IGCSE Biology Lab Report Rubric – Uplands Biology Department.
Research Question
Defining the problem
Write a clear, detailed and appropriate
research question (along the lines
of ‘How does X affect Y ?’) mentioning
all relevant variables.
Example
‘How does the amount of carbon dioxide supplied to
Elodea (pondweed) affect the rate of
photosynthesis?’
1 mark
You have written an
unclear/unfocussed research question
OR have missed some important
variables or included some irrelevant
ones.
‘How does carbon dioxide affect photosynthesis?’
0 marks
You have not written a research
question AND have not mentioned
any/enough relevant variables.
‘Photosynthesis experiment’
2 marks
Hypothesis
Defining the problem
You have written a hypothesis that identifies
the independent and dependent variables.
Your hypothesis is clearly explained.
Example
‘I think that if I change the concentration of
the solution, the mass of the potato chip will
change. This is because in dilute solutions
water passes into cells, down a concentration
gradient, by osmosis. In concentrated
solutions water passes out of cells.’
2 marks
You have written a hypothesis that identifies
the independent and dependent variables, but
the explanation is unclear.
1 mark
You have written a hypothesis that, by
implication, identifies the independent and
dependent variable, but there is no
explanation.
No creditworthy response
‘I think that if I change the concentration of
the solution, the mass of the potato chip will
change. This is because water moves by
osmosis.’
‘I think that if I change the concentration of
the solution, the mass of the potato chip will
change.’
3 marks
0 marks
Variables
A nice way to present this is in a table with two columns headed: ‘variable’ and ‘How I will control it’
1 mark
Independent variable – the thing you will change.
1 mark
Dependent variables – the thing you will measure to see
the effect of changing your independent variable.
3 marks
(1 mark per
control variable)
Controlled variables – things that would affect the
dependent variable if changed but that you will keep fixed
(generally at least three, all of which must be relevant).
Avoid things like ‘use the same stopwatch / person to time’ or
‘use the same measuring cylinder / piece of equipment’.
Concentration of amylase enzyme
(mol)
Time taken for starch to break
down (measured by colour of
iodine changing from blue/black to
orange/brown) (minutes)
 Volume of amylase
enzyme (ml)
 Temperature of solution
(°C)
 pH of amylase enzyme
Apparatus
Should include a bulleted list of apparatus, materials and a labelled diagram of the experimental setup (only needed if
you have a complicated setup)
2 marks
Detailed list of all equipment used,
specifying numbers, sizes, volumes,
concentrations, chemical names, etc.
50cm3 glass beaker, 1 DP mass balance, pH probe,
200cm3 of 2M HCl
1 mark
All equipment is included but it lacks
detail.
Small beakers, large measuring cylinders, timers,
acid.
0 marks
Not all relevant materials are included
or some are irrelevant to the
investigation.
Beaker, balance, pencil, paper, eraser.
Method
Should be written as a step by step set of instructions – numbered or bullet pointed.
Your risk assessment should be laid out in the format of a table. Try and include at least 3 risks.
Hazard
Method of control
e.g. Water bath at 90 °C could cause burns to skin
e.g. Use tongs to remove hot objects from the bath.
Results Table
You should include your tables of data collected during the experiment both quantitative (numbers) and qualitative
(written). Your processed data would also be included in this section.
2 marks
1 mark
You have recorded all appropriate
quantitative (numbers) and qualitative
(written) data in a table. You must:
 Write units in the column headings
not the body of the table. They are
best written in brackets. Write the
actual value of your independent
variables, not the one you intended,
for example you may have planned to
use a concentration of 1.0M but
actually used 1.15M.
 Be consistent with the accuracy of
your recordings (generally to 2 d.p.)
 Your table must be clearly laid out
with appropriate headings and a title
 One example for each type of
calculation
Units in the headings are missing or
recordings have inconsistent d.p.
Qualitative observations not recorded.
Units in the table body. Unclear
headings. Incorrect units given.
Surface
area of
cube
(cm2)
Trial
1
0 marks
Trial
2
Trial
3
Mean
2
4
6
8
10
Surface area
of cube (cm2)
2
4
6
8
10
Data not collected in a table format. Not
enough data collected, or data collected
is irrelevant. Processed data missing. Your
table is too difficult to read.
Data table
Time taken for complete
colour change (s)
Data table
Time taken
Observation
(qualitative)
Graph
Draw a graph (normally a line graph with a line of best fit or a bar chart).

3 marks
1 mark for each
bullet point

Correct X (independent
variable) and Y (dependent
variable) axes labelled.
Points plotted correctly (with
line of best fit if necessary)
 Correct units on axes
Mass of Calcium Carbonate lost vs Reaction time
Do not go beyond data points with
your line of best fit.
Do not join points with straight lines –
use a line or curve of best fit.
Conclusion
This section is to do with reaching and explaining a conclusion that states the pattern you observed in your results and
correctly applies your understanding of Biology to explain this pattern
3 marks
2 marks
1 mark
0 marks
You must reach a justified conclusion. You
should:
 Stated whether your conclusion
supports your hypothesis.
 State a conclusion based on a correct
interpretation of your results.
 State in detail the pattern your
results give. For example a
strong/weak, positive/negative
correlation.
 Explain any trends in detail using
correctly applied scientific
knowledge.
 Where the pattern you saw is not
what should have happened, try to
identify reasons for this.
 Use and manipulate data.
You have met most of the above criteria,
but you have not referred to data or your
explanation of results is lacking detail.
You have stated a conclusion but have
not justified with (correct) scientific
knowledge.
You have not referred to data.
You have either not reached a conclusion
or have not reached the correct
conclusion based on the data you
collected.
The purpose of this lab was to determine if a sugar
cube or small grains of sugar would dissolve faster in
water. Before doing this experiment, it was
predicted that the small grains would dissolve faster.
The collected data shows that when the two types of
sugars were stirred in the water, the grains dissolved
much more quickly than the sugar cube. This
occurred in all three trials. On average, the grains
dissolved in 1.24 minutes and the cube took 1.58
minutes to dissolve. A factor that affects the rate of a
reaction is the surface area. According to the
collision theory, smaller surface area will increase
the chance of successful collisions between the
molecules of the reactants. Our results support the
collision theory, as the grains dissolved faster
because they had more surface area, which allowed
more water molecules to surround the sugar and
dissolve it.
Small grains of sugar dissolve faster that the sugar
cubes because they are smaller in size. My
hypothesis was correct and my results support my
conclusion.
The experiment went well and I obtained reliable
results.
Evaluation
This section indentifies the limitations of your experiment and makes concrete suggestions for improvement. Your
evaluation needs to refer explicitly to the data you collected. A good way to present your evaluation is in a table with
three columns labelled “error”, “limitations”, “improvements”

2 marks
1 mark
0 marks
Comment on the quality of your
results and the relevance of any
anomalies. Identify the main sources
of errors (at least 2) and what effects
these would have had on your
results, being specific and detailed.
 Suggest an improvement for each
limitation you identified in the
evaluation making specific detailed
suggestions for improvements –
using different (named) equipment or
setting up the experiment differently
or using an entirely different method.
You have correctly identified some errors
but have not evaluated their effect on
your results.
The weakness and limitations you
identified are irrelevant.
When weighing the potato chips after they had been
submerged in water they may not have been dried
correctly. This may have left excess water on the
potatoes which will have affected their final mass.
In order to minimize this error, the potato chips
should each be dried for a minimum of 30 seconds to
ensure all excess liquid is removed.
The potato was still wet so this may have changed its
final mass.
My data is weak, so I suggest doing more repeats or
take more time doing the experiment.
Total marks = 30
Research question
Hypothesis
Variables
Apparatus
Method
Results table
Graph
Conclusion
Evaluation
2
3
5
2
8
2
3
3
2