes water out of plant leaves into the air? A Osmosis B Photosynthesis C Translocation D Transpiration Your answer [1] 11 Plant shoots grow towards sunlight. Which term describes this behaviour? A Negative gravitropism B Negative phototropism C Positive gravitropism D Positive phototropism Your answer [1] 12 How many strands are there in a DNA molecule? A 1 B 2 C 3 D 4 Your answer [1] 13 In DNA, which base does A (adenine) pair with? A A B C C G D T Your answer [1] 14 Which substance gives a positive test with Benedict’s reagent? A Lipid B Protein C Starch D Sugar Your answer [1] 15 Which molecule is not a polymer? A DNA B Lipid C Protein D Starch Your answer [1] SECTION B Answer all the questions. 16 A student prepares onion cell slides to view under a microscope. (a) Put the stages in the correct order by writing the numbers 1 to 5 in the boxes. | | add a drop of iodine solution | | --- | --- | | | cut the onion into pieces | | | peel off a thin layer of onion tissue | | | put on a cover slip | |

FAQs

What is the duration and total marks for this GCSE Biology sample paper?

The paper allows 1 hour 45 minutes and has a total mark of 90.

Which topics are covered in Section A?

Section A covers short questions on areas including cell structures, plant processes, DNA and base pairing, proteins, hormones, and respiration and photosynthesis.

How does Section B assess practical understanding in this paper?

Section B includes steps for preparing onion cell slides, explains why iodine is used, interprets nucleus and chloroplast features, and requires a calculation based on the actual length and average cell size.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Quinn