OCR · GCSE · J247, J257
OCR GCSE Biology past papers
64 OCR GCSE Biology papers from 2018 to 2025, 64 with a mark scheme and 50 with an examiners' report. Every link opens the document on OCR's own website; we list them in one place and show which topics each series tested.
Which topics come up most
The topics that have carried the most marks across the OCR GCSE Biology papers we have tagged question by question. Topics with a revision guide link to it.
| Topic | Questions | Marks | Papers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology Required Practicals and Data Analysis | 78 | 449 | 25 of 28 |
| DNA, Genetics and Inheritance | 99 | 360 | 27 of 28 |
| Hormonal Coordination and Homeostasis | 63 | 344 | 15 of 28 |
| Ecosystems, Adaptation and Feeding Relationships | 74 | 323 | 16 of 28 |
| Biodiversity, Cycles and Human Impact | 46 | 268 | 14 of 28 |
| The Circulatory System and Heart | 37 | 201 | 22 of 28 |
| The Nervous System and Reflexes | 43 | 169 | 14 of 28 |
| Variation, Evolution and Selection | 40 | 160 | 16 of 28 |
| Plant Tissues, Transport and Transpiration | 39 | 138 | 15 of 28 |
| Respiration, Exercise and Metabolism | 24 | 116 | 14 of 28 |
| Cell Division and Stem Cells | 36 | 115 | 22 of 28 |
| Cell Structure and Microscopy | 31 | 105 | 17 of 28 |
| Photosynthesis | 28 | 102 | 16 of 28 |
| Human Defences, Vaccination and Drug Development | 34 | 99 | 13 of 28 |
| Transport in and out of Cells | 26 | 90 | 16 of 28 |
Counted from our own question-by-question tagging of 28 papers. A question that tests two topics counts towards both, so the marks column ranks topics rather than adding up to a paper total. Showing the top 15 of 20 topics.
All OCR GCSE Biology papers by year
June 2025
| Paper | Tier | Official documents (OCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 1: Breadth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2: Depth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3: Breadth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4: Depth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
June 2024
| Paper | Tier | Official documents (OCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 1: Breadth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2: Depth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3: Breadth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4: Depth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
June 2023
| Paper | Tier | Official documents (OCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 1: Breadth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2: Depth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3: Breadth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4: Depth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
June 2022
| Paper | Tier | Official documents (OCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 1: Breadth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2: Depth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3: Breadth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4: Depth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
November 2021
| Paper | Tier | Official documents (OCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Foundation | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 1: Breadth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 2 | Foundation | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 2: Depth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 3 | Higher | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 3: Breadth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 4 | Higher | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 4: Depth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark scheme |
November 2020
| Paper | Tier | Official documents (OCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Foundation | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 1: Breadth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 2 | Foundation | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 2: Depth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 3 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3: Breadth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark scheme |
| Paper 4 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4: Depth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark scheme |
June 2019
| Paper | Tier | Official documents (OCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 1: Breadth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2: Depth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3: Breadth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4: Depth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
June 2018
| Paper | Tier | Official documents (OCR) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 1: Breadth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2 | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 2: Depth in biology | Foundation | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 3: Breadth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4 | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
| Paper 4: Depth in biology | Higher | Question paperMark schemeExaminers' report |
Revise before you sit one
GCSE Biology past papers from other boards
- AQA GCSE Biology25 papers
- CCEA GCSE Biology53 papers
- Edexcel GCSE Biology24 papers
- WJEC GCSE Biology28 papers
Other OCR GCSE past papers
Practise the questions, not just the papers.
The past-paper tool lists every indexed Biology question by topic, with its paper, question number, marks and page, so you can sit only the ones you need.