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AQA A-Level Biology flashcards: the required practicals

Every required practical, plus the practical skills examined across all of them: method marking points, key words and examiner traps, written by an AQA Biology specialist.

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Practical skills: variablesDefinition
Question
What are the three types of variable, and what does each mean?
Answer
Independent variable: the one thing you deliberately change.
Dependent variable: the thing you measure, which changes as a result.
Control variables: everything else you keep the same, so they cannot affect your results.
Tutor tip
Almost every practical question comes back to these three. If you can name them for any experiment described in an exam, you will pick up marks throughout the paper.
Practical skills: variablesApplication
Question
Why do control variables matter?
Answer
If a control variable is allowed to change, you cannot tell what caused the change in your results.
Any difference might be due to the variable you failed to control rather than your independent variable, so the experiment is not a fair test and no valid conclusion can be drawn.
Tutor tip
In the exam, saying 'to make it a fair test' alone is too vague. Say which variable is controlled and why it would otherwise affect the result.
Practical skills: variablesMarking points
Question
Give two ways temperature can be controlled. (2 marks)
Answer
  1. Check the water bath with a thermometer at regular intervals, topping up with hot or cold water whenever the temperature drifts
  2. Set up a thermostatically controlled water bath, which holds the temperature steady for you
Tutor tip
The thermostatically controlled water bath is the better answer, because it removes human error. Say both if the question asks for two.

What is inside

104 cards covering 18 topics, each written to the AQA mark scheme. Cards are tagged as definitions, marking points, applications or examiner traps, and the bold words are the exact key words that earn the marks.

  • Practical skills: variables
  • Practical skills: controls
  • Practical skills: reliability and accuracy
  • Practical skills: safety
  • Practical skills: graphs
  • Practical skills: evaluation
  • Required Practical 1
  • Required Practical 2
  • Required Practical 3
  • Required Practical 4
  • Required Practical 5
  • Required Practical 6
  • Required Practical 7
  • Required Practical 8
  • Required Practical 9
  • Required Practical 10
  • Required Practical 11
  • Required Practical 12

Who it is for

These flashcards are for AQA A-Level Biology students preparing for practical-based questions, which appear across all three papers including the Paper 3 synoptic questions. They cover the skills examiners test again and again, from controlling variables to reading a calibration curve.

How access works

The first three cards are free to read on this page. To unlock the full deck, buy it once for £7.99. This is a one-time payment, not a subscription.

Access is then permanent and works on any device you sign in on, using the same account as Phlo AI. Payment is handled securely by Stripe.

Frequently asked questions

Is this deck for the AQA specification?

Yes. It is written for AQA A-Level Biology (7402) and covers all 12 required practicals plus the practical skills assessed across them. It is not affiliated with AQA.

Does it cover all 12 required practicals?

Yes. It covers Required Practical 1 to 12, plus practical-skills topics: variables, controls, reliability and accuracy, safety, graphs and evaluation. There are 104 cards in total.

Do I get lifetime access?

Yes. It is a one-time payment, not a subscription. Once you buy the deck you keep access permanently on any device you sign in on.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. The viewer is built mobile-first, so you can flip, shuffle and filter cards on your phone, which is how most students revise.

Can I try it before I buy?

Yes. The first three cards are free to read on this page. Buy once to unlock all 104.

Will this help with Paper 3?

Yes. Practical skills and the required practicals are examined across all papers, including the Paper 3 synoptic and practical questions, and this deck targets exactly those marks.

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