How to plan and structure your essay (AQA A Level Biology): Revision Note

Planning your essay

• You should aim to spend

  • 5–10 minutes planning your essay

  • around 40 minutes writing your essay

• Aim to choose at least 4 different topics from across the specification that are relevant to the theme of the question

  • Including 5 topics is an even better way to show breadth of knowledge

• Your essay plan should allow you to organise your ideas clearly, but also be concise and quick to produce

• For example:

  • concept maps are visual diagrams with branches linking key ideas to the essay theme

    • E.g. a spider diagram or mind map places the essay title in the centre and branch out with topic headings, keywords, and examples

  • bullet-point lists can use subtitles from each of the chosen 4–5 topic areas, with 1–2 key points or examples under each title

  • a table can contain columns for topic title, key concepts and links to the title

Example: planning with a concept map

• A concept map plan could be produced as follows:

  1. read and understand the theme of the question

  2. consider the course as a whole and list all possible linked topics

  3. write the title of your essay in the centre of a blank space on your paper

  4. choose 4–6 topics from your list and add a branch to your central title for each topic

  5. add another set of branches to each topic to note specific examples and key ideas to include within your paragraphs

Writing your essay

Essay structure and content

• Aim to produce 4-5 well-developed paragraphs; one for each topic area in your essay

  • Ideally, choose topics from different parts of the course to demonstrate breadth of knowledge

• Each paragraph should:

  • introduce a relevant biological concept

  • provide a detailed explanation of the concept that uses accurate terminology

    • This must be at A level standard; GCSE-level content will receive less credit

    • Spelling doesn’t need to be perfect everywhere, but key terms must be clearly identifiable

  • link the concept clearly back to the essay theme

  • include specific examples

• You can ensure that each paragraph answers the question directly by:

  • referring to the title explicitly in the first sentence

  • using linking statements to explain why the concept that you’re describing is important in the overall context of the essay, e.g.:

    • “This demonstrates the importance of…”

    • “This contributes to the organism’s ability to…”

How to achieve top-band marks

• To reach the very top bands of the mark scheme you need to show:

  • accurate knowledge at A level standard

  • broad knowledge across the A level specification

  • knowledge beyond the specification

    • This shows the examiner that you’ve developed a deeper understanding of biology and made connections beyond the classroom

• Examples of materials that extend beyond the specification include:

  • case studies

    • E.g. how the structure of viral receptors influences hosts in SARS-CoV-2

  • named examples that are not explicitly mentioned in the spec

    • E.g. diseases, organisms, or enzymes

  • current developments in science

    • E.g. CRISPR-Cas9 when discussing gene expression or receptors

• Sources of content that extends beyond the specification include:

  • textbooks, e.g. in a 'did you know?' or a 'spec+' box

  • news articles about current scientific breakthroughs

  • science documentaries

  • science content creators on social media