9700 · May/June 2025 · examinable unit

9700/42 Question 2

Cambridge Biology · 6 marks · syllabus 17.3. This page is the question object — what is being tested — not the mark scheme.

Stem preview

When organisms reproduce, they pass on their alleles to the next generation. There are many factors that can affect how allele frequencies change over time in…

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 9700/42 item (6 marks, May/June 2025) is testing whether you can apply syllabus 17.3 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 17.3
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)