IGCSE Biology: hardest papers & score statistics

Across 1,868 attempts from 339 students, IGCSE Biology averages 87.4% with a median of 90%, and a typical timed sitting takes about 16 minutes. The median sitting above the mean tells you most students do well, with a tail of lower scores pulling the average down.

Biology is the friendliest of the big IGCSE sciences in our data: the highest average of the four and the quickest to finish. That doesn't mean it's easy marks, it means the few harder papers (the 2025 sittings score lowest) are exactly where a careless run will cost you relative to everyone else.

Every paper, ranked by difficulty

The table lists every IGCSE Biology paper with at least 30 recorded attempts, hardest first. The hardest is the 2025 Oct/Nov Paper 2 (Extended) (Variant 2) at 82.2%; the most comfortable is the 2023 Oct/Nov Paper 2 (Extended) (Variant 1) at 93.7%. Practising from the top of this list is the fastest way to expose weak spots.

How scores are distributed

About 86% of IGCSE Biology attempts land at 80% or above. That clustering near the top is why the harder papers above matter so much: when everyone is scoring well, a few dropped marks move you a long way down the pack.

Put it into practice

Read the IGCSE Biology revision guide for how to use these papers in a revision plan, or browse the other subject breakdowns in the Revision Hub. When you're ready, you can attempt any of these papers free on QuickMark.