Skip to content
IGCSEBiology
Trial Class

Original practice · 5 questions · 14 marks · about 16 minutes

Plant and Fungi Classification Practice Questions

Biology editorial review is supported by the named review panel. Reviewer participation may vary by guide. Checked against Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 (2026–2028); last reviewed August 2026.

These questions test your understanding of how plants and fungi are classified, and the key features that distinguish them from each other and from other kingdoms.

Before you open the answers

  • Attempt every question without notes.
  • Show working for calculations and write complete biological statements.
  • Use the suggested time as a guide, not a strict limit on the first attempt.

These are original practice questions. They do not reproduce an official Cambridge paper or official mark scheme.

  1. Question 1

    Paper 2 Core 2 marks Difficulty 1/5

    State two features of the fungi kingdom.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Have cell walls made of chitin.
    2. Feed by saprotrophic nutrition / absorb nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter.

  2. Question 2

    Paper 2 Both 3 marks Difficulty 2/5

    Explain why fungi were once classified as plants but are now in a separate kingdom.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Fungi have cell walls (like plants): so they appeared similar.
    2. But fungi do not have chloroplasts / cannot photosynthesise.
    3. Fungi cell walls contain chitin, not cellulose.

  3. Question 3

    Paper 4 Extended 3 marks Difficulty 3/5

    Describe two differences between ferns and flowering plants.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Ferns reproduce by spores; flowering plants reproduce by seeds.
    2. Ferns do not produce flowers or fruits; flowering plants do.
    3. Fern spores are produced in sporangia on the underside of fronds.

  4. Question 4

    Paper 2 Core 2 marks Difficulty 2/5

    Name the two groups of flowering plants and state one difference between them.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Monocotyledons and dicotyledons.
    2. Monocots have one seed leaf / parallel leaf veins; dicots have two seed leaves / branching (net) leaf veins.

  5. Question 5

    Paper 4 Extended 4 marks Difficulty 4/5

    A student finds an organism growing on a rotting log. It has thread-like structures, no chlorophyll, and reproduces using spores. Identify the kingdom and explain how each observation supports your answer.

    Show model answer and marking guidance
    1. Fungi.
    2. Thread-like structures are hyphae: characteristic of fungi.
    3. No chlorophyll means it cannot photosynthesise: not a plant.
    4. Reproduces by spores: fungi reproduce using spores.
    5. Growing on rotting log suggests saprotrophic nutrition.

Mark the set consistently

Award a point only when the idea is clearly present in the written answer. Correct any missed point in a complete sentence, then test the same skill on a different question several days later.

Review the related teaching