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Selective breeding: Edexcel International GCSE Biology questions

Every Edexcel International GCSE Biology exam question on Selective breeding (specification points 5.10–5.11), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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1,862 questions

  1. Q9(b)

    June 2025 · Paper 1

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  2. Q2(e)

    June 2024 · Paper 1

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  3. Q9(a)

    November 2023 · Paper 1

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  4. Q9(b)

    November 2023 · Paper 1

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  5. Q9(c)(i)

    November 2023 · Paper 1

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  6. Q6(a)(i)

    June 2023 · Paper 2

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  7. Q3(c)(ii)

    January 2023 · Paper 2

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  8. Q8(b)(iv)

    January 2023 (R) · Paper 1

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  9. Q9(a)

    June 2022 · Paper 1

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  10. Q9(b)(i)

    June 2022 · Paper 1

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  11. Q9(b)(ii)

    June 2022 · Paper 1

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  12. Q9(b)(iii)

    June 2022 · Paper 1

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  13. Q4(a)

    January 2022 · Paper 2

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  14. Q1(b)

    November 2020 (R) · Paper 2

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  15. Q1(c)(i)

    November 2020 (R) · Paper 2

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  16. Q1(c)(ii)

    November 2020 (R) · Paper 2

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  17. Q1(d)

    November 2020 (R) · Paper 2

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  18. Q1(e)

    November 2020 (R) · Paper 2

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  19. Q1(f)

    November 2020 (R) · Paper 2

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All 19 questions on Selective breeding, as a list
  1. June 2025, Paper 1, Q9(b) (2 marks): Scientists can also produce new varieties of plants by selective breeding. Give two differences between the use of genetic modification and selective breeding t
  2. June 2024, Paper 1, Q2(e) (3 marks): A farmer has two varieties of a plant species. One variety has a red flower colour and no scent. The other variety has a white flower colour and a perfumed scen
  3. November 2023, Paper 1, Q9(a) (3 marks): Explain why selective breeding with crop plants is easier and quicker than selective breeding with farm animals. (3)
  4. November 2023, Paper 1, Q9(b) (4 marks): Selective breeding in cattle has been used to improve features such as higher milk yield, longer life and increased muscle mass. Describe how selective breeding
  5. November 2023, Paper 1, Q9(c)(i) (2 marks): Suggest why an animal with a calmer temperament may be more suitable for the farmer on a dairy farm. (2)
  6. June 2023, Paper 2, Q6(a)(i) (2 marks): Describe how selective breeding can produce snapdragon plants with brightly coloured flowers. (2)
  7. January 2023, Paper 2, Q3(c)(ii) (2 marks): Describe how a farmer could use selective breeding to increase the height of cattle. (2)
  8. January 2023 (R), Paper 1, Q8(b)(iv) (3 marks): Dog breeders use selective breeding to try to remove harmful alleles from dog breeds. Explain how selective breeding could be used to remove the allele for sens
  9. June 2022, Paper 1, Q9(a) (3 marks): Describe how scientists could use selective breeding to increase wheat yield. (3)
  10. June 2022, Paper 1, Q9(b)(i) (5 marks): Plot a line graph to show how the mean yield changes from 1840 to 2020. Use a ruler to join the points with straight lines. (5)
  11. June 2022, Paper 1, Q9(b)(ii) (3 marks): In 1960, a dwarf variety of wheat replaced the old variety. Scientists compared the percentage change in yield for the two varieties. The percentage change in y
  12. June 2022, Paper 1, Q9(b)(iii) (3 marks): Dwarf wheat has a shorter, thicker stem than the old variety. Suggest why growing dwarf wheat is an advantage for farmers. (3)
  13. January 2022, Paper 2, Q4(a) (2 marks): Selective breeding is often used to produce fish that grow rapidly and do not waste much food. Explain how selective breeding can be used to produce fish that g
  14. November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q1(b) (2 marks): Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your own knowledge to answer the questions that follow. Toystory Toystory is a bull who was born
  15. November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q1(c)(i) (1 mark): Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your own knowledge to answer the questions that follow. Toystory Toystory is a bull who was born
  16. November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q1(c)(ii) (1 mark): Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your own knowledge to answer the questions that follow. Toystory Toystory is a bull who was born
  17. November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q1(d) (2 marks): Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your own knowledge to answer the questions that follow. Toystory Toystory is a bull who was born
  18. November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q1(e) (3 marks): Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your own knowledge to answer the questions that follow. Toystory Toystory is a bull who was born
  19. November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q1(f) (2 marks): Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your own knowledge to answer the questions that follow. Toystory Toystory is a bull who was born

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