This document provides guidance on answering questions for Paper 2. Section A contains 5 multiple choice questions, while Section B has 4 essay questions but students only need to answer 2. When answering questions, students should carefully read the question and key terms, use precise science language, and include all necessary details and explanations based on the marks allocated for each question. Following these tips will help students to fully respond to the questions and score more marks on their paper.

2. Paper 2 Section A (5 questions)
 Structure type
 Answer all
Section B (4 questions)
 Essay type
 Answer two

3. Section A
 Before answering
1. Read carefully and understand the statement.
Example
 A housewife makes salted vegetables by
immersing vegetable in a concentrated salt
solution.
 Figure 1 shows two different
concentrations of sucrose separated by
semi-permeable membrane
Usually short and simple

4. 2. Read carefully the questions and take note of
the key words.
3. Some common key words are:
Key words Expectations
Define •Give the meaning
•All the important terms must be included
State / Name •Just give the answer without any
explanations / elaborations
Compare / •Both items must be mentioned and
Compare and compared
contrast / •Comparison must be done on the same
Difference aspect
Explain / •State the answer first (facts) followed by
Describe / explanations / elaborations
Discuss
Draw / Draw and •Use pencil to draw
label / Sketch •Use pen to label
graph

5. 4. Look at the marks given. More marks means
more points should be given. Some marks may be
given for explanations (depending on questions).
Example
1. Give the definition of active transport. (3m)
 Have at least 3 important terms
2. State the function of mitochondria and rough ER. (2m)
 1 function of mitochondria and 1 function of rough ER
3. Describe how Amoeba sp. feed. (5m)
 1 m for the name of Amoeba feeding (phagocytosis)
 4 m for explaining how phagocytosis occur
4. Explain what happen when plant cell is immersed in
concentrated salt solution. (4m)
 1 m for the type of solution (hypertonic)
 1 m for explaining the movement of water
 2 m for explaining the condition of vacuole and cytoplasm

6.  When answering
1. Make sure you use the correct terms.
Example
Water diffuse through plasma membrane through
the process osmosis
NOT
Water move / travel through plasma membrane
through diffusion

7. 2. Be precise and write answer in detail.
Use the 5W1H questions as guidance.
Example
1. Give the definition of active transport. (3m)
• Movement of substances across plasma membrane (1m)
• Against concentration gradient (1m)
• Requires energy / ATP and carrier protein (1m)
2. State the function of mitochondria and rough ER. (2m)
• Mitochondria – synthesise energy via cellular respiration (1m)
• Rough ER – transport protein which is synthesised by ribosomes
(1m)

8. 3. Describe how Amoeba sp. feed. (5m)
• Amoeba sp. engulfs food via phagocytosis (1m)
• Pseudopodia enclose food and is packaged into food vacuole (1m)
• Food vacuole fuses with a lysosome (1m)
• Hydrolytic enzyme is excreted into food vacuole (1m)
• Food is digested and nutrients are absorbed (1m)
4. Explain what happen when plant cell is immersed in concentrated
salt solution. (4m)
• The cell is plasmolysed / flaccid / undergone plasmolysis (1m)
• Salt solution is hypertonic to plant cell (1m)
• Water diffuse out from the cell (1m)
• Cytoplasm and vacuole shrinks (1m)
• Plasma membrane pulls away from cell wall (1m)

9. Section B
 The answering techniques to answer Section B is
quite similar to that of Section A.
 However, do take note of the marks given and the
number of points that you should be giving.
Example
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of deforestation. (8m)
 In essay, 8 marks means you should give 4 points and 4
elaborations.
 So, for this particular question, you can give 2 advantages (with
elaborations for each point) and 2 disadvantages (with
elaborations for each point).
 I’d advise you to make your points balanced (2 advantages & 2
disadvantages) instead of having 3:1 ratio.