9700 · Cambridge International AS Level
9700/31
Advanced Practical Skills 2
Biology · June 2023 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Cambridge Assessment International Education
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.4 / 5
140
270 min
Transport in plants
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
140
Duration
270 min
Session difficulty
3.4 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
Major mark reserves were concentrated in Transport in Plants (representing a significant weight due to P31 leaf histology and P21 water pathway questions) and Enzymes.
In Paper 21, the Bohr effect and the chloride shift in Transport in Mammals served as high-value, multi-mark descriptive questions where candidates who mastered sequential biochemical pathways scored heavily.
Conversely, significant marks were lost in basic molecular comparisons (e.g., glycogen vs.
cellulose) and diagrammatic representations of mitosis, where students frequently failed to draw the correct number of chromosomes during anaphase.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Knowledge with Understanding
Weight: 3100%Handling Information
Weight: 267%Experimental Skills
Weight: 133%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Cambridge Principal Examiner Report — component performance and international standards
Level A
Approx. 74% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 66% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 56% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 46% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 37% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.
Match the expected response style for “State” questions.
Show formula, substitution, and unit; method marks need visible working.
Name or point to the specific feature asked for — avoid extra explanation.
Match the expected response style for “Draw” questions.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.9
Min per mark: 1.3
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Transport in plants
30 marks this session
Enzymes
22 marks this session
Cell structure
16 marks this session
Transport in mammals
16 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Cell structure
Transport in plants
Cell structure (Biology (AS Level))
Cell membranes and transport
Cell membranes and transport (Biology (AS Level))
Enzymes
Transport in mammals
Biological molecules (Biology (AS Level))
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 11 (Multiple Choice):
Paper 21 (AS Level Structured Questions):
Paper 31 (Advanced Practical Skills 1):
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Transport in plants
30 marks this session
Practise in RevuiEnzymes
22 marks this session
Practise in RevuiCell structure
16 marks this session
Practise in RevuiTransport in mammals
16 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
Major mark reserves were concentrated in Transport in Plants (representing a significant weight due to P31 leaf histology and P21 water pathway questions) and Enzymes.
- 2Message
In Paper 21, the Bohr effect and the chloride shift in Transport in Mammals served as high-value, multi-mark descriptive questions where candidates who mastered sequential biochemical pathways scored heavily.
- 3Message
Conversely, significant marks were lost in basic molecular comparisons (e.g., glycogen vs.
- 4Message
cellulose) and diagrammatic representations of mitosis, where students frequently failed to draw the correct number of chromosomes during anaphase.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2023 2023
Biology
Major mark reserves were concentrated in Transport in Plants (representing a significant weight due to P31 leaf histology and P21 water pathway questions) and Enzymes. In Paper 21, the Bohr effect and the chloride shift in Transport in Mammals served as high-value, multi-mark des
Major mark reserves were concentrated in Transport in Plants (representing a significant weight due to P31 leaf histology and P21 water pathway questions) and Enzymes.
In Paper 21, the Bohr effect and the chloride shift in Transport in Mammals served as high-value, multi-mark descriptive questions where candidates who mastered sequential biochemical pathways scored heavily.
Conversely, significant marks were lost in basic molecular comparisons (e.g., glycogen vs.
- Total marks
- 140
- Duration
- 270 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.4 / 5
Session analysis
Major mark reserves were concentrated in Transport in Plants (representing a significant weight due to P31 leaf histology and P21 water pathway questions) and Enzymes. In Paper 21, the Bohr effect and the chloride shift in Transport in Mammals served as high-value, multi-mark descriptive questions where candidates who mastered sequential biochemical pathways scored heavily. Conversely, significant marks were lost in basic molecular comparisons (e.g., glycogen vs. cellulose) and diagrammatic representations of mitosis, where students frequently failed to draw the correct number of chromosomes during anaphase.
Updated Jun 12, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 11 (Multiple Choice):
Paper 21 (AS Level Structured Questions):
Paper 31 (Advanced Practical Skills 1):
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
75% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Structured
60·6·43%
Multiple Choice
40·40·29%
Practical
40·2·29%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 1 (Multiple C
0.53 m/minPaper 2 (Structured
0.80 m/minTotal marks
100
Total time
150 min
Avg pace
0.67
Cumulative marks ladder
The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Infectious Diseases
85%85%
Gas Exchange
80%80%
Mitotic Cell Cycle
75%75%
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Microscopic Scale Misjudgments: In Paper 11, over 80% of candidates incorrectly identified a 100 nm structure in a plant root micrograph as a ribosome. Students must remember that ribosomes are approximately 25 25 25 nm in diameter.
- Vague Membrane Terminology: Referring to the "cell membrane" instead of the "cell surface membrane" remains a persistent error that costs marks, particularly in transport or cell signalling contexts.
- Calculation Oversight: In magnification and actual-size questions, many students measured the scale bar or specimen in centimeters but forgot to apply the necessary factor of 10 10 10 to convert to millimeters before converting to micrometers. This resulted in answers being off by an entire order of magnitude.
- Chloride Shift Terminology: Candidates frequently omitted the word ion when discussing Cl− \text{Cl}^- Cl− or HCO3− \text{HCO}_3^- HCO3− transport, or referred to "chlorine" instead of "chloride", which is scientifically inaccurate.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 2h
- Total marks
- 40
- Weighting
- 23%
- Question types
- Practical Skills
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.