This work tested the hypothesis that the academic performance of students in a distance learning course in Biological Sciences (PBS-CEDERJ) decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic in disciplines with and without practical activities. Performance was quantified via students' grades in PBS-CEDERJ disciplines in pre-pandemic years (2018 and 2019) and during the pandemic (2020 and 2021) years. Student grades increased significantly during the pandemic in almost all disciplines with and without practical classes. Adapted face-to-face activities for the remote mode allowed consultation with teaching materials and the internet, and this contributed to increased performance. These results provide a scientific basis for a possible reformulation of the PBS-CEDERJ evaluation system. It is recommended for the period coined 'new normal', a better distribution of the weight of grades, aiming mainly at a more humanised assessment that stimulates critical thinking, to the detriment of memorisation of content.