Frequently Asked Questions

Got a question? We've probably answered it here. If not, reach out via our contact form.

🚀 Getting Started

You can browse the course without an account, but you need to log in to save your progress. This means your Red/Amber/Green flags, quiz results, and notes all sync across devices. If you're just trying it out, go ahead and explore, but create an account before you start serious revision so you don't lose your work.

Click the "Unlock full access" button in the top-right corner (or at the bottom on mobile). You'll be taken to our payment page where you can purchase a one-time lifetime access. One payment, forever access. No subscriptions, no hidden charges.

Limited access gives you full use of Topic 1 for free, so you can try the notes, quizzes, and Red/Amber/Green review system properly before buying. Full access unlocks Topics 2-5, all remaining spec points, and the complete course.

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If the course doesn't work for you, just email me at flora.anna.kozma@gmail.com with your receipt, and I'll refund you in full. No questions asked.

Forever. One payment, lifetime access. You can use Bare Bones Biology as long as you need it, whether that's for your iGCSE exams now or to refresh your knowledge later.

📖 How It Works

RAG stands for 🔴 Red, 🟡 Amber, 🟢 Green: a way to track your confidence on every spec point.

  • 🔴 Red: You need to work on this. Either you haven't learned it yet or you got the quiz wrong.
  • 🟡 Amber: You're not quite sure about this one. Maybe the quiz was close or you want to review the notes again.
  • 🟢 Green: You're confident with this. You've read the notes, understood them, and got the quiz right.

You can manually change any flag by clicking the button on a spec point. Your Review page shows only Red and Amber items, so you can focus on what actually needs attention.

When you complete a quiz at the end of a spec point:

  • If you get all questions correct → flagged 🟢 Green
  • If you get 1–3 questions wrong → flagged 🟡 Amber
  • If you get 4 or more questions wrong → flagged 🔴 Red

This automatic flagging helps you quickly see which topics need more revision without manually marking everything yourself.

Absolutely. Every spec point has RAG buttons above the notes. Click them to manually set Red, Amber, or Green at any time. This is useful if you want to mark something as Green because you're confident from other revision, or if you want to re-flag something as Red to focus on it later.

The Review page is your personal revision checklist. It shows:

  • Every spec point you've flagged as Red or Amber
  • How many times you got each question wrong
  • Which topics have the most flagged items (so you know where to focus)

The goal is simple: work through the Review page until everything is Green. Once you've reviewed every flagged point and moved them all to Green, you've covered everything in the spec.

Yes. After you complete a quiz, you'll see a "Retake quiz" button. Click it to answer the same questions again. Your new performance will update your flag, so if you do better the second time, your RAG status will change accordingly.

Learn page: The full course. All 5 topics, all subtopics, all spec points in order. Use this to work through the spec systematically.

Review page: Your flagged items only. Use this to focus revision on gaps. You can sort by topic, or just work through the list in order.

🧬 Content & Practicals

Yes, 100%. We cover every spec point for Edexcel iGCSE Biology (4BI1), organised into 5 topics with subtopics and individual points. Nothing is left out, and nothing unnecessary is added. If it's in the spec, it's here. If it's not in the spec, it's not here.

The course is split into:

  • Topic 1: Characteristics and organisation of living organisms
  • Topic 2: Structure and function of organisms
  • Topic 3: Coordination and control
  • Topic 4: Organisms and their environment
  • Topic 5: Genetics and inheritance

The 7 Core Practicals are specific experiments that Edexcel requires you to know for your exam. Each one is broken down using the CORMS framework:

  • Category (what type of practical is it?)
  • Objective (what's it testing?)
  • Results (what would you expect to find?)
  • Methodology (how does it work?)
  • Safety (what hazards are there?)

You can access all 7 practicals in the sidebar under "Core Practicals".

Yes. The notes cover exactly what the exam expects, no more, no less. They're written specifically to match the spec points, so if you understand everything in Bare Bones Biology, you'll have what you need for the exam. That said, they're bare bones on purpose: concise and focused, not rambling textbooks.

Not currently. The notes are read-only. But you can use the Review page to flag areas you want to revise further, then add your own notes elsewhere (in a notebook, digital notes app, etc.) and come back to the flag in Bare Bones Biology to track your progress.

Not in the main course. However, you can link external resources (like YouTube videos or textbook chapters) to individual spec points if you want to supplement your revision. These links are saved in your account so they're always there when you need them.

⚙️ Technical & Account

Yes. When you log in, all your RAG flags, quiz results, and review items are stored in the cloud. You can log in from any device and see your exact progress. Your desktop, tablet, or phone will all show the same flags and scores.

Your progress is saved to your account in the cloud, so it's safe. When you log back in (on any device), you'll see all your flags and quiz results exactly as you left them.

Yes. In the Learn page, you can reset your progress for a single subtopic or clear everything at once (all RAG flags, quiz results, etc.). This is useful if you want to start fresh or redo a whole topic.

Absolutely. Bare Bones Biology works on phones, tablets, and desktops. Study on your phone during breaks, switch to a laptop at home. Your progress syncs across all devices.

Yes, you need an internet connection to log in, save progress, and sync your flags. However, once a page has loaded, some parts (like reading notes) may work offline for a short while.

Bare Bones Biology works on modern browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you're using an older browser, we recommend updating to the latest version for the best experience.

Click the "Log in" button, then click "Forgot password?" on the login form. Enter your email and we'll send you a reset link. Follow the instructions to set a new password.

Yes. Your login credentials and progress are protected by industry-standard encryption. We use Firebase Authentication, which is the same system used by millions of apps worldwide. For full details, see our privacy policy.

💡 Study Tips

Here's the recommended workflow:

  • Open a topic in the Learn page
  • Read the bare bones notes for each spec point
  • Take the quiz at the end of each point
  • Check your RAG flag (the quiz updates it automatically)
  • If you get it wrong, review the notes and retake the quiz
  • Use the Review page to focus on Red and Amber items
  • Goal: get everything to Green

It depends on your starting point and how much time you spend. Working through the course thoroughly (reading notes, taking quizzes, revisiting weak areas) typically takes 40–60 hours. But you can work at your own pace. Some students use it for 2–3 months of focused revision; others spread it across their whole iGCSE course.

When you choose a wrong answer, the quiz shows you the correct answer and tells you to check the notes. Go back to the notes, re-read the relevant section, and then retake the quiz. This reinforces learning and helps you move from Red/Amber to Green.

Both strategies work:

  • By topic: Work through the Learn page from Topic 1 to Topic 5 in order. This builds knowledge systematically.
  • By flag: Use the Review page to focus on Red and Amber items. This is faster if you're short on time or need to target weak areas.

Many students do a first pass by topic, then a second pass focusing on Review items.

The quizzes are multiple-choice and test the specific concepts in each spec point, similar in style to Edexcel exams. However, they're not full past papers. Use Bare Bones Biology to learn and understand the spec, then practice with real Edexcel papers (which your school will provide) before the actual exam.

Bare Bones Biology is built for Edexcel iGCSE Biology (4BI1) specifically. If you're studying a different exam board (AQA, OCR, etc.), the core content overlaps significantly, but some details may differ. We recommend using this as a supplement to your exam board's materials rather than your only resource.

Bare Bones Biology covers all the spec content you need. Whether you get a good grade depends on how thoroughly you learn and understand the material, and how well you apply it in the exam. The system is designed to help you revise effectively, but ultimately, getting a top grade requires effort, engagement, and exam technique, which comes from practice papers and your teacher's support.

📧 Contact & Support

Please use the contact form to report errors. Include the spec point code (e.g., "1A.1") and a description of what's wrong. We review and fix errors regularly.

Fill out the contact form with your question and we'll get back to you. If it's a bug or technical issue, please describe what happened and what device/browser you're using.

Yes! Teachers can recommend Bare Bones Biology to their students. For bulk discounts or school licensing arrangements, contact me at flora.anna.kozma@gmail.com.

First, try:

  • Clearing your browser cache and refreshing
  • Logging out and logging back in
  • Trying a different browser
  • Checking that you have a stable internet connection

If the issue persists, use the contact form to describe what's happening and we'll help.