Tasmanian Certificate of Education · TASC · 2026
TCE Biology Level 3 (BIO315124): complete 2026 guide to the TASC course and exam
Study hub for TASC Biology Level 3 (BIO315124) in Tasmania: the three course modules, the eight criteria, the three-hour external exam on criteria 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8, how the 13 ratings decide your award, and a map of every dot-point page to the part of the course it covers.
Biology Level 3 (BIO315124) is the Tasmanian Certificate of Education senior Biology course accredited by TASC (the Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification). TASC lists it as current for 2026. This page explains how the course is organised and assessed, and maps every dot-point page on this site to the part of the course it covers.
How the course is structured
The course has three 50-hour modules. Module 1 is taught alongside Modules 2 and 3, applying inquiry skills to their content.
| Module | Focus | Criteria focus |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1: Science inquiry skills and science as a human endeavour | Designing and conducting investigations; how biological knowledge develops and is used in society | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Module 2: Regulation of cells and systems | Enzymes, photosynthesis and respiration, DNA replication, protein synthesis and gene regulation, mutations, homeostasis | 1, 2, 5, 6 |
| Module 3: Continuity and change | Pathogens and immunity, cell division, genetics, evolution | 1, 2, 7, 8 |
The eight criteria
- Plan, work independently and collaboratively, solve problems and achieve goals (internal only)
- Analyse and communicate scientific data and information (internal only)
- Undertake biological inquiry to generate and evaluate data (internal and external)
- Analyse the role of biological contexts (internal only)
- Analyse the processes and mechanisms by which biological systems are regulated (internal and external)
- Analyse homeostatic concepts, processes and interrelationships (internal and external)
- Analyse concepts, processes and interrelationships as organisms respond to pathogens (internal and external)
- Analyse cell division, genetics and evolution to explain biological persistence and diversity (internal and external)
The external exam
| Section | Criterion | Content | Marks | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3: biological inquiry | Ethics, hypotheses, controlled experiments, evaluating methods, in contexts from the other criteria | 36 | 36 minutes |
| B | 5: regulation of cells | Enzymes, photosynthesis, respiration, DNA structure and replication, gene expression and the lac operon, mutations | 36 | 36 minutes |
| C | 6: homeostasis | Nerve impulses and hormones, homeostatic pathways, glucose regulation, thermoregulation, osmoregulation in animals and plants | 36 | 36 minutes |
| D | 7: pathogens | Pathogens and transmission, innate and adaptive immune responses, types of immunity | 36 | 36 minutes |
| E | 8: persistence and diversity | Reproduction, cell division, patterns of inheritance, pedigrees, mechanisms of evolution | 36 | 36 minutes |
The exam is three hours of writing plus 15 minutes of preparation time, with each section in its own booklet and all questions compulsory. You may use the TASC BIO315124 Biology Information Sheet and an approved calculator. Each section produces its own rating (A, B, C, t or z), so every section counts. For timing and technique, see the exam strategy guide; for revision by criterion, see the criteria 3 to 8 deep dive.
How the award is decided
| Award | Minimum ratings (of 13) | Of which from the exam |
|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Achievement (EA) | 10 A, 3 B | 3 A, 2 B |
| High Achievement (HA) | 5 A, 5 B, 3 C | 1 A, 3 B, 1 C |
| Commendable Achievement (CA) | 6 B, 6 C | 2 B, 3 C |
| Satisfactory Achievement (SA) | 11 C | 3 C |
| Preliminary Achievement (PA) | 6 C |
Dot-point pages mapped to the course
The site's folders are older than this course, so their names do not match the TASC modules. The table below shows where each part of BIO315124 lives.
Module 1: Science inquiry skills (criterion 3)
Module 2: Regulation of cells and systems (criterion 5)
- Enzymes
- Photosynthesis
- Cellular respiration
- DNA structure and replication
- Protein synthesis (DNA and gene expression)
- Gene regulation and the lac operon
- Mutations
- Enzymes that manipulate DNA and genome sequencing (biotechnology)
Module 2: Homeostasis (criterion 6)
- Homeostasis and negative feedback
- Nerve impulses and synaptic transmission
- Hormones and the endocrine system
- Thermoregulation
- Glucose regulation
- Osmoregulation and the nephron
- Transpiration and water transport in plants
- Water balance in arid environments
Module 3: Immunology (criterion 7)
- Pathogens and disease transmission
- The innate immune response
- The adaptive immune response
- Active and passive immunity, vaccination and herd immunity
Module 3: Cell division, genetics and evolution (criterion 8)
- Cell division: mitosis and meiosis
- Inheritance and variation
- Pedigree analysis
- Natural selection and adaptation
- Population genetics
- Speciation
| Site folder | Maps to |
|---|---|
| Science inquiry skills | Module 1 (criterion 3) |
| Cells, enzymes and energy (unit-2 folder) | Module 2 (criterion 5); some pages are Level 2 background |
| DNA, genetics and cell division (unit-3 folder) | Module 2 (criterion 5) and Module 3 (criterion 8) |
| Homeostasis | Module 2 (criterion 6) |
| Immunology | Module 3 (criterion 7) |
| Evolution (unit-4 folder) | Module 3 (criterion 8) |
| Biodiversity and ecosystems (unit-1 folder) | Not in BIO315124; Biology Level 2 background |
Pages that are not examined in Level 3
These pages cover Biology Level 2 (BIO215123) content or background that BIO315124 does not list. Each is marked with a note.
- Cells as the basis of life, classification and taxonomy, cycling of matter, ecosystem structure and abiotic factors, energy flow in ecosystems, measuring biodiversity, population dynamics and sampling, relationships between organisms
- Surface area to volume ratio, cell organelles, cell membrane and transport
- Evidence for evolution
Where to find the official documents
The course document, external assessment specifications, information sheet, exemplar exam, and past exam papers and assessment reports from 2024 onwards are on the TASC Biology course page. Every page on this hub was written by ExamExplained and is independent of TASC.
Guides
In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.
See all →TCE Biology (BIO315124) deep dive: criteria 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 for the 2026 examRevision deep dive for the five externally assessed criteria of TASC Biology BIO315124: inquiry skills, regulation of cells (enzymes, photosynthesis, respiration, DNA, protein synthesis, mutations), homeostasis, pathogens and immunity, and cell division, genetics and evolution, with worked examples and links to the matching dot points.20 min readTCE Biology (BIO315124) exam strategy: the 2026 guideHow the 2026 TASC Biology exam (BIO315124) works: a three-hour paper assessing criteria 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8, organised in five equal sections of about 36 minutes, how the external ratings feed your award, what each criterion covers, worked answers, common mistakes and a plan to 16 November.13 min read
Practice quizzes
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Common questions
What is TCE Biology Level 3?
Biology Level 3 (course code BIO315124) is the TASC-accredited senior Biology course in Tasmania, worth 15 TCE credit points. TASC lists it as current for 2026. It has three 50-hour modules: Science inquiry skills and science as a human endeavour; Regulation of cells and systems; and Continuity and change. It replaced the earlier Biology course BIO315116, which expired at the end of 2023.
How is the BIO315124 external exam structured?
It is a three-hour written exam with an extra 15 minutes of preparation time. It has five sections, one per externally assessed criterion, each in its own booklet: A (criterion 3, inquiry), B (criterion 5, regulation of cells), C (criterion 6, homeostasis), D (criterion 7, pathogens and immunity) and E (criterion 8, cell division, genetics and evolution). Each section has four to six compulsory questions worth 36 marks, planned for about 36 minutes. You can use the TASC Biology Information Sheet and an approved calculator.
How is my final award decided?
TASC decides the award from 13 ratings: 8 from internal assessment (one for each criterion) and 5 from the external exam (criteria 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8). For example, Exceptional Achievement needs 10 A and 3 B ratings, including 3 A and 2 B ratings from the exam; Satisfactory Achievement needs 11 C ratings, including 3 C ratings from the exam.
Which criteria are only assessed by my school?
Criterion 1 (plan, work independently and collaboratively, solve problems and achieve goals), criterion 2 (analyse and communicate scientific data and information) and criterion 4 (analyse the role of biological contexts, which covers science as a human endeavour) are assessed internally only. Criteria 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are assessed both internally and in the exam.
Why do some pages on this hub say they are not examined?
The site's earlier TCE Biology notes followed a four-unit structure that included ecology, classification, cell structure and membrane transport. Those topics belong to TASC's Biology Level 2 course (BIO215123), not Level 3. The pages are kept so old links work, but each one is marked as not examined in the Level 3 exam and links to the nearest Level 3 page.
What's the difference between mitosis and meiosis?
Mitosis produces two identical diploid cells (for growth and repair). Meiosis produces four genetically distinct haploid cells (for sexual reproduction).
How does protein synthesis work?
Transcription (DNA → mRNA in the nucleus) then translation (mRNA → polypeptide at the ribosome). tRNA brings amino acids that the ribosome links into the protein sequence the mRNA codes for.
What's homeostasis?
The maintenance of a stable internal environment (temperature, blood glucose, pH) despite external change — usually via negative feedback loops involving receptors, control centres, and effectors.
How does evolution by natural selection work?
Variation exists in a population → some variants survive and reproduce better in a given environment → those traits become more common over generations. Requires heritable variation, differential reproductive success, and time.
What's the difference between an antibody and an antigen?
Antigen: a molecule (often on a pathogen) that triggers an immune response. Antibody: a Y-shaped protein the immune system makes to bind specifically to that antigen.
Sources & how we know this
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