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AQA vs Edexcel A-Level Biology: what actually differs

7 min read · 15 May 2026

Both AQA and Edexcel A-Level Biology cover the same core: biochemistry, cells, organisms, genetics, ecology. If you understand one, you'll recognise 80% of the other.

The differences are in required practicals, mark scheme style, and how synoptic questions are structured.

AQA leans on extended 6-mark essays and is stricter about command words. Edexcel uses more data-analysis questions and short structured responses.

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