The Council of Indian School Certificate Exams administers the ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) exam.
We’ll go over the ICSE Biology class 12 syllabus in this article. What is the exam’s structure? What topics have been added to the syllabus? What is the weightage of each chapter in the exams? Students will learn all this by reading this article. They will also learn about the exam’s theoretical and practical components.
All know that biology aids in the comprehension of microorganisms, plants, and animals, including human beings. There are two parts in the ICSE Biology class 12 syllabus: Paper-I (the theoretical paper) and Paper-II (the practical paper).
● Paper- I will be a theory paper worth 70 marks with a 3-hour time limit.
● Paper-II will be worth 30 marks. Its subdivision goes like this:
– 15 marks for 3 hours of practical work
Unit-wise marks distribution of ICSE Biology Class 12 Paper I
The ICSE Biology theoretical paper is divided into two parts. Part 1 is worth 20 marks, while Part 2 is worth 50 marks. Part I consists of 20 questions each carrying 1 mark. Part II is divided into three sections: A, B, and C. Section A contains 7 questions each carrying 2 marks. Section B contains 7 questions each carrying 3 marks. Section C contains three questions each carrying 5 marks. Internal choices are available for two of Section A questions, two of Section B questions, and all three of Section C questions.
| Sr. No. | Unit | Total Weightage |
| Reproduction | 16 Marks | |
| Genetics and Evolution | 15 Marks | |
| Biology and Human Welfare | 14 Marks | |
| Biotechnology and Its Applications | 10 Marks | |
| Ecology and Environment | 15 Marks | |
| Total Marks | 70 Marks |
The ICSE board has significantly decreased its biology syllabus for the academic year 2021-2022. There are just five units in the ICSE Biology Class 12 Syllabus 2021. Questions from all these units will be included in the short answer type questions. It’s simple to get good grades with the reduced syllabus. Students should make notes and practise diagrams in biology, since it is a theory-based subject. For each topic, there are some important subtopics. “Reproduction” is the most important unit, followed by “Genetics and Evolution,” and “Ecology and Environment.”
Students should pay special attention to the units with high weightage. However, they must not overlook the other units, as there may be unexpected questions from those less-weighted units as well.
ICSE Biology Class 12 Syllabus Paper II
Practical Work- 15 Marks
Below is a list of mandatory experiments from the ICSE Biology Class 12 Syllabus 2021. For each experiment, students must keep a journal of their findings.
All candidates must have completed all of the experiments listed below:
1) Taxonomy: Learn about floral properties through dissecting flowers, creating floral formulas, and drawing diagrams of the following families:
(i) Malvaceae: type – China rose / Hollyhock or any other Malvaceae flower that is locally available.
(ii) Leguminosae: Papilionaceae subfamily – type – Sweet pea/ Pea/ Bean/ Sesbania/ Clitoria (single flower) or any other subfamily flower accessible locally.
(iii) Solanaceae: Petunia, Datura, Brinjal Flower, Solanum nigrum, or any other flower of the family that is locally available.
2) Simple experiments in biochemistry and physiology
(i) A comparison of soils from two separate locations.
Students must collect soil samples from two distinct locations and compare the moisture content, water storage capacity, and pH of the samples.
(ii) Isolation of DNA from plant material that is readily available. DNA can be extracted from spinach leaves, green pea seeds, banana pulp, and papaya pulp.
3) Slide preparation
(i) Pollen grain germination in a nutritional medium.
(ii) T.S. of any locally available flower’s ovary to demonstrate marginal/axile placentation.
(iii) T.S. of a hydrophyte stem.
(iv) T.S. of a xerophytic leaf (Nerium).
4) Spotting
Each spot will be given three minutes to identify it, draw a labeled diagram, and write at least two defining qualities.
i) Identify the following and provide a comment on it:
(a) Mammalian ovary T.S. (Permanent slide).
(b) T.S. of mammalian testis (Permanent slide).
(c) T.S. of a blastula / mammalian blastocyst (chart/ slide).
(d) Plasmodium sporozoite whole mount (slide /chart).
(e) Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite whole mount (slide/chart).
(f) An Ascaris preserved specimen, chart, or model.
(ii) Make an observation about plant and animal ecological adaptations.
(iii) Flowers that have evolved to be pollinated by a variety of agents, including insects and the wind.
The preceding experiments and exercises in the ICSE Biology Class 12 Syllabus are designed to reinforce concepts learned in theoretical themes and provide a solid foundation for further research in the field.
Students will benefit from the aforementioned experiments as they learn to adapt their biology knowledge and comprehension to various situations. They will help students build a scientific mentality and skills in the practical aspects of physical science study.
Project Work – 10 Marks
The project work will be evaluated by a Visiting Examiner, who will be nominated locally and approved by the Council.
The candidate must complete one project/assignment on a biology topic in a creative manner. Investigational projects should be given priority.
Practical File – 5 Marks
The Visiting Examiner must evaluate students based on the Biology Practical file they maintained throughout the academic year.
Every practical completed throughout the year must be recorded by the student in the Practical file, which must then be examined, signed, and dated by the teacher.
Fundamentally, the redesigned ICSE Biology Class 12 Syllabus intends to improve learners’ conceptual ability and help them comprehend how Physics and other courses are related and interconnected.
We hope that our article on the ICSE Biology Class 12 Syllabus has been helpful to students. Understanding the ICSE Biology Class 12 Syllabus 2021 will also help them create an appropriate study regimen for the exam.
FAQs of Class 12 Biology ICSE
Q1. How many hours will students get for the ICSE Biology exam?
A1. In the ICSE Biology exam, students will be given 3 hours to answer the questions.
Q2. Why is it critical to know the exam’s syllabus ahead of time?
A2. Knowing the curriculum of any exam ahead of time allows students to understand the topics better, leading to confidence and clarity during the exam. This also helps the candidate in time management.
Q3. Has the marking scheme for the сlаss 12 board exam changed?
A3. There will be no changes in any subject’s marking scheme. Every subject will have a total of 100 marks, including practical and theoretical sections. However, if the number of topics decreases, the weighting of each question and the marks assigned to each topic may change.
Q4. According to the revised exam pattern, how many marks will be for the practical section?
A4. The distribution of marks between theory and practical sections will be similar to that in the previous years. The practical exam will be worth 30 marks, while the theory(written) exam will be worth 70 marks.
Q5. Can ICSE/ISC Board students pass the IIT JEE or NEET exam?
A5. Yes, in the past, many ICSE and ISC students have done well in JEE/ NEET. If you prepare well for your target examination, you can pass the ICSE and ISC exams with flying colors.