SEPARATE SCIENCE (BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS)
Subject title
Exam board
Exam board specification number
Entry level
Setting arrangements
Time allowance each fortnight
GCSE Biology B, Chemistry B, Physics B
OCR
Biology J263
Chemistry J264
Physics J265
Attainment in Y9
Set groups
Year 11: 2 x 1 hour; 2x 1.5 hours
Assessment and coursework
Types of Assessment
External exams
All examinations Foundation & Higher tier
B733, B743, B753 – Controlled Assessment
Timings of assessments
B731, B741, B751 , B732, B742, B752 are taken in the Summer Series of Y11; no resits possible.
Controlled assessment is conducted in class in year 10 and year 11 and is submitted in the
Summer Series of year 11.
Nature of assessments
B731, B741, B751 - 35% of the total Science GCSE marks for each science
1h 15minute written paper Candidates answer all questions.
B732, B742, B752 - 40% of the total Science GCSE marks for each science
1h 30minute written paper Candidates answer all questions.
B733, B743, B753 - 25% of the total Science GCSE marks for each science
Approx 7 hours - One continued assessment task for each Science, ie Biology, Chemistry,
Physics. Assessed by teachers, internally standardised and then externally moderated by OCR
Topics covered during the course
B731 topics
B1 – Understanding Organisms; B2 – Understanding Our Environment; B3 – Living and Growing
B732 topics
B4 – It’s a Green World; B5 – the Living Body; B6 – Beyond the Microscope
B741 topics
C1 – Carbon Chemistry; C2 – Chemical Resources; C3 – Chemical Economics
B742 topics
C4 – The Periodic Table; C5 - How Much?; C6 – Chemistry Out There
B751 topics
P1 – Energy for the home; P2 – Living for the future; P3 – Forces for transport
B752 topics
P4 – Radiation for Life; P5 – Space for Reflection; P6 – Electricity For Gadgets
Skills developed during the course
Knowledge and understanding of science and how science works; application of skills,
knowledge and understanding and practical enquiry and data-handling skills.
Home study
Expected time allocation for the subject
2x45 minutes each week; there may be a higher workload during times when preparation for
controlled assessment is being done; no student should spend more than three hours a week
at home on this subject.
Help for home study
All topics are covered on the VLE and contain PowerPoints, activity sheets, word documents
and links to websites to help consolidate the subject knowledge.
Additional support for the course
You may like to use the following sources to support your learning during the course
Revision guide
Lonsdale OCR Gateway GCSE Additional Science revision and Classroom Companion – (New
version ISBN not yet known)
Other sources of help
Students can seek out subject teachers at anytime to ask for support or help with topic areas.
Additional information about the course
The coursework is carried out under controlled conditions in the classroom but research for
these tasks may be carried out at home.