AKU-EB SSC (Matric) Biology (IX–X): syllabus, papers and marking
AKU-EB MCQs are applied and data-based, and Paper II marks follow the syllabus exam-specification table topic by topic. Papers are built to that table.
Biology SSC Syllabus 2025 (Grade IX from 2026, Grade X from 2027) · Annual and September series · grades A++ to U (IBCC scale)
AKU-EB SSC Biology: where the marks go
AKU-EB SSC Biology is a 75-mark qualification sat at the end of each class: Paper I is 40 compulsory MCQs on an OMR sheet, Paper II is 25 marks of constructed responses (13 marks) and two 6-mark extended responses, each chosen from two, and Paper III is a 10-mark practical held separately. Papers I and II share a three-hour sitting. The syllabus fixes MCQ, CRQ and ERQ marks topic by topic, and the cognitive weighting is Remember 10 to 15%, Understand 55 to 60% and Apply 20 to 30%. Marks are won on the exact term, a reason attached to each described process and labelled diagrams, so loose wording is the usual leak.
AdmitPortfolio builds Biology papers to that table. The MCQs are applied and data-based, not one-line recall, and Paper II follows the topic-by-topic marks. Paper I scores automatically; Paper II is marked question by question as each rubric is released, with the exact term and the reason behind each lost mark named.
Paper structure and what we mark
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I — Multiple Choice | 3 h (Papers I and II) | 40 | 53% | 40 compulsory four-option MCQs on an OMR sheet |
| Paper II — Constructed and Extended Response | — | 25 | 33% | CRQs (13 marks) and two 6-mark ERQs, each choose one from two |
| Paper III — Practical | Separate | 10 | 13% | Practical exam with journal |
Syllabus outline
- Introduction to Biology
- Solving a Biological Problem
- Biodiversity
- Cells and Tissues
- Gaseous Exchange
- Enzymes
- Bioenergetics
- Nutrition and Digestion
- Transport
- Biostatistics
- Cell Cycle
- Homeostasis
- Coordination and Control
- Support and Movement
- Reproduction
- Inheritance
- Man and His Environment
- Biotechnology
- Pharmacology
How each paper is marked here
- Paper I (40 MCQs) is scored automatically and reported by topic against the syllabus table.
- Constructed responses are marked for the exact term or step asked for; extended responses for completeness of the explanation, with labelled diagrams credited.
- Practical marks come from the school’s practical exam and journal and are outside the written marking.
Where AKU-EB SSC Biology candidates lose marks
- Describing where an explanation is asked — Describe and explain are different tasks. A process listed without the reason it happens loses the reasoning mark.
- Diagrams without labels, or labels that miss the part — Unlabelled diagrams cost marks in extended answers, and a label line must touch the structure it names.
- Terms used interchangeably — Diffusion for osmosis, breathing for respiration, gene for allele: in biology the exact word is frequently the mark.
- Data and scenario items answered from memory — Stem-and-data questions reward reading the information given. Recalled textbook facts tend to land on the distractor written for them.
- Either/or extended answers that run across both options — Each extended response is either/or. Writing half of each leaves neither complete and leaves the examiner with nothing full to credit.
Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for AKU-EB SSC Biology
See a real handwritten script marked by eight examiners at admitportfolio.com/examiners.
Questions teachers ask
- Which sittings are examined?
- AKU-EB examines the syllabus in both the Annual and the September sessions.
- How is Paper II marked?
- Paper II is 25 marks: 13 for constructed responses and 12 for two 6-mark extended responses, each chosen from two. Marks follow the exam-specification table by topic.
- Is the practical marked on the platform?
- No. Paper III is a separate practical exam with a journal, held at the school.
- Is this official AKU-EB marking?
- No. Aga Khan University Examination Board marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for AKU-EB SSC Biology. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
- Do you reproduce past-paper questions?
- No. Every IX–X paper here is original and written to the biology ssc syllabus 2025 (grade ix from 2026, grade x from 2027), in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
- Which papers are marked?
- None yet are marked question by question; Paper I are scored instantly. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.
- How is the next paper chosen?
- From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.
- When are the exams?
- Annual and September series. Grades A++ to U (IBCC scale).