Biology Cambridge IGCSE Syllabus Updates(2023-2025)
Starting from 2023
-The no. of topics didn’t change, they’re still 21 chapters
-There were no changes in the papers in terms of duration, marks & percentage
There’re 3 papers:
-Paper 2:
- Duration: 45 min
- Grades:40 marks
- % :30% of the total marks
- Exam Details: 40 MCQ Questions
-Paper 4:
- Duration: 1 hour,15 minutes
- Grades:80 marks
- % :50% of the total marks
- Exam Details: Structured questions
-Paper 6:
- Duration: 1 hour
- Grades:40 marks
- % : 20% of the total marks
- Exam Details: Written paper assessing practical skills
Changes to Year 9 Syllabus:
- Some of the definitions have been modified.
- Information added to the core:
- Characteristics of living organisms(Excretion definition is added)
- More information was added to Cell structure part
- More information was added to Diffusion Part
- The functions of HCl was added to The Chemical Digestion
- More information was added to the water uptake part
- Comparing nervous and hormonal control systems has been moved from Supplement to Core
- Adaptive features of sperm and egg cells has been moved to the Core
- The process of selective breeding has been moved to the Core
- Flow of energy through organisms and identification of trophic levels have been moved to the Core
- Definitions of community and ecosystem have been moved to the Core
- Identification of the phases of a growth curve has been moved to the Core
- Information removed from the core section(year 9) and added to Supplement(studied in year 10):
- The section on Cholera has been moved into the Supplement
- References to the formation of urea are now in the Supplement. The term tubule has been replaced by nephron
- The section on Skin is moved from Core to Supplement
- Mitosis and Meiosis – all the content is now Supplement
- Definition of Mutation
- New titles added to the whole syllabus:
- Sources of genetic variation have now been added to the Supplement
- Use of AI and IVF in captive breeding programmes has been added to the Supplement
- Candidates now need to be familiar with the conditions that need to be controlled in a fermenter
Topics in the current syllabus which will no longer be covered include:
- Kidney dialysis and kidney transplants
- Voluntary and involuntary actions
- Effects of drugs on synapses
- The explanation for why antibiotics kill bacteria, but not viruses
- The section on misused drugs
- Sections of antenatal care, labour and birth and advantages of breast feeding
- Explanations for the roles of hormones in controlling the menstrual cycle
- Methods of birth control in humans
- How HIV affects the immune system
- Statements about phenotypic and genetic variation
- Inheritance of sickle-cell anaemia
- The definitions of fitness and evolution
- Supplement material on providing sufficient food and causes of famine
- References to nuclear fall-out, discarded rubbish and chemical waste
- Details about acid rain and water pollution by female hormones
- The definition of sustainable development and explanations
- References to fossil fuels and details of sewage treatment