{"id":118,"date":"2026-10-29T15:35:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/?p=118"},"modified":"2026-10-18T13:19:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T13:19:29","slug":"edexcel-igcse-biology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/biology\/edexcel-igcse-biology","title":{"rendered":"Edexcel IGCSE Biology (4BI1): Course Guide and How to Study It Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Edexcel IGCSE Biology (4BI1) is Pearson&#8217;s International GCSE in Biology, graded 9 to 1. You sit two written papers: Paper 1B (2 hours, 110 marks, 61.1%) and Paper 2B (1 hour 15 minutes, 70 marks, 38.9%). There are no tiers and no coursework, and exams run in June and November.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s the short answer. This guide covers the five topics, how each paper works, the 14 practicals, how hard it really is (with the June 2026 results) and how to study IGCSE Biology online or at home.<\/p>\n<p>Every fact about the qualification comes from Pearson&#8217;s own documents, mainly the specification (the official list of everything you can be tested on), Issue 3, September 2024. When we talk about our lessons, we stick to what&#8217;s actually in them.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-keybox\">\n<h4>At a glance<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Exam board: Pearson Edexcel<\/li>\n<li>Qualification: International GCSE (9-1) Biology, code 4BI1<\/li>\n<li>Paper 1B: 2 hours, 110 marks, 61.1% of the grade<\/li>\n<li>Paper 2B: 1 hour 15 minutes, 70 marks, 38.9% of the grade<\/li>\n<li>Total: 180 marks, one grade from 9 (highest) to 1<\/li>\n<li>Tiers: none, everyone sits the same papers<\/li>\n<li>Coursework: none, practical skills are tested in the written papers<\/li>\n<li>Series: June and November<\/li>\n<li>Calculator: allowed in both papers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>What is Edexcel IGCSE Biology?<\/h2>\n<p>IGCSE stands for International GCSE. The full name is the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) in Biology, code 4BI1. It was first taught in September 2017 and first sat in June 2019.<\/p>\n<p>The board says it&#8217;s comparable to the reformed UK GCSEs in demand and standards. It&#8217;s a single science, so just biology. Because it&#8217;s 100% written papers, nothing has to be marked or signed off by a teacher, which makes it a good fit if you&#8217;re learning at home.<\/p>\n<p>You can download the full syllabus from <a href=\"https:\/\/qualifications.pearson.com\/en\/qualifications\/edexcel-international-gcses\/international-gcse-biology-2017.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pearson&#8217;s International GCSE Biology page<\/a>. Keep a copy: it&#8217;s the checklist the examiners write from.<\/p>\n<p>Watch out for similar names. Biology (Modular) (4XBI1) splits the same subject into units, is only for schools outside the UK and can&#8217;t be taken with 4BI1. Science (Double Award) covers all three sciences for two IGCSEs and leaves out the extra Biology content. Human Biology (4HB1) is a separate IGCSE about the human body, and you&#8217;re allowed to take it alongside Biology.<\/p>\n<h2>What you study: the five topics<\/h2>\n<p>The biology specification splits the content into five topics. Questions on either paper can come from any of them, so you can&#8217;t skip one.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-table-wrap\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Topic<\/th>\n<th>Sub-topics in the specification<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1. The nature and variety of living organisms<\/td>\n<td>Characteristics of living organisms; variety of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi, protoctists, bacteria and pathogens such as viruses)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2. Structure and functions in living organisms<\/td>\n<td>Level of organisation, cell structure, biological molecules, movement of substances into and out of cells, nutrition, respiration, gas exchange, transport, excretion, co-ordination and response<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3. Reproduction and inheritance<\/td>\n<td>Reproduction; inheritance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4. Ecology and the environment<\/td>\n<td>The organism in the environment, feeding relationships, cycles within ecosystems, human influences on the environment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5. Use of biological resources<\/td>\n<td>Food production, selective breeding, genetic modification (genetic engineering), cloning<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h3>1. Living things and how we group them<\/h3>\n<p>It starts with a big question: what makes something alive? You learn the features all living things share, the main groups of organisms and the pathogens that cause disease. Our free first lesson, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/1\/\">what makes something alive<\/a>, is a gentle way in.<\/p>\n<h3>2. How living things work<\/h3>\n<p>This is by far the biggest part. It covers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/21\/\">cell structure<\/a>, enzymes, diffusion and osmosis, photosynthesis, diet and digestion, respiration, breathing, blood and the heart, the kidneys, nerves and hormones. Plan to spend the most time here.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bl-img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-articles\/edexcel-igcse-biology\/food-test-tubes.jpg\" alt=\"Food test results for IGCSE Biology: brick-red Benedict's, blue, blue-black iodine and purple biuret test tubes in a rack\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"670\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"bl-caption\">Food tests give clear colour changes: brick red for glucose, blue-black for starch and purple for protein.<\/p>\n<p>Food tests are one of the most searched parts of the syllabus. Our lessons on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/35\/\">food tests for glucose and starch<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/36\/\">the protein and fat tests<\/a> take you through each method and what every colour means.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-game\"><a class=\"bl-game-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/free-resources\/biology\/label-busters\/\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/lp\/igcse-biology\/shots\/game-label-busters.jpg)\" aria-label=\"Label Busters\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-game-body\"><span class=\"bl-game-tag\">Free 3D game<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Label Busters<\/h4>\n<p>Run the Benedict&#8217;s test for glucose and the iodine test for starch in a 3D lab, read the colour changes and catch out food labels that don&#8217;t tell the truth.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"bl-btn bl-btn-main bl-btn-small\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/free-resources\/biology\/label-busters\/\">Play free \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>3. Reproduction and inheritance<\/h3>\n<p>You compare <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/109\/\">sexual and asexual reproduction<\/a>, then flowers, seeds and the human reproductive system. The genetics half covers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/129\/\">genes, DNA and the genome<\/a>, genetic diagrams, mitosis and meiosis, mutation and Darwin&#8217;s theory of natural selection.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Ecology and the environment<\/h3>\n<p>Ecology starts with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/181\/\">key terms like population, community, habitat and ecosystem<\/a>, then sampling with quadrats, food chains and webs, the carbon cycle and pollution. Greenhouse gases and eutrophication come up a lot. Learn the nitrogen cycle well for Paper 2B.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Use of biological resources<\/h3>\n<p>The last part is biology at work: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/225\/\">how farmers raise crop yields<\/a> with glasshouses, fertilisers and pest control, how yeast and bacteria make bread and yoghurt, and fish farming. Then come selective breeding, genetic modification (moving genes between organisms) and cloning.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bl-img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-articles\/edexcel-igcse-biology\/tomato-glasshouse.jpg\" alt=\"A grower checking tomato plants in a commercial glasshouse, a food production example from Edexcel IGCSE Biology\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"670\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"bl-caption\">Glasshouses control temperature, light and carbon dioxide to raise crop yields, which is exactly what you&#8217;ll need to explain.<\/p>\n<h2>How Edexcel IGCSE Biology is examined<\/h2>\n<p>There are two papers, both set and marked by the board, sat in the same series.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-table-wrap\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Paper<\/th>\n<th>Length<\/th>\n<th>Marks<\/th>\n<th>Share of grade<\/th>\n<th>What it tests<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Paper 1B (4BI1\/1B)<\/td>\n<td>2 hours<\/td>\n<td>110<\/td>\n<td>61.1%<\/td>\n<td>The core content only (statements not in bold)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Paper 2B (4BI1\/2B)<\/td>\n<td>1 hour 15 minutes<\/td>\n<td>70<\/td>\n<td>38.9%<\/td>\n<td>All the content, including the bold &#8220;B&#8221; statements<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Total<\/td>\n<td>3 hours 15 minutes<\/td>\n<td>180<\/td>\n<td>100%<\/td>\n<td>One grade, 9 to 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>The papers aren&#8217;t graded on their own. Your two marks are added together (out of 180) and turned into one grade.<\/p>\n<h3>The extra content in Paper 2B<\/h3>\n<p>Some statements in the specification are printed in bold with a &#8220;B&#8221; after the number, such as 2.6B on stem cells. They&#8217;re only in the Biology IGCSE, not the Double Award, and they go into more depth. Paper 1B never asks about them. Paper 2B can ask about anything.<\/p>\n<p>B content includes stem cells, gas exchange in plants, how the kidney works, transpiration, codominance, the nitrogen cycle, deforestation, micropropagation (growing new plants from tiny pieces of tissue) and cloning mammals. Highlight them in your copy so you know what&#8217;s Paper 2B only.<\/p>\n<h3>Question types and command words<\/h3>\n<p>Both papers mix multiple-choice, short-answer, calculation and longer open-response questions. The marks are split across three skills:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>AO1, knowledge and understanding<\/strong>: 38-42% of the marks<\/li>\n<li><strong>AO2, applying what you know and analysing it<\/strong>: 38-42%<\/li>\n<li><strong>AO3, experimental skills and handling data<\/strong>: 19-21%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So about 60% of the marks need more than memory: you&#8217;ll read graphs, finish tables, plan experiments and explain results you&#8217;ve never seen.<\/p>\n<p>Each question starts with a command word that tells you what to do. The ones that catch people out are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Describe<\/strong>: give an account, with linked points. No reasons needed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Explain<\/strong>: give reasons. Say why or how.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Suggest<\/strong>: use what you know in a new situation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Calculate<\/strong>: get a number and show your working.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evaluate<\/strong>: weigh up strengths and weaknesses, then reach a judgement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here&#8217;s an example we&#8217;ve written in the same style: <em>&#8220;Describe how you could test a sample of milk for protein. (2 marks)&#8221;<\/em>. One mark is for adding biuret reagent. The second is for the result: the blue solution turns purple if protein is there. &#8220;It changes colour&#8221; wouldn&#8217;t get that mark, because you need the colour.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bl-img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-articles\/edexcel-igcse-biology\/exam-desk.jpg\" alt=\"A desk set up for the Edexcel IGCSE Biology papers with a calculator, ruler, pens and an answer booklet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"670\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"bl-caption\">A calculator is allowed in both papers, as long as it can&#8217;t store text or formulae. Take a ruler for graphs too.<\/p>\n<h2>The 14 practicals<\/h2>\n<p>The specification includes 14 practical investigations, printed in italics. There&#8217;s no practical test and no lab report to hand in. Instead, the written papers test your skills: planning a fair test, naming the variables, recording results and drawing conclusions.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Food tests for glucose, starch, protein and fat<\/li>\n<li>How temperature affects enzyme activity<\/li>\n<li>How pH affects enzyme activity (B)<\/li>\n<li>Diffusion and osmosis in living and non-living systems<\/li>\n<li>Photosynthesis: oxygen from a water plant, starch, and the need for light, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll<\/li>\n<li>The energy content of a food sample (B)<\/li>\n<li>Carbon dioxide and heat from respiring seeds<\/li>\n<li>How light affects gas exchange in a leaf, using hydrogen-carbonate indicator (B)<\/li>\n<li>Breathing in humans and the effect of exercise<\/li>\n<li>How environmental factors change the rate of transpiration (B)<\/li>\n<li>The conditions seeds need to germinate<\/li>\n<li>Population size in two areas, using quadrats<\/li>\n<li>Distribution of organisms and biodiversity, using quadrats (B)<\/li>\n<li>Anaerobic respiration by yeast in different conditions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bl-img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-articles\/edexcel-igcse-biology\/quadrat-fieldwork.jpg\" alt=\"Two students placing a quadrat on a park meadow for a sampling practical\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"670\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"bl-caption\">A quadrat is a square frame you lay on the ground to count plants. Two of the 14 practicals use one.<\/p>\n<p>No school lab? <a href=\"https:\/\/qualifications.pearson.com\/en\/news-policy\/subject-updates\/Science\/international-science-frequently-asked-questions.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pearson&#8217;s science FAQ<\/a> says many private candidates can&#8217;t do every practical themselves, and suggests online simulations and videos instead. What matters is that you know each method, the results you&#8217;d expect and what could go wrong.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-cta bl-cta-slim\">\n<p><b>See every practical taught step by step.<\/b> Start with three free lessons.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"bl-btn bl-btn-main bl-btn-small\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/1\/\">Try 3 lessons free \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Is IGCSE Biology hard?<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s a big syllabus, but the results show most students do well. These are the board&#8217;s provisional figures for June 2026, for students outside the UK.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-bars\">\n<h4>4BI1 Biology results, June 2026<\/h4>\n<p class=\"bl-bars-sub\">Percentage of international students who got each grade or higher (cumulative, provisional)<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-bar\"><span class=\"bl-bar-label\">9<\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-track\"><span class=\"bl-bar-fill\" style=\"--v:20.8\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-val\">20.8%<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"bl-bar\"><span class=\"bl-bar-label\">8 or above<\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-track\"><span class=\"bl-bar-fill\" style=\"--v:37.3\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-val\">37.3%<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"bl-bar\"><span class=\"bl-bar-label\">7 or above<\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-track\"><span class=\"bl-bar-fill\" style=\"--v:52.5\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-val\">52.5%<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"bl-bar\"><span class=\"bl-bar-label\">6 or above<\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-track\"><span class=\"bl-bar-fill\" style=\"--v:64.7\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-val\">64.7%<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"bl-bar\"><span class=\"bl-bar-label\">5 or above<\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-track\"><span class=\"bl-bar-fill\" style=\"--v:74.3\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-val\">74.3%<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"bl-bar hi\"><span class=\"bl-bar-label\">4 or above<\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-track\"><span class=\"bl-bar-fill\" style=\"--v:82.5\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"bl-bar-val\">82.5%<\/span><\/div>\n<p class=\"bl-source\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/qualifications.pearson.com\/content\/dam\/pdf\/Support\/Grade-statistics\/International-GCSE\/grade-statistics-june-2026-provisional-international-gcse-9-1-specifications-international-only.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pearson, Grade Statistics (Provisional) June 2026, International GCSE (9-1), International Only<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>So about 4 in 5 got a grade 4 (a standard pass) or better, and about 1 in 5 got a 9. In the <a href=\"https:\/\/qualifications.pearson.com\/content\/dam\/pdf\/Support\/Grade-statistics\/International-GCSE\/grade-statistics-june-2026-provisional-international-gcse-9-1-specifications-uk-only.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UK-only figures<\/a> for the same series, 94.6% got a 4 or above and 40.6% got a 9. Results depend on who sits the papers as much as on how tough the papers are, so treat them as a guide.<\/p>\n<p>What makes it hard is the amount to learn and the exact words examiners want. Respiration isn&#8217;t breathing, and enzymes are &#8220;denatured&#8221;, not &#8220;killed&#8221;. The data questions need practice too, because about a fifth of the marks are for practical skills.<\/p>\n<p>What makes it easier? There&#8217;s no coursework and there are no tiers. There are no surprises either, since everything you can be asked is in the specification. It suits you if you like knowing how living things work, and it&#8217;s designed as a base for A level Biology, so check the grade your sixth form asks for.<\/p>\n<h2>Can you study IGCSE Biology online?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes. As it&#8217;s all written papers, you can learn it anywhere: at school, with a tutor, through distance learning or with a structured online course at home. The one thing you can&#8217;t do online is sit the papers. You take them in person at an exam centre.<\/p>\n<h3>Sitting the papers as a private candidate<\/h3>\n<p>If you&#8217;re not at a school that enters you, you register as a private candidate at a centre that accepts them. Centres set their own fees and deadlines, so contact one early. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/exam-tips\/gcses-for-home-educated-students\">taking GCSEs and IGCSEs as a home-educated student<\/a> explains how it works.<\/p>\n<h3>What to look for in an online IGCSE Biology course<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>It follows Pearson Edexcel 4BI1, not Cambridge or a UK GCSE board<\/li>\n<li>It teaches the bold B content you need for Paper 2B<\/li>\n<li>It shows the 14 practicals: method, results and what can go wrong<\/li>\n<li>It has plenty of recall practice, like quizzes and flash cards<\/li>\n<li>You can try some lessons free before you pay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Comparing a few? Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/exam-tips\/online-igcse-courses\">choosing an online IGCSE course<\/a> goes through what to ask.<\/p>\n<h2>How to pass IGCSE Biology: a study plan<\/h2>\n<p>The board suggests about 120 guided learning hours (teaching time) for an International GCSE, with revision on top. Most schools spread that over two years. Pick your series below to see how much you&#8217;d need to do each week.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-tool bl-planner\" data-title=\"Your Edexcel IGCSE Biology study plan\" data-lessons=\"260\" data-hours=\"120\" data-course=\"Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Biology\" data-board=\"Pearson Edexcel\"><script type=\"application\/json\">[{\"label\":\"May\/June 2027\",\"date\":\"2027-05-01\"},{\"label\":\"November 2027\",\"date\":\"2027-11-01\"},{\"label\":\"May\/June 2028\",\"date\":\"2028-05-01\"}]<\/script><\/div>\n<p>Over two years, a simple plan looks like this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Term 1<\/strong>: living things and how we group them, then cells, enzymes and movement of substances<\/li>\n<li><strong>Term 2<\/strong>: the rest of how living things work, from nutrition to hormones<\/li>\n<li><strong>Term 3<\/strong>: reproduction, genes and evolution<\/li>\n<li><strong>Term 4<\/strong>: food chains, cycles and pollution<\/li>\n<li><strong>Term 5<\/strong>: farming and gene technology, then go back over cells to hormones<\/li>\n<li><strong>Term 6<\/strong>: timed past papers and your weakest areas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For IGCSE Biology revision, test yourself rather than rereading. Flash cards and short quizzes make you pull facts out of memory, and that&#8217;s what makes them stick. Ten minutes a day beats two hours the night before.<\/p>\n<p>In your final year, do past papers against the clock and mark them with the official mark scheme, so you learn the wording examiners want. Keep a page for each practical with the method, variables and expected results.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-tool bl-checklist\" data-id=\"edexcel-igcse-biology\" data-title=\"Before you start\">\n<ul>\n<li>Download the 4BI1 specification and highlight the bold B statements<\/li>\n<li>Get a calculator that can&#8217;t store text or formulae<\/li>\n<li>Have a ruler and a sharp pencil for graphs and drawings<\/li>\n<li>Start a notebook page for each of the 14 practicals<\/li>\n<li>Find past papers and mark schemes for at least three series<\/li>\n<li>If you&#8217;re a private candidate, find a centre and ask about its deadlines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Studying Edexcel IGCSE Biology with Brainy Lemons<\/h2>\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/lp\/igcse-biology\/\">Edexcel IGCSE Biology online course<\/a> has 260 short lessons that follow the 4BI1 specification in order, from what makes something alive to cloning. Most lessons are planned as about 30 minutes long, so you can fit one in after school.<\/p>\n<p>Every lesson has a quiz, a quiz show and a zombie defence game to test what you&#8217;ve just learned. There are 4,408 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/guides\/blog\/new-igcse-biology-flash-cards\">IGCSE Biology flash cards<\/a>, from easy to exam-hard, built into the lessons for quick revision. It&#8217;s set up for the 2026 to 2029 exam years.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve also made 10 free 3D biology games for the hardest areas, on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/free-resources\/\">free resources<\/a> page. You can fuel a mitochondrion, fire digestive enzymes through the gut or breathe for an athlete. This one goes with the photosynthesis practical:<\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-game\"><a class=\"bl-game-img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/free-resources\/biology\/bubble-rush\/\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/lp\/igcse-biology\/shots\/game-bubble-rush.jpg)\" aria-label=\"Bubble Rush\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"bl-game-body\"><span class=\"bl-game-tag\">Free 3D game<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Bubble Rush<\/h4>\n<p>Run the pondweed practical in a 3D lab: move the lamp, tap to count the oxygen bubbles, plot your graph and find the limiting factor.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"bl-btn bl-btn-main bl-btn-small\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/free-resources\/biology\/bubble-rush\/\">Play free \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The first three lessons are free, with no card needed. Start with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/1\/\">the first free lesson<\/a>, or see what&#8217;s included on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/lp\/igcse-biology\/\">Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Biology course page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Edexcel IGCSE Biology FAQs<\/h2>\n<details class=\"bl-faq\">\n<summary>Is IGCSE Biology the same as GCSE Biology?<\/summary>\n<p>No. It&#8217;s a different qualification with its own specification. It&#8217;s comparable to the reformed UK GCSEs in demand and graded 9 to 1 in the same way, but there are no tiers: everyone sits the same two papers.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"bl-faq\">\n<summary>When are the papers sat?<\/summary>\n<p>The specification says both papers are available in June and November. The board publishes the exact dates in its International GCSE timetable for each series.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"bl-faq\">\n<summary>Can I take it as a private candidate?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes. There&#8217;s no coursework, so you can learn at home and sit both papers at a centre that accepts private candidates. Contact it early, as each centre sets its own fees and deadlines.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"bl-faq\">\n<summary>How long does it take?<\/summary>\n<p>The board suggests about 120 guided learning hours. Most schools teach it over two years, but you can go faster at home if you put in a little time every day.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"bl-faq\">\n<summary>What&#8217;s the difference between Biology and Human Biology?<\/summary>\n<p>Human Biology (4HB1) is a separate IGCSE that focuses on the human body. Biology (4BI1) also covers plants, microorganisms, ecology and biotechnology. You can take both.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"bl-faq\">\n<summary>Where can I find past papers?<\/summary>\n<p>The board&#8217;s International GCSE Biology page has past papers, mark schemes and examiner reports in its course materials section. The papers are coded 4BI1\/1B and 4BI1\/2B.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"bl-faq\">\n<summary>Can I use a calculator?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes, in both papers, as long as it can&#8217;t store text or formulae and doesn&#8217;t have a QWERTY keyboard.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<div class=\"bl-cta\"><span class=\"bl-cta-kicker\">Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Biology (4BI1)<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Learn every 4BI1 topic, from cells to cloning<\/h3>\n<p>Short lessons that follow the specification, with the practicals explained, flash cards for revision and games for the hard parts. Try it free first.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>260 short lessons that follow the Pearson Edexcel 4BI1 specification<\/li>\n<li>A quiz, a quiz show and a zombie defence game on every lesson<\/li>\n<li>4,408 flash cards, from easy to exam-hard<\/li>\n<li>10 3D Biology games for the hardest topics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"bl-cta-btns\"><a class=\"bl-btn bl-btn-main\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/content\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/1\/\">Try 3 lessons free \u2192<\/a><a class=\"bl-btn bl-btn-ghost\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainylemons.com\/courses\/pearson-edexcel\/igcse\/biology\/\">See the full course<\/a><\/div>\n<p class=\"bl-cta-note\">No card needed. Works on any device.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everything in Pearson Edexcel IGCSE Biology (4BI1): the five topics, how Paper 1B and Paper 2B work, the 14 practicals, real results and how to study it online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":145,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[39,13,38],"class_list":["post-118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biology","tag-biology","tag-exam-guide","tag-pearson-edexcel-igcse-biology","resize-featured-image"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Edexcel IGCSE Biology (4BI1): Topics, Papers, Practicals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Edexcel IGCSE Biology (4BI1) explained: the five topics, Paper 1B and 2B, 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