Biology: should I choose it?

What will I learn?

How will I be assessed?

Progression and companion subjects

No complete companion or exclusion review is attached to this profile. Check the official course-entry conditions, language eligibility and your school’s sequence before enrolling. Links between resource hubs show related learning; they do not establish a compulsory prerequisite.

Will I find it hard?

Difficulty depends on your experience, interests, teaching and assessment. These are our reflection prompts, not an official difficulty rating.

• Look at how much data, calculation and graph interpretation appear in the sample for this particular science.
• Can you explain the ideas in your own words as well as recall the terminology?
• Do investigations and evaluating evidence interest you? Check the course’s practical requirements.

Does it scale up or down?

Biology, 2025. UAC Table A3 reports separate means for reported HSC marks and scaled marks per unit, with candidature for each course in 2025. These are cohort statistics. They do not supply individual raw exam marks or a conversion between the two columns. Historical cohort data cannot predict your result or a future scaling direction.

Scaling is not a measure of difficulty or a guaranteed bonus. Prioritise content you can engage with and required subjects for courses you are considering.

Try a little of the subject

Cells as the basis of life

Every living thing is made of one or more cells, and every cell comes from a pre-existing cell. This idea, the cell theory , is the foundation for the whole Year 11 course. Cells fall into two broad groups. Prokaryotic cells (bacteria and archaea) are small, usually 1–10 µm, and lack a membrane-bound nucleus. Their DNA is a single circular chromosome in a region called the nucleoid, often with extra small loops called plasmids. They have 70S ribosomes, a cell wall (peptidoglycan in bacteria), and sometimes a capsule, flagella and pili. Eukaryotic cells (animals, plants, fungi, protists) are larger, usually 10–100 µm, and are compartmentalised by internal membranes into organelles. Nucleus – double membrane (nuclear envelope) with pores; holds linear chromosomes; nucleolus makes ribosomal subunits. Ribosomes – 80S, free or on rough ER; site of protein synthesis. Rough ER – folds and transports proteins; smooth ER – lipid synthesis and detoxification. Golgi apparatus – modifies, sorts and packages proteins into vesicles for secretion. Mitochondria – double membrane, inner membrane folded into cristae; site of aerobic respiration. Chloroplasts (plants only) – double membrane, thylakoids stacked into grana; site of photosynthesis. Lysosomes (mainly animal) – contain digestive enzymes; vacuole – large permanent central vacuole in plants maintains turgor. Cell wall (plants: cellulose) – support and resistance to bursting. Plant cells have a cellulose wall, chloroplasts and a large central vacuole; animal cells lack these but have centrioles and often small vacuoles and lysosomes. Both have a cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, ER, Golgi and ribosomes. Microscopy and cell size. A light microscope uses visible light and lenses; total magnification = eyepiece × obje

Original practice question: Which structure would be present in a bacterial cell?

This is ATARMAxxing’s original sample learning material. It is not an official assessment task or a prediction of your school’s workload.

Explore the resources

Open the Biology subject hub and free preview (opens in a new tab)

• Biology — HSC Year 12 (opens in a new tab)

Core subject information and planning are free. Full study resources are optional.