Cambridge IGCSE™

BIOLOGY 0610/62
Paper 6 Alternative to Practical February/March 2025
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 40

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report f or
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes f or the February/March 2025 series f or most
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level components, and some Cambridge O Level
components.

This document consists of 9 printed pages.

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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers. They should be applied alon gside the
specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptions for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit is given for valid answers which go beyond
the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme, referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these features are specifically assess ed by the
question as indicated by the mark scheme. The meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed instructions or in the application of generic level
descriptors.

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GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question (however; the use of the fu ll mark range may
be limited according to the quality of the candidate responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should not be awarded with grade thre sholds or
grade descriptors in mind.

Science-Specific Marking Principles

1 Examiners should consider the context and scientific use of any keywords when awarding marks. Although keywords may be presen t, marks
should not be awarded if the keywords are used incorrectly.

2 The examiner should not choose between contradictory statements given in the same question part, and credit should not be awarded for
any correct statement that is contradicted within the same question part. Wrong science that is irrelevant to the questi on should be ignored.

3 Although spellings do not have to be correct, spellings of syllabus terms must allow for clear and unambiguous separation fro m other
syllabus terms with which they may be confused (e.g. ethane / ethene, glucagon / glycogen, refraction / reflection).

4 The error carried forward (ecf) principle should be applied, where appropriate. If an incorrect answer is subsequently used in a scientifically
correct way, the candidate should be awarded these subsequent marking points. Further guidance will be included in the mark s cheme
where necessary and any exceptions to this general principle will be noted.

5 ‘List rule’ guidance

For questions that require n responses (e.g. State two reasons …):

• The response should be read as continuous prose, even when numbered answer spaces are provided.
• Any response marked ignore in the mark scheme should not count towards n.
• Incorrect responses should not be awarded credit but will still count towards n.
• Read the entire response to check for any responses that contradict those that would otherwise be credited. Credit should not be
awarded for any responses that are contradicted within the rest of the response. Where two responses contradict one another, this
should be treated as a single incorrect response.
• Non-contradictory responses after the first n responses may be ignored even if they include incorrect science.

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6 Calculation specific guidance

Correct answers to calculations should be given full credit even if there is no working or incorrect working, unless the question states ‘show
your working’.

For questions in which the number of significant figures required is not stated, credit should be awarded for correct answers when rounded
by the examiner to the number of significant figures given in the mark scheme. This may not apply to measured values.

For answers given in standard form (e.g. a  10n) in which the convention of restricting the value of the coefficient ( a) to a value between 1
and 10 is not followed, credit may still be awarded if the answer can be converted to the answer given in the mark scheme.

Unless a separate mark is given for a unit, a missing or incorrect unit will normally mean that the final calculation mark is not awarded.
Exceptions to this general principle will be noted in the mark scheme.

7 Guidance for chemical equations

Multiples / fractions of coefficients used in chemical equations are acceptable unless stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

State symbols given in an equation should be ignored unless asked for in the question or stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

Mark scheme abbreviations

• ; separates marking points

• / alternative responses for the same marking point
• R reject the response
• A accept the response
• I ignore the response
• ecf error carried forward
• AVP any valid point
• ora or reverse argument
• AW alternative wording
• underline actual word given must be used by candidate (grammatical variants excepted)
• () the word / phrase in brackets is not required but sets the context

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

1(a)(i) 3 and 1 ; 1

1(a)(ii) table drawn with minimum of two columns and a header 3

line ;
appropriate column / row, headings ;
correct recording of all six (i.e. including ‘U’) colours ;

1(a)(iii) any number greater than 1.0 and less than 1.5 ; 1 A a range of values greater than 1.0 and less than 1.5

1(a)(iv) any two from: 2

time / 5 min (tubes are left in the water-bath / react with
Benedict’s (solution) / AW) ;
temperature (of water-bath) ;
volume of Benedict’s (solution) ;
total volume of (glucose) solution / AW ;
concentration of stock / starting, glucose solution;

1(a)(v) error: 2
used same syringe (for 2% glucose and unknown) / idea of
contamination ;

effect on the results:

(estimated) concentration of U(nknown) will be higher (than A ecf from Q1(a)(iii)
it should have been) / colour of U will be, more
red / more orange / AW ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

1(b) independent variable ; 6

1 (at least) two different pH values / described (in context
of acid alkaline etc / named substances that are different
pHs)

2 dependent variable ;
time taken for albumen to become clear / change colour
or
cloudiness / colour, of albumen after stated time

3, 4, 5 detail of method ;;;

max three from:
• use of (pH) buffer solution / pH indicator
• use of colorimeter
• use of Biuret reagent
• method to separate parts of the egg
• start stopwatch immediately so that, protease / pepsin,
and albumen added together
• time for, X / AW, held behind tube to become visible

6,7 variables to be kept constant ;;

max two from:
• type of, protease / pepsin
• type / origin, of albumen
• concentration / volume / mass, of albumen
• concentration / volume, of protease / pepsin / enzyme
• concentration / volume, of Biuret (reagent)
• volume / amount of, (pH) buffer OR volume of
(acid / alkaline) solution used to produce each pH value
• temperature
• time (before observation is made) / standardised colour
intensity that is reached (using Biuret reagent
/ colorimeter)

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

1(b) 8 two or more (additional) repeats (for each pH) ;

9 relevant safety precaution ; e.g. gloves / eye protection / washing hands

1(c) add, ethanol / alcohol, and (then) (distilled) water ; 2

shake (after adding the ethanol) ;

Question Answer Marks Guidance

2(a)(i) outline – single clear outline with no shading ; 4

size – equal to or greater than 120 mm long ;
detail 1: petiole and tapering midrib drawn as double line
with clear veins extending from midrib into each lobe ;
detail 2: left-hand veins opposite and others offset with top
to right ;

2(a)(ii) PQ = 58  1 mm ; 3 MP1: correct measurement

41 ;; MP2: correct calculation of actual width
MP3: correct rounding to two significant figures
ecf MP2 / MP3 from error in previous step

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

2(a)(iii) any two from: 2

oak leaf hollyhock leaf

(large / many) lobes / AW fewer / no, lobes ;

(entire) (many small)

edge / margin / outline / AW serrations / ridges / AW ;
, is smooth

veins / AW, come off from veins / AW, come from

points along midrib / AW same point ;

fewer, veins / AW more, veins / AW ;

veins / AW, less, veins / AW, more,

prominent / visible / AW ; prominent / visible / AW ;

petiole / AW (present) no, petiole / AW ;

2(b)(i) surface area (of leaves) ; 1

2(b)(ii) any one from: 1

to identify anomalies / reduces effect of anomalies / AW ;
to get a representative sample / to increase confidence in
results ;
to have some, spare AW, plants because they may not all,
grow / survive ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

2(b)(iii) any two from: 2

count the number of squares that the leaf covers (on the
graph paper) / AW ;
including squares that are more than half full / AW ;
measure / calculate, area of one, (small) square / box, and
multiply by number of (counted) squares ;
multiplying (surface) area (of leaf) by 2 (to give top and
bottom surfaces) ;

2(c)(i) axes labelled with units ; 4

suitable size with a linear scale and bars occupy at least half
the grid ;
all bar heights plotted accurately  half a small square ;
bars of equal width separated by a gap (of any width);

2(c)(ii) 34.5 (%) ;;; 3 MP1: correct selection of data from table
MP2: correct calculation of percentage increase i.e.
MP3: correct rounding to one decimal place
ecf from previous mark point

2(c)(iii) any two from: 2

old leaves, are larger / have more surface area (than young
leaves) OR as age increases surface area
increases / AW ; ora
(soybean) plants grown in sun have, larger leaves / more
surface area (than in those grown the shade) OR as
amount of light / AW, increases surface area increases ;
ora
light (intensity) / sun, has a greater effect on the, surface
area / size, of old leaves (than young leaves) / AW ; ora
age has a greater effect on the, surface area / size, of leaves
grown in the sun (than the shade) / AW ; ora

2(d) purple ; 1

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