Cambridge O Level

BIOLOGY 5090/32
Paper 3 Practical Test May/June 2024
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 40

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2024 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level and Cambridge Pre-U components, and some
Cambridge O Level components.

This document consists of 8 printed pages.

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5090/32 Cambridge O Level – Mark Scheme May/June 2024
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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers. They should be applied alongside the
specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptions for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

 the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
 the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
 the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

 marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit is given for valid answers which go beyond
the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme, referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
 marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
 marks are not deducted for errors
 marks are not deducted for omissions
 answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these features are specifically assessed by the
question as indicated by the mark scheme. The meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed instructions or in the application of generic level
descriptors.

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GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question (however; the use of the full mark range may
be limited according to the quality of the candidate responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should not be awarded with grade thresholds or
grade descriptors in mind.

Science-Specific Marking Principles

1 Examiners should consider the context and scientific use of any keywords when awarding marks. Although keywords may be present, marks
should not be awarded if the keywords are used incorrectly.

2 The examiner should not choose between contradictory statements given in the same question part, and credit should not be awarded for
any correct statement that is contradicted within the same question part. Wrong science that is irrelevant to the question should be ignored.

3 Although spellings do not have to be correct, spellings of syllabus terms must allow for clear and unambiguous separation from other
syllabus terms with which they may be confused (e.g. ethane / ethene, glucagon / glycogen, refraction / reflection).

4 The error carried forward (ecf) principle should be applied, where appropriate. If an incorrect answer is subsequently used in a scientifically
correct way, the candidate should be awarded these subsequent marking points. Further guidance will be included in the mark scheme
where necessary and any exceptions to this general principle will be noted.

5 ‘List rule’ guidance

For questions that require n responses (e.g. State two reasons …):

 The response should be read as continuous prose, even when numbered answer spaces are provided.
 Any response marked ignore in the mark scheme should not count towards n.
 Incorrect responses should not be awarded credit but will still count towards n.
 Read the entire response to check for any responses that contradict those that would otherwise be credited. Credit should not be
awarded for any responses that are contradicted within the rest of the response. Where two responses contradict one another, this
should be treated as a single incorrect response.
 Non-contradictory responses after the first n responses may be ignored even if they include incorrect science.

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6 Calculation specific guidance

Correct answers to calculations should be given full credit even if there is no working or incorrect working, unless the question states ‘show
your working’.

For questions in which the number of significant figures required is not stated, credit should be awarded for correct answers when rounded
by the examiner to the number of significant figures given in the mark scheme. This may not apply to measured values.

For answers given in standard form (e.g. a  10n) in which the convention of restricting the value of the coefficient (a) to a value between 1
and 10 is not followed, credit may still be awarded if the answer can be converted to the answer given in the mark scheme.

Unless a separate mark is given for a unit, a missing or incorrect unit will normally mean that the final calculation mark is not awarded.
Exceptions to this general principle will be noted in the mark scheme.

7 Guidance for chemical equations

Multiples / fractions of coefficients used in chemical equations are acceptable unless stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

State symbols given in an equation should be ignored unless asked for in the question or stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

Mark schemes will use these abbreviations:

; separates marking points

/ alternatives
() contents of brackets are not required but should be implied
R reject
A accept (for answers correctly cued by the question, or guidance for examiners)
Ig ignore (for incorrect but irrelevant responses)
AW alternative wording (where responses vary more than usual)
AVP alternative valid point (where a greater than usual variety of responses is expected)
ORA or reverse argument
underline actual word underlined must be used by candidate
+ statements on both sides of the + are needed for that mark

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

1(a)(i) 1 clear and clean and continuous lines drawn with a sharp 5
pencil + no shading anywhere ;

2 ⩾90 mm wide in either direction

3 stamens drawn – filaments + delimited anthers ;

4 style drawn with double line + stigma ;

5 2 petals drawn ;

1(a)(ii) label line to top of stigma ; 1

1(b)(i) 1 table with columns and rows drawn with ruled lines and 4
all information written within the table ;

2 column or row headers: A + B stated once only ;

3 row or column headers: Benedict’s + biuret + iodine
stated once only ;
4 overarching headers: test / reagent / solution +
colour / observation / results ;

1(b)(ii) temperature + °C ; 1
30–90 °C inclusive

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

1(b)(iii) 3
Test / solution / Colour / observation / results
reagent

A B

Benedict’s green / yellow / blue ;

orange / red

biuret blue purple / lilac /

violet / mauve
;

iodine brown / yellow brown /

yellow ;

One mark for correct final colour observed for each test
reagent.

1(b)(iv) A contains reducing sugar / glucose / maltose ; 2

B contains protein ;

1(c)(i) 24 – 29 (mm) ; 1

1(c)(ii) diameter in (c)(i) ÷ 400 ; 3

correct answer to 2 decimal places ;
unit ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

1(c)(iii) max 2
Fig.1.2 pollen grain Fig.1.3 pollen grain

1 (shape) – oval / AW ;
round / circular / AW

2 spikes absent / smooth spikes present / rough

surface / AW surface / AW;

3 internal division / AW no division ;

Question Answer Marks Guidance

2(a) include it + reason – more than ½ in the square / cannot 1

have half an individual ;
or
exclude it + reason – not fully in the square / cannot have
half an individual ;

2(b) 9 / 10 based on answer to (a)(i) ; 1

2(c) ref. to 800 (samples) (20  40) ; 2

9 in each sample = 7200 plants OR 10 in each sample =

8000 plants ;

2(d) too time consuming to count them all / too difficult to keep an 1
accurate tally / more likely to make a mistake / AW ;

2(e) plants not evenly distributed / AW ; 2

larger proportion of field sampled ;

more representative / (larger sample means) you are more

likely to include every type / number of plant species AW ;

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Question Answer Marks Guidance

2(f) 1 axes fully labelled ; 4 1

2 linear scale for number of plants + value at origin + at

least half of grid used in both directions ;
3 values plotted correctly ;
4 all bars ruled + equal width + bars not touching ;

Question Answer Marks Guidance

3(a) 6
1 stated method of measuring growth e.g. height / mass +
at start and end ;

2 at least 3 concentrations fertiliser all ≤10% used ;

3 same volume of fertiliser solution ;

4 leave the same time (after applying fertiliser) ;
5 same light intensity / CO2 levels / temperature / volume
of water ;
6 repeat at same fertiliser concentration + calculate
mean ;
7 comparison of data for variable measured (height or
mass) v. fertiliser concentration ;

3(b) fertiliser concentration ; 1

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