Qualification
       Accredited
      AS and A LEVEL
      Practical Skills Handbook
      BIOLOGY A
      BIOLOGY B
      (ADVANCING BIOLOGY)
      H020/H420
      H022/H422
      For first teaching in 2015
      OCR Advanced Subsidiary and 
      Advanced GCE in Biology 
      Version 1.4
                                                          www.ocr.org.uk/alevelbiology
                           
         
        2                                                © OCR 2018 Version 1.4
                                                         AS and A Level Biology 
               Contents 
                  OCR will update this document on a regular basis. Please check the OCR website 
                 (www.ocr.org.uk) or Interchange (https://interchange.ocr.org.uk) at the start of the 
                                academic year to ensure that you are using the latest version. 
                                                                                
                                                             Version 1.4 – May 2018 
               Version 1.4 
               One change of note made between Version 1.3 and Version 1.4: 
               1.        Guidance on Appendix 4: Measurements - Uncertainties 
                
               Version 1.3 
               Minor changes made between Version 1.2 and Version 1.3: 
               1.        Updating external web links within the Resources section 
                
               Version 1.2 
               One change of note made between Version 1.1 and Version 1.2: 
               1.        Guidance on arrangements of visits and standardisation. 
                                                                                
               1 Introduction                                                                                                               6 
                       How to use this handbook                                                                                             6 
               2 Overview of practical skills requirements                                                                                  7 
                       Summary of the assessment model                                                                                      7 
                       Summary of the practical skills required                                                                             8 
                           Skills assessed in the written examinations                                                                      8 
                           Skills assessed through the Practical Endorsement                                                                8 
                       AS Level learners and the Practical Endorsement                                                                      8 
               3    Practical skills assessed in a written examination                                                                      9 
                       Planning                                                                                                             9 
                           Example questions                                                                                                9 
                       Implementing                                                                                                        10 
                       Analysis                                                                                                            11 
                           Example questions                                                                                               11 
                       Evaluation                                                                                                          12 
               4 Practical skills assessed in the Practical Endorsement                                                                   14 
                       Introduction to the OCR Practical Endorsement                                                                       14 
                       Planning activities to cover the Endorsement requirements                                                           14 
                           The Practical Activity Groups                                                                                   14 
               © OCR 2018 Version 1.4                                                                                                       3 
               AS and A Level Biology 
                       Practical Activity Support Service                                                               16 
                       Activities provided by OCR                                                                       16 
                    Tracking achievement                                                                                18 
                       Requirements for record keeping                                                                  18 
                       The PAG tracker                                                                                  18 
                    Monitoring arrangements                                                                             19 
                       Monitoring visits                                                                                19 
                       Arrangement of visits                                                                            19 
                       Standardisation                                                                                  20 
                    Assessing the Practical Endorsement                                                                 20 
                    Access arrangements                                                                                 20 
             5 Planning your practical scheme of work                                                                   21 
                    An approach to planning                                                                             21 
                       Sample planning tables                                                                           22 
                       Biology A sample planning table                                                                  23 
                       Biology B (Advancing Biology) sample planning table                                              29 
             Appendix 1: Health and safety                                                                              34 
                    Hazard labelling systems                                                                            34 
                    Risk assessments                                                                                    35 
             Appendix 2: Apparatus list                                                                                 36 
                    Apparatus likely to be required                                                                     36 
                    Apparatus potentially required                                                                      37 
                    Additional requirements                                                                             37 
                    Lab Books                                                                                           37 
             Appendix 3: Guidance on practical skills                                                                   38 
                    Practical skills (specification Section 1.2.1)                                                      38 
                    Use of apparatus and techniques (specification Section 1.2.2)                                       41 
             Appendix 4: Measurements                                                                                   49 
                    Useful terms                                                                                        49 
                    Uncertainties                                                                                       50 
                       Uncertainties in apparatus and equipment                                                         50 
                       Examples of uncertainties                                                                        51 
                       Worked examples                                                                                  51 
                       Multiple measurements                                                                            51 
                    Recording measurements                                                                              52 
                       Consistency of presentation of raw data                                                          52 
                    Presentation of results                                                                             52 
                       Table headings                                                                                   52 
                    Significant figures                                                                                 53 
                       How many significant figures should be used?                                                     53 
                       Rounding off                                                                                     53 
                       How do we know the number of significant figures?                                                53 
                       When to round off                                                                                53 
             4                                                                                        © OCR 2018 Version 1.4
                                                                                                      AS and A Level Biology