Common Exam Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Every year, examiners report the same mistakes appearing in GCSE Biology papers. Learning what these common errors are — and how to avoid them — can significantly boost your grade. This lesson covers the most frequent mistakes students make, with clear corrections and explanations.

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Mistake 1: Confusing Mitosis and Meiosis

This is one of the most common errors in biology exams.

Feature	Mitosis	Meiosis
Purpose	Growth, repair, asexual reproduction	Producing gametes (sex cells)
Number of divisions	One	Two
Number of daughter cells	Two	Four
Genetic identity	Genetically identical to parent	Genetically different from parent and from each other
Chromosome number	Diploid (full set)	Haploid (half set)
Where it occurs	Body cells (somatic cells)	Reproductive organs (ovaries, testes)

How to remember: Mitosis = Making copies (identical). Meiosis = Making gametes (different).