Preparing for Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 Paper 2? These are the most repeated MCQ topics chapter by chapter. Revise these and walk in confident.
Why Chapter-wise MCQ Revision Works Better
Most students open a past paper and go through all 40 questions from start to finish. They mark it. They see the score. And then they move to the next paper.
This approach misses something important.
When you do past papers randomly without organising them by chapter, you do not see the pattern. You do not realise that enzyme questions almost always test the same three concepts. Or that genetics MCQs follow a very predictable structure year after year.
Chapter-wise MCQ revision changes this completely.
When your child goes through all the past paper MCQs from one chapter together, they start to see what Cambridge actually keeps testing. They stop being surprised by questions. They start recognising the question type before they finish reading it. And that recognition saves time and builds confidence on exam day.
This is exactly the approach we use at BioKatalyst when preparing students for IGCSE Biology 0610 Paper 2.
Here are the most repeated MCQ topics and question patterns, chapter by chapter, based on Cambridge IGCSE Biology past papers.
Chapter 1: Characteristics and Classification of Living Organisms
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
The seven characteristics of living organisms come up regularly. Students are often asked to identify which characteristic is being demonstrated in a given scenario. For example, a plant growing towards light is demonstrating sensitivity, not growth. Students who have not thought about each characteristic carefully often pick the wrong one.
Classification questions ask students to identify which kingdom or group an organism belongs to based on given features. Fungi, bacteria, viruses, and protoctists are commonly tested. Students mix up prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms here. Bacteria are prokaryotic. They have no nucleus. This distinction comes up very often.
Binomial nomenclature is tested occasionally. Students should know that the genus name is written first with a capital letter and the species name follows in lowercase.
What to focus on: Know all seven characteristics with clear examples. Know the key features of each kingdom. Understand the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Chapter 2: Organisation of the Organism
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
The hierarchy from cell to organism is frequently tested. The correct order is cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism. Students who mix up tissue and organ lose easy marks here.
Specialised cells come up often. Students are asked to match a cell to its function based on its structure. Ciliated cells, root hair cells, red blood cells, and palisade cells are the most commonly tested. Each one has a specific structural feature that links directly to its function.
What to focus on: Know the levels of organisation in order. Know the structure and function of at least five specialised cells. Be able to explain how the structure of each cell helps it carry out its function.
Chapter 3: Movement In and Out of Cells
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
This is one of the highest scoring chapters for MCQs across Cambridge IGCSE Biology past papers. Questions on diffusion, osmosis, and active transport appear in almost every series.
The most repeated question type shows a diagram of a cell in a solution and asks what will happen to the cell. Students must know the direction water moves based on water potential. Water moves from higher water potential to lower water potential by osmosis.
Students are also regularly asked to identify which process requires energy. Active transport is the only one of the three that uses energy. This comes up directly and also indirectly through scenarios.
Facilitated diffusion is sometimes included as an option. Students need to know that it moves substances down a concentration gradient using protein channels but does not require energy.
What to focus on: Be very clear on the differences between diffusion, osmosis, active transport, and facilitated diffusion. Practise the water potential direction rule until it is automatic.
Chapter 4: Biological Molecules
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
Food tests come up extremely regularly. Students must know the results of the Benedict’s test, iodine test, biuret test, and emulsion test. They should know both the reagent used and the colour change that indicates a positive result.
Questions also ask students to identify which molecule is being described based on its function or structure. Glucose, starch, protein, and fat are the main ones. Students sometimes confuse the roles of starch and glycogen. Starch is the storage carbohydrate in plants. Glycogen is the storage carbohydrate in animals.
What to focus on: Memorise all four food tests including reagent and positive result colour. Know the difference between starch, glucose, glycogen, and cellulose. Know the building blocks of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
Chapter 5: Enzymes
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
Enzyme questions appear in every single Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 Paper 2. Without exception.
The most repeated question types are about the effect of temperature on enzyme activity, the effect of pH on enzyme activity, and the lock and key model.
Students are asked to interpret graphs showing enzyme activity at different temperatures or pH levels. They need to identify the optimum, explain what happens above the optimum, and use the word denatured correctly.
The lock and key model is tested through diagrams and written descriptions. Students should be able to explain that the substrate fits into the active site because of a complementary shape. When the enzyme is denatured, the active site shape changes and the substrate can no longer bind.
Enzyme inhibitors are tested at extended level. Competitive inhibitors have a similar shape to the substrate and block the active site. Non-competitive inhibitors bind elsewhere on the enzyme and change the active site shape.
What to focus on: Practise interpreting enzyme activity graphs. Know the terms optimum, denatured, active site, and substrate. Know what happens at high temperature and extreme pH values and why.
Chapter 6: Plant Nutrition
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
The word equation and symbol equation for photosynthesis are directly tested. Students must know that carbon dioxide and water are the raw materials and that glucose and oxygen are the products.
Limiting factors for photosynthesis come up frequently. Light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration, and temperature are the three main limiting factors. Students are asked to look at a graph and identify which factor is limiting at a given point.
Questions also ask about the structure of a leaf and how it is adapted for photosynthesis. The palisade layer, chloroplasts, stomata, and air spaces all come up. Students should be able to link each structure to its function in photosynthesis.
What to focus on: Know the photosynthesis equation forwards and backwards. Practise reading limiting factor graphs. Know the leaf structure and be able to explain how each feature helps photosynthesis happen.
Chapter 7: Human Nutrition
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
The functions of nutrients are regularly tested. Students are asked what deficiency disease results from a lack of a specific vitamin or mineral. Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy. Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets. Iron deficiency causes anaemia. These come up directly.
The digestive system is tested through diagrams. Students are asked to identify organs and state what happens in each one. The stomach, small intestine, liver, and pancreas are most commonly tested.
Enzymes of digestion come up often. Students should know which enzyme digests which substrate and where it is produced. Amylase digests starch, protease digests protein, and lipase digests fats.
What to focus on: Know the deficiency diseases for key vitamins and minerals. Know the digestive enzymes, their substrates, and where they are produced. Practise labelling the digestive system diagram.
Chapter 8: Transport in Plants
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
Xylem and phloem are tested in almost every past paper series. Students must know that xylem transports water and minerals upwards from roots to leaves. Phloem transports dissolved sugars in both directions.
Transpiration questions ask students to identify which conditions increase the rate of transpiration. Higher temperature, lower humidity, increased light intensity, and increased wind speed all increase transpiration rate. This comes up as a direct question and also as a data interpretation question.
The structure of root hair cells is tested. Students should be able to explain how the long, thin root hair increases surface area for water absorption by osmosis.
What to focus on: Be very clear on xylem versus phloem. Know all the factors that affect transpiration rate. Know how to explain water movement from soil to leaf in sequence.
Chapter 9: Transport in Animals
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
The heart and circulation are heavily tested. Students are asked to identify chambers, valves, and blood vessels on diagrams. The most commonly confused point is the pulmonary circuit versus the systemic circuit.
Students must know that the pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. The pulmonary vein carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium. This is tested directly and through elimination questions.
Blood components are tested regularly. The functions of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma come up. Students should know that red blood cells have no nucleus to carry more haemoglobin. White blood cells have a nucleus and are involved in immunity.
What to focus on: Practise labelling the heart diagram. Be very clear on which vessels carry oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. Know the functions of all four blood components.
Chapter 10: Diseases and Immunity
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
Types of immunity are tested in nearly every past paper. Students must know the difference between active and passive immunity and between natural and artificial immunity. Vaccination gives artificial active immunity. Breast feeding gives natural passive immunity.
Antibodies and antigens come up frequently. Students should know that antigens are on the surface of pathogens and that antibodies are produced by lymphocytes in response to a specific antigen.
The spread of infectious diseases is also tested. Students should know how cholera, malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis are transmitted and how their spread can be reduced.
What to focus on: Know all four types of immunity with one example each. Know the difference between antigens and antibodies. Know how common diseases are transmitted.
Chapter 11: Gas Exchange and Respiration
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
Aerobic and anaerobic respiration equations are directly tested. Students should know that aerobic respiration produces carbon dioxide and water and releases more energy. Anaerobic respiration in humans produces lactic acid. In yeast it produces ethanol and carbon dioxide.
The structure of the lungs and alveoli is tested through diagrams and written questions. Students should be able to explain how alveoli are adapted for efficient gas exchange, linking features like large surface area, thin walls, and good blood supply to their function.
What to focus on: Know both respiration equations. Know the differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Know the adaptations of the alveoli for gas exchange.
Chapter 12: Excretion
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
The kidney and its role in excretion and osmoregulation come up regularly. Students are asked about the process of filtration and reabsorption in the nephron. They should know that useful substances like glucose and water are reabsorbed back into the blood.
Students are also asked about the effect of ADH on the kidney. When the body is dehydrated, more ADH is released, more water is reabsorbed, and urine becomes more concentrated. When the body has excess water, less ADH is released and urine becomes more dilute.
What to focus on: Know the basic structure of the kidney and nephron. Understand filtration and reabsorption. Know how ADH controls urine concentration.
Chapter 13: Coordination and Response
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
The nervous system is tested through diagrams and written questions. Students are asked to label neurones, identify the direction of impulse travel, and describe what happens at a synapse.
Reflex arcs come up very regularly. Students should be able to sequence the components of a reflex arc correctly. Receptor, sensory neurone, relay neurone, motor neurone, effector. In the correct order every time.
Hormones versus nervous system questions ask students to compare the two systems. The nervous system is faster and more short lived. The hormonal system is slower and longer lasting.
What to focus on: Know the reflex arc sequence without hesitation. Know the difference between sensory, relay, and motor neurones. Be able to compare the nervous and hormonal systems.
Chapter 14: Reproduction
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
Sexual and asexual reproduction are compared regularly. Students should know that sexual reproduction involves fertilisation and produces genetic variation. Asexual reproduction does not involve fertilisation and produces genetically identical offspring called clones.
Pollination and fertilisation in plants come up. Students must know the difference between pollination, which is the transfer of pollen, and fertilisation, which is the fusion of gametes. This distinction is regularly tested and regularly confused.
What to focus on: Know the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction with examples. Know the parts of a flower and their functions. Know the difference between pollination and fertilisation clearly.
Chapter 15: Inheritance
Most repeated MCQ topics from this chapter:
Punnett squares are tested in almost every series. Students are given a cross and asked to predict the ratio of phenotypes or genotypes in the offspring. They must be able to set up and complete a Punnett square quickly and accurately.
Codominance questions appear regularly at extended level. Students should know that in codominance both alleles are expressed in the phenotype. The classic example is blood group AB where both A and B antigens are present.
Sex linked inheritance is also tested. Colour blindness and haemophilia are the most common examples. Students should know how to show sex linked traits on a genetic diagram using X and Y chromosomes.
What to focus on: Practise Punnett squares until they are very fast and accurate. Know the terms genotype, phenotype, homozygous, and heterozygous clearly. Understand codominance and sex linkage with examples.
How to Use This Chapter-wise MCQ Guide
Now that you have this chapter-wise breakdown, here is how to use it effectively before June 2026 exams.
Go through one chapter at a time. Do not try to revise everything in one session. Pick the chapters where your child is weakest and start there.
After revising each chapter, find past paper MCQs from that chapter specifically. Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 past papers are available through the Cambridge website. Go through the MCQs from the last five years for each chapter and mark the answers carefully.
Focus on wrong answers more than right ones. When your child gets an MCQ wrong, the reason matters more than the mark. Read the question again. Understand why the correct answer is correct. Understand why the chosen answer was wrong. That thinking process is what stops the same mistake from happening again in the real exam.
Where Most Students Lose Marks in Paper 2
After years of working with IGCSE Biology students, we see the same patterns repeatedly.
Students lose marks by not reading the question carefully enough. Cambridge MCQ questions are worded very precisely. A single word like most, least, only, or always changes the answer completely. Students who read quickly miss these words and choose the wrong option.
Students also lose marks by second guessing themselves. They choose the right answer, then change it at the last minute. In most cases the first instinct is correct. Good MCQ revision builds the confidence to trust that instinct.
And students lose marks on topics they thought they knew. They revised the concept but did not practise it in question format. Knowing something and being able to answer a question about it under time pressure are two different skills.
Who We Are at BioKatalyst
My name is Karishma and I run BioKatalyst with my partner Khushbu.
We have been teaching Cambridge IGCSE, AS Level, A Level, and IB Biology for over 13 years, first in Cambridge schools and now fully online. We have received several awards for our teaching over the years.
At BioKatalyst we personally teach every class. No assistants, no middlemen, no rotating teachers. When your child books a session, they get Khushbu or me directly, every single time.
We go through past paper MCQs with students in a very targeted way. We identify which chapters are causing the most mistakes, fix the concept gaps behind those mistakes, and build the exam technique that turns understanding into marks on paper.
FAQs
What is IGCSE Biology 0610 Paper 2? IGCSE Biology 0610 Paper 2 is the multiple choice paper in the Cambridge IGCSE Biology examination. It contains 40 questions and students have 45 minutes to complete it. Each question carries one mark. It tests content across all chapters of the syllabus.
Which chapters have the most MCQs in Cambridge IGCSE Biology past papers? Enzymes, cell transport, genetics, human biology, and photosynthesis consistently have the highest number of MCQs across past papers. These chapters should be the highest priority for revision.
How do I find Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 past paper MCQs? Cambridge past papers are available through the Cambridge Assessment International Education website. Your school may also have access to a past paper bank. Going through the last five years of Paper 2 is the most effective way to practise.
My child keeps making the same mistakes on MCQs. How do we fix this? Repeating the same mistakes usually means the underlying concept has not been fully understood. One-on-one tutoring helps because the teacher can identify exactly where the thinking is going wrong and address it at that level rather than just marking the answer wrong and moving on.
How many past papers should my child complete before the June 2026 exam? We recommend going through at least five full past papers under timed conditions before the exam. Use earlier papers for chapter-wise topic practice and save the most recent papers for full timed practice closer to the exam date.
Do you cover all chapters in your IGCSE Biology tutoring sessions? Yes. At BioKatalyst we cover the full Cambridge IGCSE Biology syllabus across all chapters. We tailor sessions to each student’s specific gaps rather than following a fixed lesson plan.
Book a Free Demo Class With Us Today
June 2026 is coming fast. If your child needs focused, personal help with IGCSE Biology Paper 2 MCQ preparation, one demo class will show you exactly how we work.
We are online biology tutors with over 13 years of Cambridge biology experience. We teach IGCSE, AS Level, A Level, and IB Biology directly and personally with no middlemen and no assistants.
Book a free demo class with us today
