Multiple choice questions
Multiple choice questions are perhaps the easiest to complete, you simply put a cross in a box. However, the questions often have two answers that could, at first glance, be correct. Don’t make the mistake of reading the first answer and thinking this is correct without checking all the others.
If it says 'Tick one box', you must tick one box. If you leave it blank or tick two or more boxes you will get zero marks. These multiple choice questions will not start with command words like ‘describe’ or ‘explain’. They will be written in the form of a question like ‘What…?’ or ‘Why…?’.
There will be more multiple choice questions on the Foundation paper.
Questions taken from the OCR website.
Sample question 1 - Foundation
Question
What are the names of the two scientists who first suggested the theory of natural selection? [1 mark]
Tick one box.
| A | Darwin and Mendel | |
| B | Mendel and Wallace | |
| C | Wallace and Darwin | |
| D | Watson and Crick |
| A |
|---|
| Darwin and Mendel |
| B |
|---|
| Mendel and Wallace |
| C |
|---|
| Wallace and Darwin |
| D |
|---|
| Watson and Crick |
OCR Gateway, GCE Biology, Paper J247, 2016.
| A | Darwin and Mendel | |
| B | Mendel and Wallace | |
| C | Wallace and Darwin | ✔ |
| D | Watson and Crick |
| A |
|---|
| Darwin and Mendel |
| B |
|---|
| Mendel and Wallace |
| C |
|---|
| Wallace and Darwin |
| ✔ |
| D |
|---|
| Watson and Crick |
Sample question 2 - Foundation
Question
The DNA of an unborn baby can be found in the blood sample of the mother. This DNA is tested to see which chromosomes are present.
Which conclusion is correct? [1 mark]
Tick one box.
| A | If a Y chromosome is present then it must be a boy. | |
| B | If a Y chromosome is present then it must be a girl. | |
| C | If an X is present then it must be a boy. | |
| D | If an X chromosome is present then it must be a girl. |
| A |
|---|
| If a Y chromosome is present then it must be a boy. |
| B |
|---|
| If a Y chromosome is present then it must be a girl. |
| C |
|---|
| If an X is present then it must be a boy. |
| D |
|---|
| If an X chromosome is present then it must be a girl. |
OCR Gateway, GCE Biology, Paper J247, 2016.
| A | If a Y chromosome is present then it must be a boy. | ✔ |
| B | If a Y chromosome is present then it must be a girl. | |
| C | If an X is present then it must be a boy. | |
| D | If an X chromosome is present then it must be a girl. |
| A |
|---|
| If a Y chromosome is present then it must be a boy. |
| ✔ |
| B |
|---|
| If a Y chromosome is present then it must be a girl. |
| C |
|---|
| If an X is present then it must be a boy. |
| D |
|---|
| If an X chromosome is present then it must be a girl. |
Sample question 3 - Higher
Question
A mouse has a diploid chromosome number of 40.
Which row in the table shows the correct number of chromosomes in each cell? [1 mark]
Tick one box.
| Number of chromosomes in a mouse egg cell | Number of chromosomes in a mouse eye cell | ||
| A | 40 | 40 | |
| B | 20 | 20 | |
| C | 20 | 40 | |
| D | 40 | 20 |
| Number of chromosomes in a mouse egg cell |
| Number of chromosomes in a mouse eye cell |
| A |
|---|
| 40 |
| 40 |
| B |
|---|
| 20 |
| 20 |
| C |
|---|
| 20 |
| 40 |
| D |
|---|
| 40 |
| 20 |
OCR Gateway, GCE Biology, Paper J247 - Higher, 2016.
| Number of chromosomes in a mouse egg cell | Number of chromosomes in a mouse eye cell | ||
| A | 40 | 40 | |
| B | 20 | 20 | |
| C | 20 | 40 | ✔ |
| D | 40 | 20 |
| Number of chromosomes in a mouse egg cell |
| Number of chromosomes in a mouse eye cell |
| A |
|---|
| 40 |
| 40 |
| B |
|---|
| 20 |
| 20 |
| C |
|---|
| 20 |
| 40 |
| ✔ |
| D |
|---|
| 40 |
| 20 |
Sample question 4 - Higher
Question
FOP is a disorder that causes soft tissue in the body to turn to bone. It is caused by a dominant allele. People who have this condition are often infertile. Natural selection predicts that the number of children born with the condition will go down.
Which explantion can explain why the number of people with FOP is staying constant? [1 mark]
Tick one box.
| A | The allele is being produced regularly by mutation. | |
| B | Dominant alleles can remain hidden for generations. | |
| C | The allele may increase the rate of meiosis. | |
| D | The allele has no effect on a person's phenotype. |
| A |
|---|
| The allele is being produced regularly by mutation. |
| B |
|---|
| Dominant alleles can remain hidden for generations. |
| C |
|---|
| The allele may increase the rate of meiosis. |
| D |
|---|
| The allele has no effect on a person's phenotype. |
OCR Gateway, GCE Biology, Paper J247 - Higher, 2016.
| A | The allele is being produced regularly by mutation. | ✔ |
| B | Dominant alleles can remain hidden for generations. | |
| C | The allele may increase the rate of meiosis. | |
| D | The allele has no effect on a person's phenotype. |
| A |
|---|
| The allele is being produced regularly by mutation. |
| ✔ |
| B |
|---|
| Dominant alleles can remain hidden for generations. |
| C |
|---|
| The allele may increase the rate of meiosis. |
| D |
|---|
| The allele has no effect on a person's phenotype. |
