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
Valves in veins are important because they:
- Increase the blood pressure
- Prevent the backflow of blood
- Produce new red blood cells
- Filter waste from the blood
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — Prevent the backflow of blood
Blood in veins is at low pressure, so one-way valves stop it flowing backwards, particularly when returning against gravity from the legs.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3
The largest artery in the human body is the:
- Aorta
- Vena cava
- Pulmonary vein
- Coronary artery
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Aorta
The aorta leaves the left ventricle and carries oxygenated blood to the body. The vena cava is the largest vein, not an artery.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3
Which organelle is the site of photosynthesis in a plant cell?
- Mitochondrion
- Ribosome
- Chloroplast
- Vacuole
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Chloroplast
Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll and carry out photosynthesis. Mitochondria carry out aerobic respiration, and ribosomes build proteins.
Q4 · Difficulty 1/3
Which vessels carry blood away from the heart?
- capillaries
- venules
- arteries
- veins
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — arteries
Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
Q5 · Difficulty 1/3
The storage carbohydrate found in plants is:
- Chitin
- Lactose
- Glycogen
- Starch
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Starch
Plants store carbohydrate as starch. Glycogen is the animal store and chitin is a structural material in fungal walls.
Q6 · Difficulty 1/3
What role does the diaphragm play in breathing?
- It filters air
- It contracts (flattens) to increase chest volume for inhalation, relaxes (domes up) for exhalation
- It warms the air
- It produces mucus
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — It contracts (flattens) to increase chest volume for inhalation, relaxes (domes up) for exhalation
Inhalation: diaphragm contracts and flattens, intercostal muscles raise ribs → volume increases → pressure decreases → air rushes in.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3
Which blood vessel has the thickest muscular wall?
- Capillary
- Lacteal
- Vein
- Artery
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Artery
Arteries carry blood at high pressure straight from the heart, so they need thick muscular and elastic walls to withstand and smooth out the surges.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3
The green pigment that absorbs light for photosynthesis is:
- haemoglobin
- keratin
- melanin
- chlorophyll
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — chlorophyll
Chlorophyll absorbs light energy.
Pearson Edexcel International IGCSE Biology FAQ
What does the Pearson Edexcel International IGCSE Biology exam look like?
The Pearson Edexcel International IGCSE Biology exam is structured across 2 components. Paper 1: Objective and short-answer questions covering the breadth of the specification. Paper 2: Structured and extended-response questions testing depth of understanding. Total exam time varies by board and tier — typically 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
Can I download a free Pearson Edexcel International IGCSE Biology past paper?
Real Pearson Edexcel International past papers are published directly by Pearson Edexcel International 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 Pearson Edexcel International IGCSE Biology graded?
See the official board specification for the current grading scale. 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.