Higher Biology practice questions

Original questions for all eight sections: Section 1 style multiple choice, and Section 2 style questions with data checked and written answers read by Mia.

Question paper	2 hours 30 minutes, 100 marks
Section 1	20 marks of multiple choice
Section 2	80 marks of written answers
Exam day 2027	Wednesday 12 May, 09:00 to 11:30

Try 4 questions

Question 1Section 1 style

During DNA replication, what happens just before a primer binds to a template strand?

Question 2Section 1 style

A river changed its course and split a population of voles into two groups that could not cross it. About 6000 years later the river returned to its old course, and the two groups now live together in the same meadows. When voles from the two groups mate, their offspring are all infertile. Which statement is correct?

Question 3Section 1 style

Salt concentration of body fluids (arbitrary units) of two invertebrates in water of four salt concentrations. Water 200: X 210, Y 520. Water 400: X 405, Y 540. Water 600: X 600, Y 550. Water 800: X 790, Y 560.
Salt concentration of water	Species X body fluids	Species Y body fluids
200	210	520
400	405	540
600	600	550
800	790	560

Two estuary invertebrates, X and Y, were kept in water of different salt concentrations, and the salt concentration of their body fluids was measured (arbitrary units). Water: 200, 400, 600 and 800. Species X: 210, 405, 600 and 790. Species Y: 520, 540, 550 and 560. Which conclusion is correct?

Question 4Section 1 style

A table for starling flocks of 1, 5, 20 and 50 birds. Time each bird spends scanning: 60%, 35%, 15%, 10%. Hawk attacks that catch a bird: 40%, 20%, 8%, 5%.
Flock size	Time each bird spends scanning (%)	Hawk attacks that catch a bird (%)
1	60	40
5	35	20
20	15	8
50	10	5

Starlings feeding in flocks of different sizes were watched. Time that a bird does not spend scanning for predators is spent feeding. The table shows, for flocks of 1, 5, 20 and 50 birds, the percentage of time each bird spent scanning (60, 35, 15 and 10) and the percentage of hawk attacks that caught a bird (40, 20, 8 and 5). Which conclusion do the data support?

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Are these past paper questions?

No. Every question is original, written for the 2026-27 course specification.