IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award) 0654 · Biology · 170

0654.B18.2.01 — Describe a food chain as showing the transfer of energy from one organism to the next, beginning with a producer: past paper questions

9 real questionsasked in 3 of the last 10 exam series2019–2025usually: Use, Which, Complete, Identify, State

Real questions on 0654.b18.2.01 — describe a food chain as showing the transfer of energy from one organism to the next, beginning with a producer

The newest 9 of 9 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.

0654/31 · October/November 2025 · Q4b(i)[2]
Use Fig. 4.2 to construct a complete food chain that includes the frog.
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0654/31 · October/November 2025 · Q4b(ii)[4]
Table 4.1 shows some terms that can be used to describe some of the organisms in Fig. 4.2. Complete Table 4.1 by placing ticks (3) in the boxes to show the terms to describe each organism. Table 4.1 producer herbivore carnivore primary consumer secondary consumer small bird grasses grasshopper snake
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0654/31 · May/June 2025 · Q4b[1]
and (b) Identify the two organisms in Fig. 4.1 that the lapwing bird eats.
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0654/31 · May/June 2025 · Q4c[1]
Identify all the producers in the food web in Fig. 4.1.
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0654/31 · May/June 2025 · Q4d[3]
Hedgehogs are introduced to the island by humans. Use Fig. 4.1 to describe how hedgehogs affect the population of lapwing birds.
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0654/31 · May/June 2025 · Q4e[1]
When organisms in the food web die, other organisms like earthworms get their energy from the dead organic material. State the type of organism that gets its energy from dead organic material.
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0654/11 · May/June 2024 · Q12[1]
Which statements are correct? 1 The hawk is a consumer. 2 The insect is a carnivore. 3 The songbird is a herbivore. 4 The plant is a producer.
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0654/12 · October/November 2019 · Q12[1]
Which statement about how organisms get their energy is not correct?
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0654/11 · May/June 2019 · Q12[1]
In a food chain, what do all living organisms get from their food?
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What examiners said

Most candidates could correctly identify the direction of consumption in the food web. The two incorrect organisms most commonly seen were hedgehog and fox showing the incorrect direction of consumption.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0654/31 Q4(b) (Cambridge)

Again, candidates were able to interpret the food web in most cases. All the organisms in the food web were seen as responses here, rather than just the two plants.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0654/31 Q4(c) (Cambridge)

Most candidates had a clear and logical approach to this question which allowed them to gain credit. Some candidates stumbled with overuse of they, their and them which made it very unclear which organism was being referred to. Candidates should be encouraged to be specific in their use of language. They found describing the competition for food (in the form of caterpillars) a harder idea to conve...
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0654/31 Q4(d) (Cambridge)

Practise this topic

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Practise 0654.b18.2.01 — describe a food chain as showing the transfer of energy from one organism to the next, beginning with a producer

In the syllabus

170 0654.B18.2.01 — Describe a food chain as showing the transfer of energy from one organism to the next, beginning with a producer

Describe a food chain as showing the transfer of energy from one organism to the next, beginning with a producer
Construct and interpret simple food chains
Describe a food web as a network of interconnected food chains and interpret food webs
Describe a producer as an organism that makes its own organic nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight, through photosynthesis
Describe a consumer as an organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms
State that consumers may be classed as primary, secondary and tertiary according to their position in a food chain
Describe a herbivore as an animal that gets its energy by eating plants
Describe a carnivore as an animal that gets its energy by eating other animals
Describe a decomposer as an organism that gets its energy from dead or waste organic material
Use food chains and food webs to describe the impact humans have through overharvesting of food species and through introducing foreign species to a habitat
Describe a trophic level as the position of an organism in a food chain and food web
Identify the following as the trophic levels in food webs and food chains: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and quaternary consumers

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