Key Stage 4 of the National Curriculum for England is aimed at 14-16 year old students, and culminates in GCSE examinations. All students study biology, chemistry and physics to different depths according to their ability and preference. The National Curriculum provides the backbone of the GCSE syllabus, and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority publishes criteria which define the subject-specific essentials. 

Six awarding bodies publish GCSE specifications: AQA, OCR, Edexcel, WJEC which is primarily for Wales, CCEA which is primarily for Northern Ireland, and Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). These each have their own syllabus for teaching GCSE Biology and expand on different themes in the curriculum at their own discretion. In their Single Subject Biology syllabuses, which are the most in-depth offered, the exam boards differ a great deal in the amount they teach about evolution.

In September 2006, GCSE Science changed, giving new pupils more choice, and more up to date knowledge. There is a new programme of study with a small core of content relevant to all pupils. The QCA has also published new criteria for GCSE Science. These changes present more opportunities to teach about scientific controversies and their impact on society. They give a new emphasis to how science works, its place in society, and how theories change over time. Students are to be given opportunity to "develop a critical approach to scientific evidence and methods."

None of the exam boards require pupils to know that evolutionary theory has serious limitation and that some aspects of the origin of life and the world have not been explained in purely naturalistic terms. None mention that many scientists believe that the origins of biological complexity lie in intelligent design, rather than Darwinian evolution. None suggest that candidates can hold views about the origin of life and the natural world which require the intervention of an intelligent designer.

However, GCSE Specifications do present some opportunities to teach the current scientific controversy over origins. Pupils must learn about the nature of scientific enquiry; how scientific controversies arise; and how science intersects with cultural, moral, religious and social views. Several examination boards mention evolution in these contexts.