How to answer "Outline" questions
Outline means: Give the main points briefly, without full detail.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
AO1. · Also phrased as: summarise the main points
What the examiner is looking for
- The key steps/points only — breadth over depth.
How to structure your answer
- List the main stages in order, concisely.
Worked example
Q: Outline the process of natural selection. (4 marks)
Model answer: Variation exists within a population [1]; individuals with advantageous alleles are more likely to survive and reproduce [1]; they pass those alleles to offspring [1]; over many generations the advantageous alleles become more common [1].
Common mistakes
- Going into excessive depth on one point and running out of time for the rest.
Practise it
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