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What to Expect from Biology in 2025
With the 2025 Leaving Cert Biology paper fast approaching, we’ve analysed trends from 2020–2024, including deferred papers, to give you the most accurate predictions possible. Here’s everything you should focus on.
📘 Section A – Short Questions
🔮 Predictions:
These questions are staples. You can nearly bank on one each year from:
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Food – Featured in Section A for the last 16 years.
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Ecology – Appeared 12 times in the past 16 years; did not feature last year.
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Variation and Evolution
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Human Reproduction – Not featured since 2021.
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Enzymes – Not featured since 2021.
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Nervous System – Not featured since 2021.
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Human Defence System and Viruses – Not featured since 2021.
🧪 Section B – Experiments
🔍 Question 8:
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Qualitative Tests: Starch, fat, reducing sugar, protein – last appeared in 2021.
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Ecology Practicals
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Investigate any three abiotic factors in a selected ecosystem.
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Identify any five fauna and any five flora using simple keys.
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Identify various habitats within the selected ecosystem.
🔬 Question 9:
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Demonstrate osmosis.
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Investigate the influence of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis.
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Investigate the effect of pH on enzyme activity.
🧠 Question 10:
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Investigate the effect of exercise on human pulse rate.
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Prepare and examine microscopically the transverse section of a dicotyledonous stem.
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Dissect, display, and identify an ox’s or sheep’s heart.
📚 Section C – Long Questions
🔮 Predictions:
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Ecology
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DNA and RNA / Genetic Crosses / Variation and Evolution
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Photosynthesis and Respiration
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Enzymes
📌 Option Questions (Q16 & Q17):
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Bacteria, Fungi & Yeast – Featured 13 times in the past 15 years.
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Nervous System – Featured 9 times in the past 15 years; did not appear last year.
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Skeleton and Muscles – Last featured in 2022.
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Plant Transport – Last featured in 2022.
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Human Breathing – Appears every second year; did not appear last year.
The Senses – Not featured since 2022.
General Patterns in LC Biology Question
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Prioritize high-frequency topics such as food, ecology, and enzymes.
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Review past papers to identify recurring themes and question formats.
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Practice experiments thoroughly, ensuring familiarity with procedures and results.
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Understand key concepts in genetics, photosynthesis, and human biology, as they often appear in long questions.
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📊 What Came Up in 2020–2024?
Here’s a snapshot of what’s been tested most often:
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Food appeared in Section A every year for the last 16 years (so 2020–2024 included).
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Ecology was a common feature, absent only in 2024, but came up regularly from 2020 to 2023.
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Enzymes, Human Reproduction, Nervous System, Viruses, and Human Defence System were not featured in Section A since 2021.
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Qualitative Food Tests (experiment) last appeared in 2021.
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Skeleton and Muscles and Plant Transport last featured in 2022.
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The Senses and Human Breathing have not appeared since 2022 or 2023, indicating possible return in 2025.
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Nervous System option question did not appear in 2024, suggesting it's due this year.
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Bacteria, Fungi & Yeast featured frequently (13/15 years), possibly including most of 2020–2024.
🧠 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will Food come up again in Section A?
A: Very likely – it’s come up every year since 2008. Skipping it would be risky.
Q: How do I know which experiments to focus on?
A: Start with:
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Food Tests (not seen since 2021)
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Photosynthesis (light intensity)
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Osmosis, Effect of pH on enzymes
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Ecology Fieldwork – almost guaranteed annually
Q: Are Enzymes and Genetics still important?
A: Yes – both are core topics. Enzymes haven’t appeared recently, increasing their chances. Genetics (including crosses and variation) is almost always tested in long questions.
Q: How do I know which experiments to focus on?
A: Absolutely – choose 2 topics and study them well. Based on trends:
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Nervous System and Human Breathing are highly likely.
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Avoid gambling by skipping these.
📄 Deferred Papers – Do They Matter?
A: Deferred papers (for students with valid exemptions or illness) follow the same syllabus but often reuse themes from the main paper or previous years. They are not officially released by the SEC and don't influence the main paper content.
Conclusion: Don’t base your revision solely on deferred papers – focus instead on past trends in main June sittings from 2010–2024. They offer more reliable insights for predictions..
