S2 E33 | OCR A Level Biology 2026 - Data-Driven Revision Priorities

If you are teaching OCR A level Biology and wondering where to focus revision for 2026, this episode breaks it down using nine years of past paper analysis.

In this episode, I share exactly:
• The topics that are consistently heavily assessed across Papers 1, 2 and 3
• What was significantly underassessed in 2025
• How those two datasets overlap and why that matters
• The highest priority topics for each paper
• How to approach synoptic revision effectively for Paper 3
• Why Module 2 foundations still matter, even when not explicitly tested

The key message this year is clear:
The topics that have historically driven exam performance are the same topics that were underrepresented in 2025.

This gives you a very strong, data-driven direction for what to prioritise now.

What to Focus on for 2026:

Paper 1 priorities:
• Transport in plants
• Excretion
• Neuronal and hormonal communication
• Communication and homeostasis
• Photosynthesis and respiration

Paper 2 priorities:
• Communicable diseases
• Biological molecules
• Manipulating genomes
• Cloning and biotechnology
• Biodiversity and evolution

Paper 3 priorities:
• Synoptic links across modules
• Respiration and photosynthesis
• Biodiversity
• Communicable diseases

Plus:
• How to embed Module 2 foundations across all revision

Links and Resources:

A Level Biology 2026 Practice Papers (AQA and OCR):
https://www.missestruch.co.uk/2026-A-Level-Biology-Practice-Papers 

These papers are designed to be as close to the real exam as possible, with:
• Realistic exam structure and question style
• A strong balance of AO1, AO2 and AO3
• Mark schemes included
• Optional video walkthroughs for full explanations

If you found this helpful:

Follow the podcast so you do not miss future episodes
Share it with a colleague teaching OCR this year
And explore the full dataset linked in the episode