A little Biology, every day. Learn on YouTube

What would you like to understand?

Start somewhere interesting

Search articles, Cambridge topics, lessons and the Biology Lab.Esc to close

CAMBRIDGE O LEVEL BIOLOGY · 5090

Know it. Explain it. Earn the point.

Write first, then compare your reasoning with clear teaching points and a model answer.

Original independent practice for the 2026–2028 syllabus. These are not official past-paper questions or Cambridge mark schemes.

38 original questions · 19 topics0/38 attempted on this browserBack up or sync your answers ↗

READ THE INSTRUCTION

What is the question asking?

Choose the command word that best matches the task.

Give the meaning of osmosis.

1 / 10 command-word exercises
Open the command-word reference

State

Give the requested fact clearly and briefly.

Adding unrelated detail can obscure the fact.

Identify

Select or name the relevant feature from the evidence.

Describing everything does not identify the feature.

Describe

Report features, observations or a pattern in a logical order.

A cause is not a substitute for the observed pattern.

Explain

Connect a cause or mechanism to its consequence.

Repeating the observation does not explain it.

Compare

Pair the relevant similarities and differences.

Two disconnected lists make comparison unclear.

Calculate

Use the data, show the method and give the appropriate unit.

Mixing units or choosing the wrong denominator changes the result.

Predict

Use the available evidence to propose a likely outcome.

An unsupported guess ignores the supplied conditions.

Suggest

Apply biology to propose a plausible response to the situation.

There can be several valid answers; make yours relevant.

Evaluate

Weigh relevant strengths, limitations or evidence to reach a judgement.

A one-sided list gives little basis for judgement.

Define

Give the precise biological meaning.

An example alone is not a definition.

Independent teaching guidance. Check the official 5090 syllabus for the full command-word list.

38 questions match. Your latest saved response to each question is kept.

CellsCalculate · 2 marks

A cell image is 36 mm long. Its actual length is 60 μm. Calculate the magnification. Show your working.

Use the data, show the method and give the appropriate unit.

CellsExplain · 2 marks

Explain two ways in which a root hair cell is adapted for absorbing mineral ions from dilute soil solution.

Connect a cause or mechanism to its consequence.

ClassificationCompare · 3 marks

Compare the cells of a bacterium and a flowering plant. Give one similarity and two differences.

Pair the relevant similarities and differences.

ClassificationIdentify · 2 marks

An animal has a segmented body, an exoskeleton and jointed legs. It has three pairs of legs and one pair of antennae. Identify its phylum and its arthropod class.

Select or name the relevant feature from the evidence.

Page 1 of 10