2026 AQA AS BIOLOGY 7401/2 PAPER 2 COMPLETE
QUESTION PAPER & MARK SCHEME (MERGED)
EXAM INFORMATION
| Component | Details |
|--||
| Exam Board | AQA |
| Qualification | AS Level |
| Subject | Biology |
| Paper | Paper 2 |
| Code | 7401/2 |
| Date | June 2023 |
| Time | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Total Marks | 75 |
PAPER STRUCTURE
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks |
|||-|
| Section A | Short answer and structured questions | ~65 marks |
| Section B | One essay question (choice of two titles) | 10 marks |
SECTION A – SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Question 1
A student investigated the effect of temperature on the rate of an enzyme-controlled reaction.
The student set up six test tubes, each containing the same concentration of substrate and
enzyme. She placed each test tube at a different temperature for 5 minutes. She then added a
reagent to each tube that measures the concentration of product formed.
Table 1 shows the student's results.
, Table 1
| Temperature (°C) | Product concentration (arbitrary units) |
|||
| 10 | 12 |
| 20 | 24 |
| 30 | 45 |
| 40 | 52 |
| 50 | 48 |
| 60 | 18 |
1.1 What is the independent variable in this investigation? [1 mark]
Answer: Temperature
Rationale: The independent variable is the factor that the investigator changes deliberately.
Here, temperature is changed; product concentration is measured (dependent variable).
1.2 Name a biochemical reagent that could be used to measure the concentration of product
formed in an enzyme-controlled reaction. [1 mark]
Answer: Any appropriate reagent – e.g., Benedict's test (for reducing sugars), biuret reagent (for
protein), iodine (for starch)
Rationale: The reagent must be specific to the product being measured. The mark scheme
accepts any appropriate reagent with a brief indication of which molecule it detects.
1.3 Explain why the rate of reaction increased when the temperature was increased from 10°C
to 40°C. [2 marks]
Answer: Increased kinetic energy leads to more frequent successful collisions between enzyme
and substrate molecules; more enzyme-substrate complexes formed per unit time.
Rationale: Temperature increase causes molecules to move faster, increasing collision
frequency. More energy also helps overcome activation energy. (Max 2 marks)
QUESTION PAPER & MARK SCHEME (MERGED)
EXAM INFORMATION
| Component | Details |
|--||
| Exam Board | AQA |
| Qualification | AS Level |
| Subject | Biology |
| Paper | Paper 2 |
| Code | 7401/2 |
| Date | June 2023 |
| Time | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Total Marks | 75 |
PAPER STRUCTURE
| Section | Number of Questions | Marks |
|||-|
| Section A | Short answer and structured questions | ~65 marks |
| Section B | One essay question (choice of two titles) | 10 marks |
SECTION A – SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Question 1
A student investigated the effect of temperature on the rate of an enzyme-controlled reaction.
The student set up six test tubes, each containing the same concentration of substrate and
enzyme. She placed each test tube at a different temperature for 5 minutes. She then added a
reagent to each tube that measures the concentration of product formed.
Table 1 shows the student's results.
, Table 1
| Temperature (°C) | Product concentration (arbitrary units) |
|||
| 10 | 12 |
| 20 | 24 |
| 30 | 45 |
| 40 | 52 |
| 50 | 48 |
| 60 | 18 |
1.1 What is the independent variable in this investigation? [1 mark]
Answer: Temperature
Rationale: The independent variable is the factor that the investigator changes deliberately.
Here, temperature is changed; product concentration is measured (dependent variable).
1.2 Name a biochemical reagent that could be used to measure the concentration of product
formed in an enzyme-controlled reaction. [1 mark]
Answer: Any appropriate reagent – e.g., Benedict's test (for reducing sugars), biuret reagent (for
protein), iodine (for starch)
Rationale: The reagent must be specific to the product being measured. The mark scheme
accepts any appropriate reagent with a brief indication of which molecule it detects.
1.3 Explain why the rate of reaction increased when the temperature was increased from 10°C
to 40°C. [2 marks]
Answer: Increased kinetic energy leads to more frequent successful collisions between enzyme
and substrate molecules; more enzyme-substrate complexes formed per unit time.
Rationale: Temperature increase causes molecules to move faster, increasing collision
frequency. More energy also helps overcome activation energy. (Max 2 marks)
