Exam-style practice (harder): Biology multiple choice
14 harder, exam-style QCE Biology Units 3 and 4 multiple-choice questions: Simpson's diversity index, the Lincoln index, energy transfer, selection types, allele frequencies, test crosses, blood groups, epigenetics, gel results, succession, sampling and cladograms. Each is tagged with its question type and every distractor explained. Original practice questions.
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Why this set is harder than a recall quiz
The QCAA Biology external assessment's multiple-choice questions mostly give you data, a scenario or a diagram and ask you to calculate, interpret or apply. QCAA's 2024 subject report showed that questions on familiar content were answered well, while questions that needed an extra step of reasoning split students across several options.
These 14 questions are built the same way. They are original practice questions written by ExamExplained, not from any QCAA paper. Each explanation begins with a Type tag and explains why every wrong option is wrong.
Most QCE Biology calculations have one trap: counting individuals instead of alleles, using instead of , or forgetting migration. Write the formula before the numbers and label every value.
The question types
| Type | What it looks like | Typical trap |
|---|---|---|
| Calculation | SDI, Lincoln index, allele frequencies, growth rate | Genotype frequency instead of allele frequency; forgetting to subtract from 1; sign errors with migration |
| Data interpretation | Energy flow tables, selection data, gel bands, cladograms | Nutrients versus energy recycling; stabilising versus directional selection; "ancestor" species |
| Concept application | Test crosses, blood groups, epigenetics, transcription, succession | Applying 9 : 3 : 3 : 1 to every dihybrid cross; T in RNA; primary versus secondary succession |
| Experimental design | Choosing a sampling method | Quadrats placed by eye; methods for animals used on plants |
Question map
| Q | Type | Syllabus area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calculation | Unit 3: Simpson's diversity index |
| 2 | Calculation and experimental design | Unit 3: Lincoln index |
| 3 | Data interpretation | Unit 3: energy transfer |
| 4 | Data interpretation | Unit 4: types of natural selection |
| 5 | Calculation | Unit 4: allele frequencies |
| 6 | Concept application | Unit 4: dihybrid test cross |
| 7 | Concept application | Unit 4: multiple alleles (ABO) |
| 8 | Concept application | Unit 4: epigenetics |
| 9 | Concept application | Unit 4: transcription and translation |
| 10 | Data interpretation | Unit 4: DNA analysis |
| 11 | Calculation | Unit 3: population growth rate |
| 12 | Concept application | Unit 3: succession |
| 13 | Experimental design | Unit 3: sampling techniques |
| 14 | Data interpretation | Unit 4: cladograms |
Four habits QCAA rewards
- Show working. The 2024 marking guide gave a separate mark for "appropriate working" in calculation questions.
- Use the data. Marks were awarded for justifying inferences "using data", so quote numbers from the table.
- Use precise terms. The 2024 subject report asked teachers to make sure students use terms correctly, such as "allele" versus "gene".
- Read the cognitive verb and the marks. The report recommended "emphasising the importance of cueing factors such as the cognitive verb, the number of marks, key terms in the question and relevant stimulus".
Saying energy is "recycled" in an ecosystem. Nutrients are recycled by decomposers; energy flows one way and leaves as heat.
What to do next
- Practise short responses with Mark it yourself: QCE Biology, which shows how the QCAA marking guide awards each mark.
- Revise the content in the Unit 3 deep dive and the Unit 4 deep dive.
Sources & how we know this
- biology
- qce-biology
- multiple-choice
- external-assessment
- exam-technique
- practice-questions
- units-3-4