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VCE · VCE Units 3 & 4 · official past papers

VCE Biology past exams 2016–2025, by year and topic

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ATARMAxxing indexes 10 official VCAA Biology papers from 2016 to 2025, with 23 questions mapped to 7 areas of study. Every paper opens on the VCAA website.

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Study Design 2017–2021 · 2017–2021Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022) · 2022–2026

VCE Biology exams by year: official papers & marking guidance

Past exams indexed: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016. Open the official VCAA papers, with marking guidance where available.

YearStudy designOfficial paper(s)Marking guidance
2025 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2024 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2023 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2022 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2021 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2017–2021Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2020 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2017–2021Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2019 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2017–2021Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2018 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2017–2021Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2017 VCE Biology examStudy Design 2017–2021Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗
2016 VCE Biology examStudy Design pre-2017 (archive)Written examination ↗Marking guidance ↗

10 official papers across 10 years (2016–2025), 10 with marking guidance, published by VCAA. These span more than one study design; the most recent is Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022). Earlier papers may cover material that has since changed.

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How do cells function? · 9 mapped questions

Gene expression: transcription and translation

Protein structure and function

Gene structure and regulation

DNA manipulation techniques (CRISPR-Cas9)

DNA manipulation techniques (DNA profiling, gel electrophoresis)

DNA manipulation techniques (PCR)

mRNA processing and recombinant DNA technology

Operon regulation, gene expression modelling, evolution of the genetic code

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section B Q211 marksExplain enzyme catalysis, interpret a graph of operon-controlled enzyme activity against a model simulation (covering repression and attenuation), critique limitations of the model, and reason about a consequence of a former stop codon evolving to code for an amino acid.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Also in this areas of study: DNA and RNA structure · Regulation of gene expression (prokaryotic operons; eukaryotic regulatory genes) · Structure, function and post-translational modification of proteins · DNA manipulation techniques (PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA profiling, CRISPR-Cas9) · Recombinant DNA technology and its applications — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

How are biochemical pathways regulated? · 3 mapped questions

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section A Q14-218 marksA run of questions covering leaf arrangement and light capture, actual vs theoretical ATP yield, fermentation pathways producing acetic acid, inputs/outputs of photosynthesis and respiration stages, trends across limiting factors, and competitive enzyme inhibition of ATP synthase.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Rubisco activity in C3/C4/CAM plants; photorespiration; experimental design

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section B Q39 marksComplete a table locating and timing Rubisco/photosynthetic activity across C3, C4 and CAM plants, explain temperature's effect on photorespiration rate, and design/critique a controlled experiment testing that relationship.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Cellular respiration, hypoxia, electron transport chain, research ethics

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section B Q814 marksAnalyse an experiment injecting photosynthetic microorganisms into tadpoles to restore brain activity under hypoxia — covering choice of model organism, molecular requirements for oxygen production, why hypoxia halts neuron activity, a biochemical explanation for delayed activity restart, electron transport chain events, and evaluation of the study against bioethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Also in this areas of study: Enzyme structure, function and inhibition · Photosynthesis: light-dependent and light-independent stages · C3, C4 and CAM photosynthetic pathways and photorespiration · Cellular respiration: glycolysis, Krebs cycle, electron transport chain · Anaerobic fermentation pathways · Biotechnological applications of biochemical pathway manipulation — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Immunity · 3 mapped questions

Innate and adaptive immune response

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section A Q24-3310 marksA run of questions on pathogen/allergen classification, lymph node function, inflammatory response, innate immune molecules, plasma cell function, primary/secondary antibody response timing, vaccination and herd immunity, and antigenic drift vs shift.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Innate immune cells; extracellular vs intracellular pathogen response

Passive immunity, vaccination programs, monoclonal antibodies

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section B Q610 marksIdentify and justify the immunity type conferred to infants via maternal vaccination, explain the need for repeat boosters across pregnancies, explain an economic benefit of the program, and explain how a monoclonal antibody treatment reduces infection severity.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Also in this areas of study: Physical, chemical and microbiota barriers (first line of defence) · Innate immune response (second line of defence) · Adaptive immune response: humoral and cell-mediated immunity · Antigens, antibodies and immunological memory · Types of immunity: natural/artificial, active/passive · Vaccination, herd immunity and monoclonal antibody therapies · Antigenic drift and antigenic shift; emerging and re-emerging pathogens — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

How are species related? · 4 mapped questions

Evidence for evolutionary relationships

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section A Q34-385 marksInterpret a phylogenetic tree of dingoes and dog breeds, identify a primate characteristic from an image, reason about a transitional fossil, use rock-layer fossil dating to infer relative ages, and evaluate evidence that would refute a biogeographic hypothesis.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Founder effect, genetic drift/mutation, natural selection

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section B Q78 marksExplain the founder effect in an introduced insect population, identify the process behind observed DNA differences between founding and expanded colonies and its role in colony success, and explain a potential selection-driven genetic change in a competing native population.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Molecular homology, allopatric speciation

Hominin fossil evidence, ancient DNA, human evolution

  • 2025Study Design 2022–2026 (From 2022)Written examination Section B Q108 marksEvaluate fossil footprint evidence for hominin identity and species diversity, explain why two studies reached different interbreeding-timing conclusions from ancient-genome data, account for a change in Neanderthal-DNA percentage between ancient and present-day humans, and outline benefits of mtDNA for tracing hominin migration.Official paper ↗Marking guidance ↗Check tutors for this question →

Also in this areas of study: Evidence for evolutionary relationships (fossils, biogeography, structural and molecular homology) · Phylogenetic trees and classification · Mechanisms of evolution: mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, founder effect, natural selection · Patterns of evolution: convergent and divergent evolution, adaptive radiation · Speciation (allopatric and sympatric) and isolating mechanisms · Human evolution and hominin fossil/genetic evidence — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

How do humans impact on biological processes? · 1 mapped question

Genetic modification vs transgenic organisms; gene editing applications

Also in this areas of study: Genetic technologies: genetically modified vs transgenic organisms · Application of biotechnology in agriculture and medicine · Human impact on genetic diversity of populations · Bioethical considerations of biotechnology and genetic manipulation — question-level mapping in progress; the year table above links every official paper.

Science skills · 3 mapped questions

Experimental design and variables

Types of evidence (anecdotal vs scientific)

Experimental validity and data types

The rest of the study design

Question-level mapping for these areas is still being verified. Every official paper covering them is in the year table above.

  • Practical investigation (Unit 4 Area of Study 3) — Formulating a research question and hypothesis · Experimental design: variables, controls and validity · Data collection, analysis and evaluation · Scientific poster or report presentation of findings
  • Science skills (cross-study specifications, examinable across all areas) — Experimental design: independent, dependent and controlled variables · Qualitative vs quantitative data · Types and quality of evidence (anecdotal, correlational, experimental) · Validity, reliability and reproducibility of investigations · Bioethical concepts: beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, integrity

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