State the seven levels of the taxonomic hierarchy, from the largest group to the smallest group.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
Model answer (4 marks)
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Examiner tips
- Use the exact terms in the correct order
- Remember the hierarchy: Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species
- Write each level on a new line to avoid confusion
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the order of Phylum and Kingdom
- Using the wrong term for a level (e.g., ‘Division’ instead of ‘Phylum’)
- Leaving out the final level, Species
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Kingdom and Phylum in correct relative order (Kingdom largest, Phylum second)
- Class and Order in correct relative order following Phylum
- Family and Genus in correct relative order following Order
- Species as the smallest / final level
Key terms in this question
Related
- All Eduqas GCSE Biology revision notes →
- How to answer a "State" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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