This study aimed at establishing if the level of performance of 500 Jamaican Grade 11 students on an achievement test on the concept of respiration was satisfactory (mean = 28 or 70% and above) or not (less than 70%); if there were statistically significant differences in their performance on the concept linked to their gender, cognitive abilities in biology, self-esteem, school location, socioeconomic background (SEB), school-type and school location and if there were significant relationships among the six variables and the students' performance. The sample (n = 500) consisted of 212 boys and 288 girls selected from five all-boys' schools (119 students), five all-girls' schools (159 students), and six coeducational schools (222 students). The students were from six rural schools (137 students) and ten urban schools (363 students), out of which 291 were from a high SEB and 209 were from a low SEB. A 40-item multiple choice test on respiration and a self-esteem questionnaire were used to collect data. The results revealed that the students' level of performance (mean = 23.44 or 58.60%, SD = 6.86) was regarded as fairly satisfactory; there were statistically significant differences in the students' performance on respiration based on their cognitive abilities, and school-type in favour of students with high cognitive ability in biology and all-boys' schools respectively. There was a positive statistically significant but weak relationship between the students' (a) cognitive abilities, and (b) school-type and their performance on respiration.