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CXC CAPE · · Biology

Free CXC CAPE Biology
Practice Paper

8 mixed-difficulty practice questions in the style of real CXC CAPE papers — answers, mark-scheme-style explanations, and the official exam structure all on one page.

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What the real CXC CAPE Biology paper looks like

Paper 01 (Multiple Choice)
45 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. About 1 hour 30 minutes. Tests knowledge across all three Modules of the Unit.
Paper 02 (Essay / Structured)
Extended essay and structured questions, one per Module. Around 2 hours 30 minutes. Tests developed argument, application and use of examples.
Paper 03 (Internal Assessment)
School-Based Assessment for school candidates (Paper 03/1) or an alternative written paper for private candidates (Paper 03/2). Coursework/research component worth a significant share of the Unit grade.
Total written exam time: ~4 hours across Paper 01 and Paper 02, plus the Internal Assessment.
Grading: Unit grades: I (highest) to VII (lowest), with a Grade Point Average and per-Module profile. Grades I–V are the pass range for most purposes.

Mini practice paper: 8 questions

Mixed-difficulty questions from across the Biology syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.

Q1 · Difficulty 1/3

What is the water potential of pure water?

  1. Minus 100 kilopascals
  2. Zero
  3. Plus 100 kilopascals
  4. It varies with temperature only
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Zero
Award 1 mark. Adding any solute lowers it, so every solution has a negative water potential.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3

Which process requires ATP?

  1. Active transport
  2. Simple diffusion
  3. Facilitated diffusion
  4. Osmosis
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Active transport
Award 1 mark. It is the only one of the four that moves substances against their concentration gradient.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3

Which structure controls what enters and leaves the nucleus?

  1. The nucleolus
  2. The nuclear pores
  3. The chromatin
  4. The tonoplast
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — The nuclear pores
Award 1 mark. Messenger RNA and ribosomal subunits pass out through them, and regulatory molecules pass in.
Q4 · Difficulty 1/3

What is the role of a glycoprotein in the cell surface membrane?

  1. To synthesise ATP for active transport
  2. To store calcium ions
  3. To form the hydrophobic core
  4. To act as a receptor or as an antigen for cell recognition
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — To act as a receptor or as an antigen for cell recognition
Award 1 mark. It also helps cells adhere to one another.
Q5 · Difficulty 1/3

What is the small extra loop of DNA found in many bacteria called?

  1. A nucleoid
  2. A plasmid
  3. A chromatid
  4. A capsule
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — A plasmid
Award 1 mark. Plasmids carry additional genes including those for antibiotic resistance, and are the vector used in genetic engineering.
Q6 · Difficulty 1/3

Which pH is closest to the optimum for pepsin?

  1. pH 7
  2. pH 9
  3. pH 11
  4. pH 2
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — pH 2
Award 1 mark. Pepsin works in the stomach, whereas trypsin in the small intestine has an optimum near pH 8.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3

A plant cell that is full of water and pressing against its wall is described as:

  1. Plasmolysed
  2. Flaccid
  3. Turgid
  4. Crenated
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Turgid
Award 1 mark. The wall pushes back, generating pressure potential, which is what supports non-woody plant tissue.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3

What does it mean to describe a phospholipid as amphipathic?

  1. It carries an overall negative charge
  2. It has both a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic region
  3. It can act as both an acid and a base
  4. It is found in both plant and animal membranes
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — It has both a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic region
Award 1 mark. That dual character is what drives bilayer formation in an aqueous environment.
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CXC CAPE Biology FAQ

What does the CXC CAPE Biology exam look like?
The CXC CAPE Biology exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 01 (Multiple Choice): 45 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. About 1 hour 30 minutes. Tests knowledge across all three Modules of the Unit. Paper 02 (Essay / Structured): Extended essay and structured questions, one per Module. Around 2 hours 30 minutes. Tests developed argument, application and use of examples. Paper 03 (Internal Assessment): School-Based Assessment for school candidates (Paper 03/1) or an alternative written paper for private candidates (Paper 03/2). Coursework/research component worth a significant share of the Unit grade. Total written exam time: ~4 hours across Paper 01 and Paper 02, plus the Internal Assessment.
Can I download a free CXC CAPE Biology past paper?
Real CXC CAPE past papers are published directly by CXC CAPE on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is CXC CAPE Biology graded?
Unit grades: I (highest) to VII (lowest), with a Grade Point Average and per-Module profile. Grades I–V are the pass range for most purposes. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.