Grade 12 results are out. Where to check yours

Exam papers

Grade 12 Biology entrance exam, 2010 E.C. (2018)

Real questions from the Grade 12 university entrance exam in Biology, as students sat it in 2010 E.C. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation.

Start practicing freeQuestion paper

  • Natural science stream

    Who sits it

  • 2010 E.C. (2018)

    Exam year

  • 82 questions with answers

    In this set

Try questions from this paper

Answer each question yourself before opening the answer. The explanations point to the exact place in the textbook, so you know which page to reread when you miss one.

Question 1

Which of the following tools is used by a biologist to study the internal anatomy of experimental animals?

  1. A.Dissecting kit
  2. B.Hand lens
  3. C.Petri dish
  4. D.Microscope
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A Dissecting kit

Why

A dissecting kit contains instruments such as scalpels, scissors, and forceps, which are essential for opening and exposing the internal anatomical structures of experimental animals.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an enzyme?

  1. A.It is a globular protein
  2. B.It function as a catalyst
  3. C.It lowers the energy of activation
  4. D.It converted to products
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D It converted to products

Why

Enzymes act as biological catalysts that speed up reactions by lowering activation energy, but they remain unchanged at the end of the reaction rather than being converted into products.

Question 3

Who was the first person who believed to have seen moving cells under a microscope?

  1. A.Robert Hooke
  2. B.Rene Dutrochet
  3. C.Anton van Leeuwenhoek
  4. D.Theodor Schwann
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Why

Anton van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe live, moving microscopic organisms (which he called 'animalcules'), whereas Robert Hooke only observed non-living cell walls in cork.

Question 4

Why do micro-organisms decompose dead organic matters?

  1. A.To release mineral nutrients for the plants
  2. B.To clean up the ecosystem
  3. C.To drive energy for their own uses
  4. D.To keep the balance of atmospheric gases
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C To drive energy for their own uses

Why

Microorganisms decompose organic matter to obtain carbon and energy for their own cellular metabolism and growth; the recycling of nutrients in the ecosystem is an ecological consequence of this process.

Question 5

The practice of modern agriculture that reduces crop biodiversity is:

  1. A.Overgrazing
  2. B.Forest clearing
  3. C.growing land races
  4. D.growing few high yielding varieties
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D growing few high yielding varieties

Why

Growing a limited number of genetically uniform, high-yielding crop varieties (monoculture) replaces diverse traditional varieties (landraces), leading to genetic erosion and reduced crop biodiversity.

Question 7

Of the following organic molecules which one includes a pentose sugar?

  1. A.Glucose
  2. B.Fructose
  3. C.Galactose
  4. D.Deoxyribose
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D Deoxyribose

Why

Deoxyribose is a five-carbon monosaccharide (pentose) found in DNA, while glucose, fructose, and galactose are six-carbon sugars (hexoses).

Download the whole paper as a PDF

All 82 questions in this set as a printed paper, and the answer key with 78 worked explanations as a second file. Print them or read them with no data.

Free, and it needs no account.

Question paperAnswer key and explanations

Sit the full paper, timed and scored

A free Temari account gives you the whole Biology paper, and every other year, as timed mock exams with instant scoring. It works on any phone, even over a weak connection.

Start practicing free

Biology papers from other years

2018 E.C. (2026)2017 E.C. (2025)2016 E.C. (2024)2015 E.C. (2023)2014 E.C. (2022)2013 E.C. (2021)2012 E.C. (2020)2011 E.C. (2019)2009 E.C. (2017)2008 E.C. (2016)2007 E.C. (2015)2006 E.C. (2014)2005 E.C. (2013)1996 E.C. (2004)

Revise Biology before you sit this paper

The Grade 12 Biology short notes hold 20 cards. Each one gives the rule, what its symbols stand for and the mistake that costs marks, chapter by chapter from the national textbook.

Open the Biology notes
Are these the real 2010 E.C. Biology entrance exam questions?

Yes. They come from the national university entrance exam in Biology that students sat in 2010 E.C. (2018). Our set holds 82 of its questions, each with its answer and an explanation that points back to the textbook.

How do I practice the full paper?

Create a free account with a phone number. The full paper runs as a timed mock exam with instant scoring, and the AI tutor upgrade at 199 ETB per month can walk you through anything you miss.

Can I download the Biology 2010 E.C. paper as a PDF?

Yes, and it is free. The question paper is one file and the answer key with its worked explanations is another, so you can attempt the paper first. Print them, or keep them on your phone for revision when there is no data.

Sign inCreate your account