This exam focus covers Exam Focus within Evolution for GCSE Biology. Theory of evolution, natural selection, and evidence for evolution It is section 11 of 13 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 11 of 13
Practice
26 questions
Recall
25 flashcards
Exam Focus
Very Frequently ExaminedEvolution by natural selection is one of the most commonly examined topics in AQA Biology Paper 2. These areas come up most often:
- 6-mark extended response: "Explain how a population of organisms could evolve over time through natural selection." Use the VISA structure — Variation, Inheritance, Selection, Accumulation — and write in full sentences.
- Antibiotic resistance (3-4 marks): The bacteria question is a near-annual fixture. Always start from variation (mutation), not from the antibiotic appearing. The antibiotic selects — it does not cause the mutation.
- Darwin vs Lamarck (2 marks): Be able to state both theories clearly and explain why Lamarck is wrong (acquired characteristics are not encoded in DNA and cannot be inherited).
- Evidence for evolution (2-3 marks): Name the type of evidence AND explain what it shows. "Fossils — show how organisms have changed over time" scores more than just "fossils."
- Command word "explain": Always link survival to reproduction and then to inheritance. "Survives more" alone scores 0 — you must say why surviving individuals pass on the allele.