S1 E16 | AQA A-Level Past Paper Analysis: The Smart Way to Plan Revision Lessons
Struggling to know which AQA A-Level Biology topics to focus on for revision?
This episode walks you through the most commonly assessed topics from past papers and how to use this data to make strategic revision plans.
π Resources Mentioned:
- π Past Paper Analysis Spreadsheet β Email [email protected] to purchase
- π FREE: 10 Revision Starter & Plenary Ideas β https://www.missestruch.co.uk/freerevision
- πΊ Watch My Free CPD Session on YouTube βhttps://youtu.be/WeKlJkUh0Qo
- π’ Follow Me for More Teaching Tips: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpx_6j2QEND3DUUVRjSsURw
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π Podcast Show Notes β AQA A-Level Past Paper Analysis: The Smart Way to Plan Revision Lessons
Are your students revising effectively, or are they just guessing what to study? AQA past papers reveal clear trends in commonly assessed topics. While we canβt predict exact questions, we can use this data to help students prioritise key content and structure high-impact revision lessons.
In this episode of Miss Estruch Teach & Tell, Iβll share:
β The most frequently assessed topics for Paper 1, Paper 2, and Paper 3
β How to use this data to guide student revision
β Three strategies to integrate past paper trends into lessons π§ Listen now to help your students revise smarter, not harder!
Step 1: Most Commonly Assessed Topics
π Paper 1 (Topics 1-4)
Proteins (88%) β Enzymes, transport, and structure
Gas Exchange (88%) β Frequently tested with diffusion principles
Mass Transport (81%) β Key to circulatory and plant transport systems
Genetic Diversity & Adaptation (88%) β Evolution and variation questions
𧬠Paper 2 (Topics 5-8)
Nervous Coordination (88%) β Synapses, action potentials, and muscle contraction
Homeostasis (88%) β Blood glucose, osmoregulation, and temperature control
Inheritance (88%) β Genetic crosses, dihybrid inheritance, pedigree analysis
π¬ Paper 3 (All Topics)
DNA & Gene Technologies β Often tied to mutations and sequencing
Respiration & ATP β Energy transfer in metabolic reactions
Ecological Sampling & Data Interpretation β AQA loves a stats-based question!
Step 2: How to Use This Data
π 1. Make Students Aware Students should prioritise frequently tested topics, but still revise everything. Encourage them to track their revision frequency and avoid neglecting weaker areas.
π 2. Plan Dedicated Revision Lessons Focus structured sessions on high-yield topics. Use past paper questions Walk through mark schemes & model answers Address common student misconceptions
π 3. Use Retrieval Quizzes Interleave key topics into starters and plenaries to boost long-term retention. Linked recall β e.g., DNA & Gene Technologies Random recall β Quick-fire questions from any topic
Step 3: Save Time with Ready-Made Resources!
π Get my full Past Paper Analysis Spreadsheet β Want a detailed breakdown of topic trends? Email me at [email protected] to purchase.
Final Thoughts Exam prep isnβt about guessing what will come upβitβs about making revision efficient. By using past paper trends, we can guide students to revise effectively while keeping lessons
