9700 · May/June 2016 · examinable unit

9700/41 Question 5

Cambridge Biology · 10 marks · syllabus 18.3. This page is the question object — what is being tested — not the mark scheme.

Stem preview

(a) Name and describe a method for estimating the abundance of water voles in a local area. [4] (b) Both water voles and mink are classified as class Mammalia,…

Full stem stays in the official paper. We show a short excerpt so you can identify the item, then attempt your own answer.

What the examiner is asking

This 9700/41 item (10 marks, May/June 2016) is testing whether you can apply syllabus 18.3 under timed exam conditions — not whether you can recall a textbook paragraph. Read the command word, identify the quantity or argument required, and plan the mark-earning steps before you write.

Prerequisite concepts

Core definitions and relationships for syllabus 18.3
Command-word literacy (state / describe / explain / calculate / deduce)
Showing method lines examiners can credit even if the final answer slips

Open prerequisite lesson

Similar practice

After you attempt this question, mark it, then take another 9700 past-paper item on the same topic so the weakness becomes a habit fix — not a one-off score.

Try it yourself — mark my answer How marks are awarded (assessment page)