AQA Combined Science Trilogy — Higher
Six 1h 15m papers (2 each Bio/Chem/Phys). Awards a double GCSE grade like 7-7 or 8-7.
Course overview
AQA Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) is a double-award GCSE worth two grades (e.g. 7-7, 8-7). Six written papers, each 1h 15m and worth 70 marks (16.7% each). Two papers per science. Higher tier targets grades 4-4 to 9-9. Content overlaps with the separate sciences but with reduced depth — about 75% of separate-science content.
Paper-by-paper breakdown
Biology Paper 1
- •Cell biology
- •Organisation
- •Infection and response
- •Bioenergetics
Biology Paper 2
- •Homeostasis and response
- •Inheritance, variation and evolution
- •Ecology
Chemistry Paper 1
- •Atomic structure and the periodic table
- •Bonding, structure and properties of matter
- •Quantitative chemistry
- •Chemical changes
- •Energy changes
Chemistry Paper 2
- •Rate and extent of chemical change
- •Organic chemistry
- •Chemical analysis
- •Chemistry of the atmosphere
- •Using resources
Physics Paper 1
- •Energy
- •Electricity
- •Particle model of matter
- •Atomic structure
Physics Paper 2
- •Forces
- •Waves
- •Magnetism and electromagnetism
Assessment objectives
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, techniques and procedures
Weighting: 40%
Apply knowledge and understanding to scientific contexts
Weighting: 40%
Analyse information and ideas to interpret, evaluate and develop arguments
Weighting: 20%
Tier differences
Combined Science excludes some separate-science-only content (e.g. monoclonal antibodies in detail, NMR, lens diagrams in depth, space physics).
Grade boundaries
Awarded as two equal or adjacent grades. Highest possible: 9-9. Lowest Foundation: 1-1.
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