AQA vs Edexcel vs OCR vs WJEC/Eduqas Biology

The Big Picture — A-Level Biology in 2026

A-Level Biology is the third most popular A-Level in the UK, with over 74,000 entries in 2024. Biology is consistently one of the most in-demand subjects for university admissions in medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, and the biomedical sciences.

The exam board your school or college has chosen affects far more than you might think. Only about 60% of content overlaps between specifications — and the exam structures, question styles, and assessment approaches differ dramatically. Understanding these differences is essential for effective revision.

This guide compares every board from the perspective of someone who has taught across AQA, WJEC, and Eduqas specifications over 18 years, and examined for both WJEC/Eduqas and Edexcel.

Paper Structure Comparison

This is the most important practical difference between boards — it determines what types of questions you will face and how your exam time is structured.

Unique Features That Set Each Board Apart

The AQA 25-Mark Essay — What You Need to Know

This is the single most distinctive feature across all exam boards. The essay appears in Paper 3, is worth 25 marks (over 30% of that paper), and students have approximately 45 minutes to write it. You choose one essay from two broad, synoptic titles.

Marking breaks down as 13 marks for knowledge and understanding (AO1) and 12 marks for application (AO2), assessed using a five-level mark scheme. Two marks are specifically available for content beyond the specification at A-Level standard or above.

AQA explicitly states that students who write about a single area in detail will not score highly — the essay demands drawing together concepts from at least four or five different areas of the specification. Typical titles include broad prompts like “The importance of cycles in biology” or “How the structure of proteins relates to their functions.”

The Edexcel Pre-Released Article

Both Edexcel A (Salters-Nuffield) and Edexcel B include a pre-released scientific article, issued approximately eight weeks before the Paper 3 exam. Students can study and annotate this article in advance. Exam questions then test their ability to apply biological knowledge to the context and data presented in the article.

This is both an opportunity and a trap. Well-prepared students use the advance notice to develop deep understanding of the article’s context. Less prepared students assume they can just memorise the article — but the questions require genuine biological application, not recall of the article itself.

WJEC/Eduqas Optional Topics

WJEC and Eduqas are the only boards offering genuine topic choice. Students study one of three optional units: Immunology and Disease, Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy, or Neurobiology and Behaviour. This allows students (or their teachers) to play to strengths or interests, and can be a significant advantage if the chosen topic aligns well with the student’s abilities.

Grade Boundaries (2023–2025)

Grade boundaries shift each year based on paper difficulty, so these numbers show the percentage of total marks needed — a more useful comparison than raw marks. Lower boundaries in a given year indicate a harder paper, not an easier course.

Overall, approximately 27% of A-Level Biology students achieve A* or A across all boards combined (2024 JCQ data). The A* rate alone is around 9–10%. The pass rate (A*–E) sits at approximately 96%.

Which Board Suits Your Strengths?

Since you cannot change your exam board (your school has already chosen it), this section is about understanding how to play to your strengths within your board’s exam structure.

What Students and Teachers Actually Say

Student forums — particularly The Student Room, where thousands of A-Level Biology students share their experiences — reveal consistent patterns in how each board is perceived.

AQA

Generally considered the most accessible in terms of content volume, but students frequently comment that the mark schemes are extremely specific. Losing marks for not using one precise word is a common frustration. AQA has the most revision resources available of any board, which students view as a significant practical advantage.

OCR A

Widely perceived as the most content-heavy specification. Students and tutors describe the sheer volume of material as challenging, particularly at A2. However, the exams themselves are seen as fairer and more predictable than some other boards. The inclusion of multiple choice is appreciated by some students as a way to pick up marks.

Edexcel A (Salters-Nuffield)

The context-based question style is the most divisive feature across all boards. Many students and experienced tutors describe the questions as unpredictable and confusingly worded. The content itself is not considered especially difficult, but the way it is examined catches students off guard. The pre-released article for Paper 3 can be either a lifeline or a trap depending on preparation.

WJEC / Eduqas

Less discussed on national forums due to smaller student numbers, but Welsh students generally find the specification well-structured. The optional topics are viewed positively — students who choose Immunology and Disease, for example, can focus their revision on a topic they find engaging. The practical assessment in WJEC (Unit 5, externally marked) is more substantial than other boards’ practical endorsements.

Why Your Tutor’s Board Knowledge Matters

Given that only around 60% of content overlaps between boards and question styles differ dramatically, a tutor with specific experience of your board is significantly more effective than a generic biology expert. This is especially true for AQA students who need essay technique coaching, Edexcel students who need practice with unfamiliar context-based application, and OCR students who need to master the sheer volume of content.

Most tutors on platforms like Tutorful, MyTutor, and Superprof list “A-Level Biology” as a subject without specifying which boards they have examined or taught. First Tutors and Spires follow a similar pattern. Even premium agencies like The Profs rarely filter by exam board. This means parents often have no way of knowing whether a tutor actually understands their child’s specific specification — and with 40% of content being board-unique, that gap matters.

Before booking any tutor, ask them directly: which exam boards have you taught? Have you ever examined for my child’s board? Can you walk me through how Paper 3 differs from Papers 1 and 2 on this specification? If they cannot answer confidently, they are unlikely to provide the board-specific support that makes the difference at A-Level.