BIEK Intermediate (HSC) Biology (Papers I and II): syllabus, papers and marking
Botany and Zoology are set as separate papers inside Biology I and II, with half-mark MCQs and reasoning short answers.
BIEK Model Paper 2026 (new book) · Annual series · grades A++ to U (IBCC scale)
BIEK Biology: where the marks go
BIEK sets Biology as a Botany and a Zoology component in each of Paper I and Paper II, with half-mark MCQs and short sections of 16 to 18 marks. The 2026 model paper (new book) asks Botany for the plasma membrane, bacteria, the C3 cycle, phytohormones and the life cycle of a fern in Paper I, and for succession, PCR, Mendel’s second law and translation in Paper II.
Zoology short questions are split into reasoning (“why”) and non-reasoning questions, so a student has to be able to explain, not only define. Marks go on exact terminology and labelled diagrams. Our papers keep each component’s own marks and choice rules.
Paper structure and what we mark
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I: Botany — Botany | 15 min + 1 h 45 min | 45 | 53% of Paper I | 18 half-mark MCQs (9); short answers 18; detailed answers 18 |
| Paper I: Zoology — Zoology | 20 min + 1 h 40 min | 40 | 47% of Paper I | 16 half-mark MCQs (8); any 8 short answers, 4 reasoning and 4 non-reasoning (16); detailed answers 16 |
| Paper II: Botany — Botany | 15 min + 1 h 45 min | 40 | 47% of Paper II | 16 half-mark MCQs (8); any 8 short answers (16); any 2 detailed answers (16) |
| Paper II: Zoology — Zoology | 20 min + 1 h 40 min | 45 | 53% of Paper II | 18 half-mark MCQs (9); any 9 short answers, 5 reasoning and 4 non-reasoning (18); detailed answers 18 |
Syllabus outline
- Botany topics seen in the 2026 model paper: cell structure and organelles; bacteria and viruses; photosynthesis and respiration; plant hormones; mineral nutrition; plant diversity and life cycles; ecology and succession; genetics, rDNA and PCR
- Zoology topics seen in the 2026 model paper: proteins and enzymes; animal diversity and classification (Aves, fishes); circulation and immunity; the nervous system and muscle contraction; the kidney and excretion; endocrine glands; reproduction and embryo development
How each paper is marked here
- The half-mark MCQs of each component are scored automatically against the key.
- Reasoning short questions are marked on the cause given; non-reasoning ones on keywords.
- Detailed answers are marked on the labelled diagram and each step.
Where BIEK Biology candidates lose marks
- Diagram unlabelled or labelled with the wrong part — Detailed questions on the cell, nephron, heart or reproductive system award marks for the labels. An unlabelled sketch, however neat, scores little.
- Differences written as two separate descriptions — “Differentiate between” needs a point-by-point comparison on the same feature, in two columns or two parallel sentences.
- Process steps in the wrong order — Pathway questions (respiration, photosynthesis, urine formation, protein synthesis) are marked step by step; reversing two steps usually loses both.
- Reasoning questions answered with a definition — Where the paper asks “why” or “how does”, naming the structure and stopping scores zero; the cause or mechanism is the mark.
- Terminology approximated — Keywords such as osmosis versus diffusion, homologous versus analogous or genotype versus phenotype are credited only when used exactly.
Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for BIEK Biology
See a real handwritten script marked by eight examiners at admitportfolio.com/examiners.
Questions teachers ask
- Are Botany and Zoology separate papers?
- They are separate components with their own marks and times, taken as parts of Biology I and Biology II.
- Is the practical marked?
- No. We mark the theory components.
- Is this official BIEK marking?
- No. Board of Intermediate Education Karachi marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for BIEK Biology. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
- Do you reproduce past-paper questions?
- No. Every Papers I and II paper here is original and written to the biek model paper 2026 (new book), in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
- Which papers are marked?
- None yet are marked question by question. 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 series. Grades A++ to U (IBCC scale).