WACE ATAR Biology study guide
WACE ATAR Biology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Western Australian Certificate of Education ATAR Biology course is a Year 11 and Year 12 senior secondary subject offered within the WACE, the senior secondary qualification administered by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA), the statutory body for Kindergarten to Year 10 and Years 11 and 12 in Western Australia. It suits students building an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank who intend to pursue biological science, health, environmental or related university pathways, and who are prepared to combine conceptual understanding with data interpretation and extended written explanation. The WACE ATAR Biology study guide has 4 sections and about 1,350 words.
01Science Inquiry Skills: Designing, Measuring and Evaluating Investigations
Science Inquiry Skills is the domain that tests how you do biology rather than what you have memorised. You need to be able to state a testable hypothesis that names the independent and dependent variables, identify controlled variables, choose an appropriate control group, and describe a sampling or measurement protocol that would actually produce reliable data.
376 words, about 2 min02Science as a Human Endeavour: How Biological Knowledge Is Built and Used
This domain examines biology as a human activity. You need to understand that scientific knowledge develops through peer review, replication and the accumulation of evidence, and that it is provisional - open to revision when new evidence appears.
331 words, about 2 min03Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Dynamics
You must understand how biodiversity is classified and measured, and how it is maintained by ecosystem processes. Key concepts include the three levels of biodiversity - genetic, species and ecosystem diversity - and classification using the binomial system and hierarchical taxa (domain to species).
319 words, about 2 min04Cells, Genetics and Evolution
This domain connects cell structure and function to inheritance and evolutionary change. You need to know the structure and function of organelles, the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and the processes of mitosis and meiosis, including crossing over and independent assortment as sources of genetic variation.
324 words, about 2 min