Biology emphasises on the underlying principles that are common to animals and plants. Students are expected to understand discoveries and innovations in biology.
But despite understanding and studying throughout the year, students often fail to score well. This is because most students lose confidence and feel nervous in the examination hall. Biology teacher Shahnawaz Ansari shares following tips to help students score well. Excerpts
Skill-wise weightage
Remembering: Knowledge-based simple questions. They include knowing specific facts, terms, concepts, principles, or theories, identify, define, or recite, information: 10%
Understanding: It means comprehension, that is, to be familiar with meaning and to understand concepts. It also means to learn to interpret, compare, contrast, explain, paraphrase information: 30%
Application: Use abstract information in concrete situation, to apply knowledge to new situations, use given content to interpret a situation, provide an example, or solve a problem: 30%
Evaluation & Analysis: Classify, compare, contrast, or differentiate between different pieces of information, organise and/or integrate unique pieces of information from a variety of sources: 17%
Creating: Appraise, judge, and/or justify the value or worth of a decision or outcome, or to predict outcomes based on values: 13%
Exam pattern
Question paper has 4 sections of total 70 marks
• Section A consists of 5 questions of 1 mark each
• Section B consists of 7 questions of 2 marks each
• Section C consists of 8 questions of 3 marks each
• Section D consists of value-based 3 questions of 5 marks each
Marks allotted to each unit/chapter
Unit no. Name of unit Weightage
Unit – I Reproduction 14 marks
Unit – II Genetics and evolution 18 marks
Unit – III Biology and its application 14 marks
Unit – IV Biotechnology and its application 10 marks
Unit – V Ecology and environment 14 marks
How to prepare?
• Take good notes in class
• Create your own study material
• Have a positive attitude towards subject
• Practice drawing labelled diagrams
• Learn concepts from general to specific
• Break down complex words into roots
Important topics
(i) Sexual reproduction in flowering plants
(ii) Reproduction in humans
(iii) Mendel’s laws of inheritance
(iv) DNA structure
(v) Recombinant DNA technology
(vi) Environmental issues
(vii) Biodiversity and its applications
(viii) Human diseases
Important questions
(i) What measures as an individual? Would you take to reduce environmental pollution?
(ii) What is gene therapy? Illustrate using example of adenosine de aminase (ADA) deficiency?
(iii) Mention any two autosomal genetic disorders with their symptoms
(iv) What is parturition? Which hormones are involved in its induction?
(v) Draw a well-labelled diagram of antibody molecule
How to attempt?
Stay calm before exam
• Read all questions carefully
• Answer the easiest ones first
• Review your answers thoroughly
• Manage your time
