The WACE Biology General exam is a crucial component of your high school education in Western Australia, testing your understanding of biological concepts, processes, and their applications. Whether you're aiming for that coveted A grade or simply want to boost your confidence before the big day, this article has got you covered.
In the following sections, we'll dive deep into the WACE Biology General curriculum, explore the exam format, discuss effective revision techniques, and provide invaluable tips to help you perform at your best. From understanding what examiners are looking for to avoiding common pitfalls, we'll leave no stone unturned in our quest to help you achieve Biology brilliance.
So, grab your textbooks, fire up your synapses, and let's embark on this journey to master the WACE Biology General exam together. Your success in Western Australia's premier high school qualification awaits!
Summary of Units
Below we will cover Units 3 and 4 in Year 12 - Biology and all the sub-topics you will need to understand to do well on your Biology exam:
Unit 3 – Reproduction and inheritance
This unit explores the genetic and environmental factors affecting reproductive structures, behaviours, and inheritance in organisms. It covers how environmental conditions can influence traits like offspring sex and reproductive timing. The life cycles of organisms involve various reproduction methods to ensure survival, with natural selection favouring those with adaptive traits.
Scientists apply this knowledge in fields like animal husbandry, horticulture, and pest control. The unit includes hands-on fieldwork, dissections, and microscope work to study reproductive behaviours, with the possibility of integrating it with Unit 4 for a year-long course involving a citizen science study.
Science Inquiry Skills
• construct questions for investigation; propose hypotheses; and predict possible outcomes
• plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods, including laboratory experimentation, real or virtual dissections and microscopy techniques, to collect reliable data; assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these methods
• represent data in meaningful and useful ways; organise and analyse data to identify trends, patterns and relationships; qualitatively describe sources of measurement error; and use evidence to make and justify conclusions
• interpret a range of scientific and media texts, and evaluate the conclusions by considering the quality of available evidence
• use appropriate representations, including DNA models, diagrams, flow charts and graphs to communicate conceptual understanding, solve problems and make predictions
• communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations
Science as a Human Endeavour
• banksias, eucalypts and many other Australian plants are adapted to regular burning of their habitat for seed dispersal and recolonisation
• since the discovery that smoke promotes germination of many native Australian plants, smoke-water is now widely used in nursery production, bush land management and mine-site restoration• apiarists facilitate pollination of native plants through the movement of beehives
• selective breeding is used in animal husbandry; for example, agriculture, horticulture and domestic pets
• knowledge of the life cycles of organisms is important in the control of pests; for example, dung beetles to control flies, spraying wet areas to interrupt mosquitoes’ life cycle
Science Understanding
Reproduction
Living things use a variety of methods to reproduce and support their offspring.
• there are a number of asexual methods of reproduction in plants and animals, including:
▪ binary fission
▪ budding
▪ vegetative propagation
▪ cuttings
▪ bulbs and tubers
▪ spores
▪ parthenogenesis
• cell division has a critical role in reproduction and growth:
▪ mitosis (description of the main events)
▪ meiosis (description of the main events)▪ comparison of mitosis and meiosis, including:o haploid and diploid cell so number of division so variability of daughter cells produced on number of daughter cells produced
• sexual reproduction involves the production and union of gametes:
▪ types of gametes (haploid)
▪ fertilisation (restoring the diploid number)
• flowering plants differ in their methods of reproduction:
▪ main reproductive structures and their functions
▪ mechanisms of pollination
▪ seed dispersal
▪ requirements for germination
- animals differ in their methods of reproduction:
▪ reproductive structures for external and internal fertilisation
▪ timing of reproduction
▪ strategies for the survival of offspring, including parental care and number of offspring
• animals and plants have a range of life cycles:
▪ insects or amphibians
▪ flowering plants
▪ Australian marsupials
Inheritance and change
Variation is the result of genetics and the environment. Genetic information is transferred to offspring by DNA to produce specific traits.
• the DNA of an organism determines its characteristics:
▪ structure and function of DNA (double helix, nucleotides, complementary base pairing)
▪ genes (sequence of bases that codes for traits)
• the external environment influences observable traits of an organism; for example, fur colour in Himalayan rabbits, flower colour in hydrangeas
• sex determination is influenced by genetics and environmental conditions; for example, temperature, day length
• mutations, the ultimate source of genetic variation, introduce new alleles into a population:
▪ gene
▪ chromosome (structure and number)
• variations in the genotype of offspring arise as a result of the processes of meiosis, sexual reproduction and mutations• natural selection occurs when selection pressures in the environment confer a selective advantage on a specific phenotype to enhance its survival and reproduction
Unit 4 – Ecosystems and eco-issues
This unit explores the dynamic interaction between organisms and their abiotic environment in diverse ecosystems. It focuses on the flow of energy and matter to understand ecological interactions, with emphasis on how human activity has impacted biodiversity, particularly in Western Australia.
Fieldwork plays a crucial role in collecting firsthand data and examining the connections between organisms, the environment, and human influence. The unit encourages the use of a "citizen science" approach, involving community and students in ecological monitoring and scientific research, particularly in coastal and marine environments.
Science Inquiry Skills
• construct questions for investigation; propose hypotheses; and predict possible outcomes
• plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods, including using ecosystem surveying techniques, to collect reliable data in a long term study; assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these methods
• represent data in meaningful and useful ways; organise and analyse data to identify trends, patterns and relationships; qualitatively describe sources of measurement error; and use evidence to make and justify conclusions
• interpret a range of scientific and media texts, and evaluate the conclusions by considering the quality of available evidence
• use appropriate representations, including models, flowcharts, tables and graphs to communicate conceptual understanding, solve problems and make predictions
• communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations
Science as a Human Endeavour
• the unique biodiversity in Western Australia has come about through natural selection due to poor fertility in soils, climate, and the length of time Australia has been isolated from other land masses
• the southwest of Western Australia has been identified as a biodiversity hotspot with a high degree of niche specialisation
• significant threats to migratory species, such as birds, sharks, mammals and turtles, due to climate change, habitat degradation and over-harvesting affect ecosystems worldwide
• long-term studies and on-going monitoring of ecosystems allow for the establishment of baseline data and a record of changes in an ecosystem over time• advances in technology enable scientists to collect scientific data online from a variety of sources,including agencies, community groups and individuals, and provides extensive and widespread records
Science Understanding
Local ecosystem study
• there is a dynamic interaction between organisms and their environment
• differences in geographical and physical conditions result in a wide diversity of ecosystems
• abiotic factors, such as climate, pH, salinity and soil strata, impact on the survival of organisms within the environment
• the biotic components of an ecosystem transfer and transform energy originating primarily from the sun into biomass
• biotic components interact with abiotic components to facilitate biogeochemical cycling
• producers, consumers, decomposers and detritivores have a role in the transfer of energy in an ecosystem
• food chains and food webs show the feeding relationships between organisms within a community• the amount of energy transferred between trophic levels in food chains and food webs diminishes as the trophic level increases• interactions between species in ecosystems include competition, predation and symbiosis (mutualism, commensalism and parasitism)
• species interactions affect population densities and are important in determining community structure and composition
• ecosystems have carrying capacities that limit the number of organisms (within populations) they can support, and can be affected by changes to abiotic and biotic factors, including climatic events
Biodiversity
• only the species that belong naturally to an area add to the functional biodiversity of an ecosystem;weeds and introduced species detract from the functioning of the ecosystem
• keystone species play a critical role in maintaining the structure of a community
• bioindicator species demonstrate the condition of the environment
• threats to biodiversity include:
▪ loss, fragmentation and degradation of habitat
▪ the spread of invasive species▪ unsustainable use of natural resources
▪ climate change
▪ inappropriate fire regimes
▪ changes to the aquatic environment and water flows
💡Study tip! Organise your notes by the headers and sub-headers in the syllabus. This ensures you cover everything that could be on the exam and keeps your notes super organised.
WACE Biology General Assessment Table
Additional notes:
- Teachers must use this assessment table to develop an assessment outline for the pair of units.
- Each assessment type must be included at least once over the year/pair of units.
- The set of assessment tasks must provide a representative sampling of the content for Unit 3 and Unit 4.
- Assessment tasks not administered under test/controlled conditions require appropriate validation/authentication processes.
💡Take notes efficiently and effectively using these tips!
What Does an A Look Like?
Are you curious as to what it takes to get an A? In the syllabus, the Department of Education in Western Australia outlines exactly what is required for a student to get an A in Biology.
Study Advice for WACE Biology General
While there isn't a WACE exam for Biology, you still need to prepare for the externally set task and other assessments. Here's some advice to help you succeed:
- Externally Set Task (15% of total assessment)
- Focus on Unit 3 content, as this is what the task will be based on
- Practise writing concise, clear answers within time constraints (the task is 50 minutes)
- Review past externally set tasks if available
- Familiarise yourself with different question types (multiple choice, short answer, extended response)
- Science Inquiry (30% of total assessment)
- Practise formulating hypotheses and designing experiments
- Improve your data analysis and presentation skills (graphs, tables)
- Conduct mock investigations and write up reports
- Pay special attention to fieldwork techniques, as a field investigation is required
- Extended Response (20% of total assessment)
- Practice integrating biological concepts to explain phenomena
- Improve your skills in analysing and evaluating biological information from various sources
- Work on structuring logical arguments supported by evidence
- Tests (35% of total assessment)
- Regularly review course content
- Practice multiple-choice questions
- Improve your skills in writing short and extended answers
General Study Tips:
- Create a study schedule that covers all units
- Use the syllabus as a checklist to ensure you've covered all content
- Form study groups to discuss concepts and practice explaining ideas
- Regularly review and apply key biological terms and concepts
- Practise applying your knowledge to new situations or scenarios
- Seek feedback from your teacher on your work and areas for improvement
💡Check out these scientifically proven strategies to improve how you study!
Mistakes to Avoid
- Externally Set Task (15% of total assessment)
- Don't neglect Unit 3 content - this is what the task will be based on
- Avoid poor time management during the task - practice completing tasks within 50 minutes
- Don't write overly lengthy answers - focus on concise, relevant responses
- Avoid neglecting command terms in questions (e.g., describe, explain, analyse)
- Science Inquiry (30% of total assessment)
- Don't formulate vague or untestable hypotheses
- Avoid poor control of variables in experiments
- Don't present data poorly - practice creating clear graphs and tables
- Avoid superficial analysis of results - link your findings to biological concepts
- Don't neglect fieldwork skills - these are crucial for the required field investigation
- Extended Response (20% of total assessment)
- Avoid using unreliable sources for information
- Don't present arguments without supporting evidence
- Avoid poor structure in your responses - practice organising your thoughts logically
- Tests (35% of total assessment)
- Don't memorise without understanding - focus on comprehending concepts
- Avoid neglecting to read questions carefully - misinterpretation can cost marks
- Don't rush through multiple-choice questions - eliminate incorrect options systematically
General Mistakes to Avoid:
- Don't cram at the last minute - consistent study throughout the year is key
- Avoid neglecting practical skills - they're a significant part of the course
- Don't ignore feedback from your teacher - use it to improve
- Avoid studying in isolation - discussing concepts with peers can enhance understanding
- Don't neglect to link different parts of the syllabus - biology concepts are often interconnected
- Avoid using only one study method - vary your approach for better retention
Good luck with your assessments!