GCE - Xtreme Level...January 2005 i Mark Schemes and Examiners’ Reports Contents MARK SCHEMES pg Unit 3 6103/ 01 W1 Written Alternative to coursework 1 Unit 5B 6105/ 01 Genetics,

GCE Edexcel (Int ernat ional) GCE

Biology (8040/ 9040)

Biology (Human) (8042/ 9042)

Supplement t o UA016171

January 2005

Mark Schemes and

Examiners’ Report s

Ed

exce

l (I

nte

rna

tio

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l) G

CE

Bio

logy (

80

40

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04

0)

Bio

logy (

Hu

ma

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(80

42

/9

04

2)

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January 2005

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January 2005 i Mark Schemes and Examiners’ Report s

Contents

MARK SCHEMES

pg

Unit 3 6103/ 01 W1 Writ t en Alt ernat ive t o coursework 1

Unit 5B 6105/ 01 Genet ics, evolut ion and biodiversit y 5

Unit 6 6106/ 02 W2

6106/ 03

Writ t en Alt ernat ive

Synopt ic paper

14

18

EXAMINERS’ REPORTS

Unit 3 6103/ 01 W1 Writ t en Alt ernat ive t o coursework 26

Unit 5B 6105/ 01 Genet ics, evolut ion and biodiversit y 28

Unit 6 6106/ 02 W2

6106/ 03

Writ t en Alt ernat ive

Synopt ic paper

30

32

Unit Grade Boundaries and Uniform Marks 34

Provisional Statistics 35

Appendix A The Uniform Mark System 36

Please not e t hat t his document is an Int ernat ional Supplement t o t he GCE Biology / Biology

(Human) Mark Schemes and Examiners’ Report s (8040/ 8042/ 9040/ 9042) and provides Mark

Schemes and Examiners’ Report s for t he papers t hat are only available t o Int ernat ional cent res.

The GCE Biology / Biology (Human) Mark Schemes and Examiners’ Report s (8040/ 8042/

9040/ 9042) is available t o order f rom Edexcel Publ icat ions, Order code UA016171.

January 2005 ii Mark Schemes and Examiners’ Report s

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Mark schemes are prepared by t he Principal Examiners and revised, t oget her wit h t he relevant

quest ions, by a panel of senior examiners and subj ect t eachers. The schemes are furt her

amended at t he St andardisat ion meet ings at t ended by al l examiners. The St andardisat ion

meet ing ensures as far as possible t hat t he mark scheme covers t he candidat es' act ual

responses t o quest ions and t hat every examiner underst ands and appl ies it in t he same way.

The schemes in t his document are t he f inal mark schemes used by t he examiners in t his

examinat ion and include t he amendment s made at t he meet ing. They do not include any

det ails of t he discussions t hat t ook place in t he meet ing, nor do t hey include al l of t he possible

al t ernat ive answers or equivalent st at ement s t hat were considered t o be wort hy of credit .

It is emphasised t hat t hese mark schemes are working document s t hat apply t o t hese papers in

t his examinat ion. Every ef fort is made t o ensure a consist ent approach t o marking f rom one

examinat ion t o anot her but each marking point has t o be j udged in t he cont ext of t he

candidat es' responses and in relat ion t o t he ot her quest ions in t he paper. It should not be

assumed t hat fut ure mark schemes wil l adopt exact ly t he same marking point s as t his one.

Edexcel cannot under any circumstances discuss or comment informally on the marking of

individual scripts. Any enquiries about the marks awarded to individual candidates can be

dealt with only through the official Enquiry about Results procedure.

January 2005 6103/ 02 Biology / Biology (Human) Unit 3 (W1)

Unit 3 W1 (6103/ 02)

Question 1 Maximum mark

(a)

Mass of discs / g Concent rat ion

of pre-

t reat ment

chemical

/ µg cm-3

Original

mass

Final

mass

Dif ference

in mass

Percent age

increase in mass

Percent age

increase in

mass

(i f f inal mass

used in

error)

0.00 2.10 2.20 0.10 4.76 (4.8) 4.55

0.25 2.06 2.46 0.40 19.42 (19.4) 16.26

0.50 2.12 2.65 0.53 25.00 (25.0) 20.00

1.00 2.08 2.87 0.79 37.98 (38.0) 27.53

2.00 2.05 2.80 0.75 36.59 (36.6) 26.79

4.00 2.08 2.70 0.62 29.81 (29.8) 22.96

[Shaded column opt ional]

Neat t able correct ly format t ed ;

Correct rows and columns (concent rat ion, original mass, f inal mass and

percent age change) wit h labels and unit s ;

Percent age increases correct ly calculat ed ; ;

[one error = 1 mark, t wo errors = 0 marks]

[ inconsist ent decimal place = 1 error]

[mist ake in rounding up = 1 error]

[use of f inal mass t o calculat e % increase in mass = 1 error]

4 marks

(b) Axes – correct orient at ion and labels ;

Scale – use of more t han half t he paper and correct scale ;

Plot s – al l point s plot t ed correct ly (use of f igures f rom t able) ;

Lines – wel l drawn t hrough al l point s ;

4 marks

8040/ 8042/ 9040/ 9042 Mark Schemes Page 1 January 2005


Question 1 continued Maximum mark

(c) Percent age increase in mass (for al l concent rat ions of chemical) great er t han in

wat er ;

St eepest increase f rom 0 t o 0.25 µg cm-3

/ less st eep increase f rom 0.25 t o 1.00 µg

cm-3

;

Small decreases in percent age increase in mass at concent rat ions great er t han

1.00 µg cm-3

/ great est percent age change is at 1.00 µg cm-3

/ eq ;

Chemical increases wat er upt ake at al l concent rat ions ;

Ef fect of chemical {does not increase / decreases} above 1.00 µg cm-3

;

Opt imum ef fect of chemical is bet ween 1-2 µg cm-3

;

4 marks

(d) Discs not t aken f rom same part of {t uber / plant } / t aken f rom dif ferent {t ubers /

plant s} ;

{not possible / dif f icul t } t o dry discs equal ly ;

Traces of chemical lef t {on / in} discs may af fect subsequent result s / eq ;

Chemical t reat ment might af fect solut e pot ent ial of discs / eq ;

One ot her named variable not cont rol led e.g. t emperat ure, pH, surface area ;

2 marks

Total 14 marks




(a) 1. Reference t o st andardising pot at o / same pot at o {species / variet y} ;

2. Reference t o t est ing pot at o t issue immediat ely (af t er harvest ing / eq) ;

3. Pot at o samples kept in cont rol led condit ions - Any t wo f rom: l ight (or dark) /

t emperat ure / humidit y / eq ;

4. Test ed at suit able int ervals for a minimum of 1 week ;

5. Same {volume / mass} of t issue used for each t est ;

6. Cut f rom same part of t uber / eq ;

7. Suit able met hod of enzyme ext ract ion e.g. blending and f i l t ering ;

8. St arch removed f rom ext ract (using cent rifuge / eq) ; [accept f i l t ering]

9. Same volume of enzyme used for each t est ;

10. Same volume and concent rat ion of glucose used for each t est ;

11. Use of iodine as st arch indicat or ;

12. Same volume of {iodine / Benedict ’ s} used in each t est ;

13. Colour change described e.g. (reddish brown) t urns t o black ;

14. End point st andardised / use of st andard / f irst appearance of black colour / t est

each minut e / eq ;

[accept t est ing for disappearance of glucose in similar fashion]

15. Test repeat ed for each t ime (minimum t hree t imes) ;

9 marks

(b) Suit able t able wit h correct rows and columns wit h unit s t o mat ch suggest ed

met hod ;

Mean t ime for change ;

Line graph / bar chart where simply t est ed before and af t er st orage ;

Correct orient at ion of axes wit h labels and unit s ;

3 marks




(c) Limitations

Nat ural variat ions in enzyme cont ent of pot at o t ubers ;

End point dif f icul t t o measure accurat ely ;

Dif f icul t t o ext ract al l enzyme f rom t issue ;

Dif f icul t t o remove al l st arch f rom ext ract ;

Ot her changes in pot at o may af fect enzyme act ivit y ;

Further work

Test glucose levels in pot at o t ubers ;

Test dif ferent pot at o {species / variet ies} ;

Test ef fect of dif ferent st orage condit ions ;

6 marks

Total 18 marks


January 2005 6105 Biology Unit 5B

Unit 5B (6105)


(a) 1. Pest icide ki l led most of t he {pest s / mit es} ;

2. Only a few pest s survived because t hey were resist ant ;

3. Survivors reproduced ;

4. No predat ors in glasshouse so numbers increase quickly again ;

5. Pest icide {didn’ t persist / was broken down quickly / eq} ;

6. Reference t o resurgence ;

3 marks

(b) 1. Combining t he use of {pest icides / chemical cont rol} and {biological met hods /

eq} ;

2. To encourage nat ural predat ors ;

3. Example of a met hod t o encourage predat ors ;

4. Reference t o {int ercropping / companion plant s / beet le banks / eq} ;

2 marks

(c) 1. Biological avoids having t o apply chemical t o food crop / eq ;

2. Biological does not (normal ly) have t o be reappl ied t hrough season / sel f

perpet uat ing / pest s do not become resist ant / no problem wit h resurgence ;

3. Biological does not require equipment t o t reat crops / reference t o need t o have

spraying equipment ;

4. Repeat ed appl icat ions of chemical spray is expensive, biological has a one-of f cost

of buying t he predat or ;

5. Crops can be classed as organic when cont rol led biological ly ;

6. Biological {t arget s specif ic pest s / doesn’ t harm non-t arget species / eq} ;

7. No bioaccumulat ion ;

2 marks

Total 7 marks




(a) (Mult iple al leles) more t han t wo al leles for {same / single} {gene / locus} ;

(Polygenic inherit ance) more t han one gene for one charact erist ic ;

{Mult iple al leles give discont inuous / polygenic associat ed wit h cont inuous}

variat ion ;

2 marks

(b) (i) Possible genot ypes:

IAIO AND I

AIA

IBIO

IAIB

[Al l t hree correct = 2 marks, t wo correct = 1 mark]

2 marks

(i i) 1. Indicat e t hat blood group O has t o be genot ype IOIO ;

2. Gamet es shown for mot her as IA and I

B and for fat her as I

O (and I

O) ;

3. Pot ent ial genot ypes of of fspring shown as IAIO and I

BIO ;

4. St at ement t o say t hat children can only be group A or group B ;

5. Reference t o IA and I

B dominant t o I

O ;

[Al low consequent ial er ror i f answer in (b)(i ) - W is IAIA or IBIB]

3 marks

(c) {Genet ic / DNA} f ingerprint ing ;

{ABO does not give def init e answer for fat herhood / ABO can only el iminat e

fat hers} / DNA f ingerprint ing gives posit ive evidence / DNA unique / eq ;

2 marks

Total 9 marks




(a) X {Ribulose bisphosphat e / RuBP} ;

Y {Glycerat e phosphat e / GP / G3P / phosphoglycerat e / phosphoglyceric

acid / PGA / glycerat e 3 phosphat e} ;

2 marks

(b) St roma ;

1 mark

(c) (i) 1. Bot h increase (as carbon dioxide concent rat ion increases) ;

2. Up t o 1000 ppm C4 updat e fast er t han C3 ;

3. Bot h reach same maximum rat e (3.8 µmol m-2

s-1

) / eq ;

4. C4 maximum reached at lower CO2 concent rat ion / eq ;

5. C4 levels of f at <600 ppm and C3 levels of f at <1000 ppm / ot her example of

comparat ive f igures ;

3 marks

(i i) 1. At normal CO2 concent rat ions, C4 plant s {more ef f icient / eq} at CO2 {upt ake /

f ixat ion} / C4 plant s have higher rat e of CO2 upt ake ;

2. Rat e of phot osynt hesis higher in higher l ight int ensit ies ;

3. (Leads t o) more oxygen produced / higher oxygen concent rat ion ;

4. Reference t o high oxygen concent rat ion has no ef fect upon enzyme in C4 plant s ;

5. (Therefore) {no inhibit ion / slowing down / eq} of phot osynt hesis as oxygen

concent rat ion increases ;

6. {Fast er growt h / higher yield} (t han C3 plant s) ;

7. Some C4 plant s may open st omat a at night ;

8. So no risk of dehydrat ion ;

2 marks

Total 8 marks




(a) (i) 6 beat s in 15 seconds ;

[Al low sl ight var iat ions as t hey may read of f 6 beat s in 14.5 seconds t o give 25

beat s (rounded up), or 4 beat s in 10 seconds t hat gives 24 beat s per minut e.

However do not al low 6 beat s in 14 sec, which is wrong]

= 24 beat s per minut e ; [only al low whole numbers]

2 marks

(i i) Acet ylchol ine decreases and adrenal ine increases heart rat e ;

Acet ylchol ine (decreases t o) 8- 9 beat s per minut e ;

Adrenal ine (increases t o) 40 - 46 beat s per minut e ;

In bot h t he changes are immediat e / eq ;

In bot h ef fect s wear of f af t er approximat ely 20 - 25 seconds / beat ret urns t o

normal by 35- 40 seconds / eq ;

3 marks

(b) Increase blood glucose levels ;

By increasing t he conversion of glycogen t o glucose ;

Reference t o {glycogenolysis / gluconeogenesis} ;

In t he l iver ;

2 marks




(c) 1. {Gaps bet ween neurones / neuromuscular j unct ion / eq} OR gaps t oo large for

impulses t o {cross / j ump / eq} ;

2. Need a {chemical / t ransmit t er} t o cross synapt ic clef t ;

3. Transmit t er released by presynapt ic membrane ;

4. Binds t o recept ors on post synapt ic membrane ;

5. Causes ion channels t o open ;

6. Set s up {post synapt ic / act ion} pot ent ial (in correct cont ext ) ;

7. Some t ypes of t ransmit t ers are {inhibit ory / block synapses / eq} ;

(Ot her possible ref erences t o t ransmit t ers)

8. Const ant st imulat ion causes fat igue as t ransmit t er is exhaust ed ;

9. Use of medical drugs t o int erfere wit h chemical t ransmit t ers at synapses / credit

suit able example, e.g. t ranquil l isers ;

10. Reference t o {t emporal / spat ial } summat ion ;

5 marks

Total 12 marks




(a) Mut ual ism / mut ual ist ic / symbiosis / symbiot ic ;

Suit able example naming t wo organisms ;

2 marks

(b) (i) 1. As SO2 decreases {number of species / diversit y} of l ichens increases (wit h

increasing dist ance f rom cent re) ;

2. (Number of species of ) l ichens {very low / does not increase} and SO2 {remains

high / does not decrease} up t o 6 km ;

3. (Number of species of ) l ichens increases {st eeply / eq} and SO2 decreases {st eeply

/ eq} bet ween 6 and {10 / 11} km f rom cent re ;

4. (Number of species of ) l ichens st art s t o {level of f / eq} af t er 12 km ;

5. Comparat ive manipulat ed f igures ;

3 marks

(i i) SO2 produced by {domest ic f ires / indust ries / eq} ; [not cars / t raf f ic]

More combust ion of fossil fuels nearer cit y cent res ;

2 marks

(c) 1. Name of appropriat e organism wit hin a named habit at ;

2. Reference t o suit able t echnique for named habit at e.g. {use of quadrat s /

measured sampling areas} ;

3. Reference t o t ype of sampling e.g. {random / syst emic / st rat if ied} ;

4. Det ail of t echnique ;

5. Reference t o large number of samples t aken (if specif ic number given, at least

10) ;

6. Reference t o suit able unit s for dat a obt ained ;

4 marks

Total 11 marks




(a) (i) Circle includes phosphat e / deoxyribose and a base ;

[ ignore inclusion of incorrect phosphat e]

1 mark

(i i) Loss of hydrogen bonding (bet ween complement ary base pairs) ;

Bonding bet ween adj acent bases / covalent bond bet ween bases ;

2 marks

(i i i) {Base pairing / complement ary pairing} not possible / eq (at point of damage) ;

(Because) hydrogen bonds cannot form ;

Incorrect bases may be {insert ed / subst it ut ed} ;

(So) sequence of bases changed ;

DNA repl icat ion may fai l / eq (for example second st rand of DNA fails t o form) ;

3 marks

(b) (i) 1. Bot h groups fal l as UV-C dosage increases ;

2. Group A survival great er ;

3. Group B survival higher t han group A at 100 a.u. ;

4. Group B survival lower at 200 a.u. ;

5. Group B al l ki l led by dosages at {300 / >200} a.u. , but group A not ki l led of f

complet ely unt i l dosage reaches {700 / >600} a.u. ;

3 marks

(i i) Group A ;

Percent age survival rat e is higher at higher dosages ;

So must be able t o repair damage ;

2 marks

Total 11 marks




(a) (i) Variet y A ;

Size of f ruit (t he same as C but ) bigger t han B ;

Rat e of growt h fast er t han B and C / eq ;

Breaking force higher t han C ;

Al t ernat ive answer:

Variet y C ;

Size of f ruit (t he same as A but ) bigger t han B ;

Even number of chromosomes / fert i le plant s ;

2 marks

(i i) Has an odd number of chromosomes / t r iploid ;

Chromosomes could not pair up ;

In meiosis ;

Gamet es would have dif ferent number of chromosomes / dif ferent haploid

number ;

2 marks

(b) Of fspring produced by mit osis ;

Genet ical ly ident ical ;

2 marks




(c) 1. Carry out f ield t r ials t o f ind suit able resist ant wild bananas ;

2. Remove gene for resist ance f rom DNA of wild banana / eq ;

3. Using rest rict ion enzyme ;

4. Open plasmid f rom {Agrobact erium (t umefaciens) / bact eria} using same

rest rict ion enzyme ;

5. Reference t o st icky ends / eq ;

6. Insert gene int o plasmid using DNA l igase ;

7. Plasmid put back int o {Agrobact erium / bact eria} / reference t o using DNA gun t o

get plasmid int o plant cel l / eq ;

8. Banana cel ls infect ed wit h genet ical ly {modif ied / t ransformed} {Agrobact erium /

bact eria} ;

9. {Bact erial DNA / new gene} becomes incorporat ed int o banana DNA ;

10. Banana cel ls grow int o new banana plant s wit h new gene / eq ;

ALTERNATIVE ANSWER:

1. Carry out f ield t r ials t o f ind suit able resist ant wild bananas ;

2. Ident ify t he prot ein t hat confers resist ance f rom wild banana / eq ;

3. Obt ain mRNA ;

4. Use reverse t ranscript ase t o synt hesise {single st rand DNA / cDNA} f rom mRNA ;

5. DNA polymerase t o produce double st randed DNA / eq ;

6. Use same rest rict ion enzyme on new DNA and plasmid ;

7. Plasmid insert ed int o {Agrobact erium / bact erium} ;


9. Bact erial {DNA / new gene} incorporat ed int o banana DNA ;


6 marks

Total 12 marks



Unit 6 W2 (6106/ 02)


(a)

Mass of apples produced f rom

one t ree / kg Lengt h of t ime t rees

covered by net s

/ days Field 1 Field 2

Mean mass of apples

/ kg

70 4.65 4.85 4.74 (4.7)

60 4.75 4.81 4.78 (4.8)

50 4.78 4.20 4.49 (4.5)

40 5.46 5.20 5.33 (5.3)

30 5.86 6.06 5.96 (6.0)

20 6.04 6.82 6.43 (6.4)

10 6.32 6.34 6.33 (6.3)

0 6.64 6.56 6.60 (6.6)

Neat t able correct ly format t ed ;

Correct rows and columns wit h unit s including raw dat a ;

Al l means correct ; ;

(one error = 1 mark, t wo errors = 0 marks)

4 marks

(b) Correct ly orient at ed axes wit h appropriat e scales and labels ;

Dat a plot t ed correct ly ;

Scat t ergram / l ine of best f i t ;

3 marks

(c) There is no correlat ion bet ween t he lengt h of exposure of t rees t o birds and t he

{yield / eq} of apples ;

1 mark




(d) There is a signif icant correlat ion bet ween t he lengt h of exposure of t ree t o birds

and t he {yield / eq} of apples / eq ;

Calculat ed coef f icient is great er t han t he crit ical value / t han 0.74 ;

At t he {5% / 95%} level ; [accept in correct cont ext ]

Lit t le ef fect on yield when net t ed for 50-70 days / great est increase in yield

bet ween 20-50 days ;

3 marks

Total 11 marks




(a) 1. Seeds col lect ed direct ly f rom f lower / newly formed seeds col lect ed ;

2. Seeds st ored in dark ;

3. St at ed number of seeds in each t est (minimum 10) ;

4. {Suit able growing medium / f i l t er paper} in each pet ri dish / eq ;

[do not al low covered in soil ]

5. Seeds equal dist ance apart ;

6. Met hod of exposure t o l ight st andardised e.g. same {wavelengt h / l ight source /

dist ance f rom l ight source} ;

[accept met hods wit h and wit hout t reat ment or dif ferent periods of t reat ment ]

7. Cont rol wit h no l ight t reat ment ;

8. Lef t t o germinat e in t he dark ;

9. Met hod of t emperat ure cont rol described ;

10. Any one ot her condit ion for germinat ion cont rol led ;

11. Number germinat ing checked at regular int ervals ;

12. At t empt t o def ine exact point of germinat ion for count ing ;

13. Repeat ed at least t wice more ;

8 marks

St yle Account is concise and wel l-organised, t here is good use of t echnical vocabulary

and almost no spel l ing errors – 2 marks

There is some lack of organisat ion, l imit ed vocabulary and a number of spel l ing

errors - 1 mark

The account lacks organisat ion, t here is l i t t le or no t echnical vocabulary and

many spel l ing errors - 0 marks

2 marks




(b) Table of raw and manipulat ed dat a wit h suit ably label led rows and columns ;

Calculat ion of means / % germinat ion ; [accept f rom t able]

Suit able graphical format mat ched t o dat a / bar chart for wit h and wit hout l ight

/ l ine graph for dif ferent periods of t reat ment ;

Graphical present at ion has correct ly label led axes and al lows for comparison ;

Named suit able st at ist ical t est mat ched t o dat a t able / correlat ion t est for

dif ferent periods of t reat ment / {Mann Whit ney U / t t est / z t est } for wit h and

wit hout l ight ; [accept f rom plan]

Use of t he {5% / 95%} level ; [accept in correct cont ext ]

6 marks

(c) Limitations

Dif f icul t t o cont rol exposure t o l ight fol lowing seed product ion on f lower ;

Dif f icul t t o cont rol exact age of seed when col lect ed ;

Dif f icul t t o j udge exact t ime of germinat ion ;

Some l ight needed t o examine seeds for germinat ion ;

Further work

Invest igat e ef fect s of dif ferent {wavelengt hs / int ensit y} of l ight ;

Invest igat e ef fect of dif ferent species of seed ;

Invest igat e ef fect of l ight on seeds of dif ferent ages ;

5 marks

Total 21 marks



Unit 6 Synoptic paper (6106/ 03)


(a) Second / {primary / 1° } consumers / herbivores / 2 ;

1 mark

(b) (i) Overal l increase ;

Credit a manipulat ed quant it at ive comment ;

2 marks

(i i) {Reference t o loss of open areas / shaded plant s die out / eq} / less l ight

penet rat ion ;

Growt h of shrubby veget at ion ;

Furt her growt h of t rees / increase in biomass ;

Change in {species diversit y / biodiversit y} / reference t o cl imax communit y ;

Reference t o succession ;

3 marks

(i i i) Wint er survival ;

Plant s growing more ;

(So) more food for but t erf l ies ;

Increased survival furt her nort h ;

As fewer eggs (or cat erpil lars) die (as t emperat ure drops less) ;

2 marks

Total 8 marks




(a) 1, 4 bonds give (st raight ) chains of glucose (residues) ;

1, 6 bonds give rise t o format ion of branches / eq ;

2 marks

(b) 1. {Forms / can be packed} int o compact st ruct ures / eq ;

2. So large quant it ies can be st ored in cel ls ;

3. Too large t o pass out of cel ls ;

4. Branched st ruct ure means many molecules can be {added / removed} ;

5. So speeding up {synt hesis / breakdown} when required ;

6. Glycogen {less react ive / more st able} t han glucose ;

7. As –OH group involved in bonding ;

8. Glucose (small and) soluble / glycogen (large and) insoluble ;

9. Correct reference t o osmot ic ef fect of {glucose / glycogen} ;

4 marks

(c) 1. {Low / fal l in} blood glucose levels / hypoglycaemia ;

2. Af t er {fast ing / exercise} ;

3. Fal l det ect ed by {pancreas / α cel ls / islet s (of Langerhans)} ;

4. Result s in secret ion of glucagon ;

5. Act ivat es {enzymes / glycogen phosphorylase} ;

3 marks




(d) 1. Change t o a {base / nucleot ide / codon / base sequence) ;

2. Reference t o {subst it ut ion / delet ion / insert ion} / eq ;

3. Reference t o change in {amino acid / primary st ruct ure} ;

4. Reference t o change in {shape / t ert iary st ruct ure} of {enzyme / polypept ide /

prot ein} ;

5. Reference t o format ion of enzyme-subst rat e complex ;

6. Reference t o change in enzyme act ion ;

4 marks

(e) Glycogen {accumulat es / not complet ely broken down / not convert ed t o

glucose} ;

Possibil i t y of (very) low blood glucose levels / lack of respirat ory subst rat e ;

Af t er {fast ing / exercise} ;

2 marks

Total 15 marks



ESSAY MARK SCHEME

Outline Scheme for Marking Essay Questions 3, 4B and 5H

Total maximum mark available: 15

13 available for Scient if ic cont ent

2 available for Balance

2 available for Coherence

Scientific content

Good scient if ic cont ent (11 - 13)

13 Excel lent

11 Good

Essays in t his cat egory demonst rat e a sound underst anding of t he t opic, cont ain

a signif icant amount of mat erial relevant t o t wo or more unit s of t he

specif icat ion, and suit able examples where appropriat e. Informat ion f rom

dif ferent part s of t he specif icat ion is clearly and coherent ly l inked in t he

candidat e’ s discussions.

Moderat e scient if ic cont ent (5 - 9)

9 Above average

7 Average

5 Below average

Essays in t his cat egory cont ain fact ual ly correct and relevant mat erial . There is

some evidence t hat t he candidat e has l inked informat ion f rom dif ferent areas of

t he specif icat ion. Some areas should show a progression f rom AS level ,

part icularly if a mark of 7, or higher, is awarded.

Poor scient i f ic cont ent (0-3)

3 Some correct fact s

1 Very few correct fact s

0 No correct informat ion

Essays in t his cat egory cont ain some relevant fact s, but t he mat erial t hat has

been included has l i t t le dept h and barely reaches t he st andard expect ed at AS

level. Few appropriat e examples are included.

S = 13 marks



Balance

2 Most of t he main t opic areas out l ined are covered.

Some discussion of each of t he areas chosen, i l lust rat ed wit h suit able examples

where appropriat e.

Mat erial included is al l relevant t o t he t opic and t he candidat e has l inked

informat ion f rom more t han one area of t he specif icat ion.

Few, if any, errors.

1 Some of t he main t opic areas out l ined are covered.

Some discussion of each of t he areas chosen.

Some irrelevant mat erial included.

There are some examples which l ink t oget her dif ferent areas of t he

specif icat ion.

Some errors

0 Very l imit ed account , possibly only one aspect chosen

Mat erial most ly irrelevant

No examples of t he candidat e l inking informat ion f rom dif ferent t opics

Large number of errors

B = 2 marks

Coherence

2 Mat erial logical ly present ed, wit h l i t t le or no repet it ion

Essay has coherence, ideas are developed wel l ; cont inuous prose used

t hroughout

Essay has an int roduct ion and a conclusion, summing up t he main point s

Technical t erms have been used correct ly

Spel l ing, punct uat ion and grammar are sound

1 Mat erial is present ed in an orderly way and some ideas developed

Cont inuous prose used t hroughout

The int roduct ion and conclusion may be present , but brief

Technical t erms are used and general ly in t he correct cont ext

Spel l ing, punct uat ion and grammar are general ly sound

0 Essay st yle not used

Mat erial in not e form or numbered point s

Very poor st andard of spel l ing, punct uat ion and grammar

C = 2 marks

Total max 15 marks




Int roduct ion could include out l ine propert ies of l ipids as fat s, oi ls and waxes –

St ruct ure of a t r iglyceride –

Sat urat ed and unsat urat ed fat t y acids –

Phosphol ipids –

Waxes –

St eroids –

Roles of l ipids as:

Energy st ores –

Prot ect ion –

Wat erproof ing –

Insulat ion (including role of t he myel in sheat h) –

Buoyancy –

St eroid hormones –

Scientific content 13 marks

Balance 2 marks

Coherence 2 marks

Total 15 marks

[Not e: t he st ruct ure of l ipids is U1, but roles of l ipids occur in unit s 2B, 2H and 4]



Question 4B Maximum mark

Int roduct ion could include reference t o aut ot rophic nut rit ion and an out l ine of

phot osynt hesis –

Fixat ion of carbon dioxide –

Product ion of PGA –

Use of NADPH + H+ and ATP (f rom l ight -dependent react ion) –

Synt hesis of carbohydrat e f rom PGA –

Reference t o mineral nut rit ion and synt hesis of , for example, amino acids –

Reference t o prot ein synt hesis -

Translocat ion of organic solut es –

St ruct ure of phloem t issue –

St ruct ure and arrangement of sieve t ube element s –

Companion cel ls –

Transfer cel ls –

Mass f low –


Balance 2 marks

Coherence 2 marks

Total 15 marks



Question 5H Maximum mark

Int roduct ion could include t he concept of homeost asis, concept and roles of feedback

mechanisms –

Specif ic examples of negat ive feedback –

Cont rol of wat er and solut e cont ent of t he body –

Role of ADH –

Regulat ion of blood glucose –

Reproduct ive hormones –

Regulat ion of body t emperat ure –

Normal body t emperat ure and diurnal variat ion –

St ruct ural , physiological, behavioural mechanisms of t emperat ure regulat ion –

St ruct ure and roles of t he skin –

Roles of t hermorecept ors and hypot halamus –


Balance 2 marks

Coherence 2 marks

Total 15 marks



6103/ 02 Unit 3 Written Alternative (W1) Examiner Report

Maximum mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Mean mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.2

St andard deviat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8

General Comments

Whilst t here was a wide range of marks, some candidat es were clearly unfamil iar wit h t he

requirement s of a good, wel l -cont rol led invest igat ion. There was a t endency for many

candidat es t o rely on previous mark schemes, especial ly in quest ion 2, rat her t han t o t hink

careful ly about t he specif ic hypot hesis t o be t est ed. Invariably, t he great er t he rel iance on

rot e learning, t he lower t he marks which could be awarded. Credit could not be given where

point s were inappropriat e in t he cont ext of t his part icular quest ion.

It would be helpful for many candidat es t o have wider experience of planning a range of

invest igat ions using st andard t echniques in more original ways.

Question 1

A large number of candidat es calculat ed percent ages correct ly but a signif icant number of

candidat es were unable t o maint ain a consist ent approach t o signif icant f igures in t heir

answers.

Many candidat es could easily have gained maximum marks for t heir graphs but were let down

eit her by careless plot t ing, which made inaccurat e use of t he smal lest squares, or by fai l ing t o

ensure t hat t he st raight l ines t hey drew passed accurat ely t hrough t he plot t ed point s.

It is expect ed t hat , above al l , candidat es wil l apply obj ect ive analysis t o t he act ual dat a in t his

sect ion. Many gained credit for recognising t he posit ion of t he great est percent age increase or

t he smal l decrease t hat fol lowed. Few picked out t he great est rat e of increase init ial ly.

A maj orit y of candidat es t hen proceeded t o give account s of osmosis wit h wide assumpt ions

which could not be deduced f rom t he dat a. A more obj ect ive considerat ion of t he observed

ef fect of t he chemical i t sel f was expect ed.

Many candidat es gained bot h marks for recognising a lack of cont rol of variables and problems

wit h blot t ing.

Question 2

Many plans i l lust rat ed t he point s made in t he General Comment s very wel l . It was common for

candidat es t o place great emphasis on glucose t est ing wit h l i t t le t hought of t he relevance of

t heir met hods t o t he act ual enzyme described or t he pract ical it y of t heir appl icat ion of

st andard t echniques.

Even where emphasis was placed on t est ing for t he appearance of st arch very few clearly

ext ract ed t he enzyme t o t est or considered removing st arch f rom t heir preparat ions.

A wide range of quant it at ive measurement s was accept ed. The use of a colorimet er was

described accurat ely by many candidat es but less credit could be given where t his was appl ied

t o blended pot at o or even whole discs.

8040/ 8042/ 9040/ 9042 Examiners’ Report s Page 26 January 2005


Many candidat es gained some credit for describing basic t echniques but t hen did not progress

t owards maximum marks because of a lack of t hought ful det ails in t heir met hods.

This was general ly a high scoring sect ion but even here t here were at t empt s t o apply a pre-

conceived approach. For example t here were several at t empt s t o t abulat e means which were

clearly inappropriat e t o t he dat a or t ables t hat did not always mat ch t he met hods described.

Obj ect ive evaluat ion is always a dif f icul t ski l l for many candidat es. Once again a subst ant ial

number of candidat es were drawn t o admissions of weak pract ical abil i t y or correct ions of

maj or errors of planning. Many suggest ed carrying out t est s on al l st andard variat ions of

enzyme experiment s rat her t han focusing on invest igat ions which would provide furt her

evidence in support of t he original hypot hesis.

Summary

To improve t heir marks many candidat es could:

• Pay great er at t ent ion t o accuracy in t abulat ing dat a and plot t ing graphs

• Conf ine conclusions t o t hose t hat can clearly be inferred f rom t he dat a present ed.

• Apply t heir knowledge more careful ly t o t he hypot hesis in t he quest ion rat her t han using

pre-conceived ideas or st andard answers.

• Consider why, no mat t er how careful ly t he invest igat ion may be carried out , t here may

st i l l be variat ions in repeat col lect ions of dat a.

• Conf ine suggest ions for furt her work t o t he original hypot hesis rat her t han launching

t ot al ly new invest igat ions.


January 2005 6105 Biology Unit 5

6105 Unit 5B Examiner Report

Maximum mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Mean mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.5

St andard deviat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.5

General comments

There was a wide range of marks seen on t his paper. It was pleasing t o not e t hat t here was a

marked improvement in t he st andard of wr it ing and grammar compared wit h Summer 2004.

Question 1

This quest ion was wel l answered. In part (a), a number of candidat es appreciat ed t hat some of

t he mit es may have been resist ant . Part (b) was less wel l answered and t he maj orit y of

candidat es could only explain t hat i t involved t he use of pest icides and biological cont rol . Only

a few give suit able examples. Part (c) was wel l answered.

Question 2

Overal l , t his quest ion was answered t o a high st andard and many candidat es gained ful l or

close t o ful l marks. The only part of t he quest ion t hat caused problems for some candidat es

was part (a).

Question 3

The maj orit y of candidat es gained at least 2 marks for part s (a) and (b). However t he graph

was poorly described. Many candidat es did not appreciat e t hat t he graph was showing an

increase in t he rat e of carbon dioxide upt ake. A surprising number of candidat es gave 400 ppm

as t he concent rat ion at which t he rat e of carbon dioxide upt ake for C4 plant s level led of f ,

rat her t han 600 ppm. Part (c)(i i) was poorly answered.

Question 4

The responses t o t his quest ion were quit e varied. Part (a)(i i) was very st raight forward but it

caused problems for candidat es, wit h some candidat es resort ing t o incredibly complex

calculat ions. In part (a)(i i), most candidat es appreciat ed t hat acet ylchol ine decreased t he rat e

and adrenal in increased it . Few worked out t he new heart rat e. Part (b) was answered wel l by

some. However many bel ieved t hat adrenal in reduced blood glucose levels and ot hers

confused adrenal in wit h insul in. A number suggest ed incorrect ly t hat adrenal in caused t he

breakdown of glycogen t o glucose direct ly. Part (c) was general ly wel l answered, al t hough

most candidat es simply gave a det ailed descript ion of t he processes t hat occurred in t he

synapse rat her t han considering t he role of a neurot ransmit t er.

Question 5

The maj orit y of candidat es gained ful l marks for part (a). A few confused Rhizobium wit h

Rhizopus and ot hers did not get t he second mark as t hey did not specify t he t ype of plant t hat

was associat ed wit h Rhizobium. Part (b)(i) required candidat es t o compare t he number of

species of l ichen wit h t he sulphur dioxide concent rat ion. Many candidat es simply wrot e several

sent ences describing t he changes in t he l ichen numbers and t hen wrot e a sent ence about t he

sulphur dioxide and did not make direct comparisons. In part (c), most candidat es did not

specify a named organism and a named habit at . The descript ions were varied but many

candidat es ment ioned t he use of a quadrat and random sampling. A surprising number of

candidat es described how t hey would det ermine t he populat ion of a species using t he Lincoln

Index. Obviously some of t he weaker candidat es were not famil iar wit h t he dif ference bet ween

dist r ibut ion and abundance.


January 2005 6105 Biology Unit 5

Question 6

This quest ion had some variable responses. Most candidat es were able t o ring a nucleot ide on

t he diagram. In part (a)(i i), most ment ioned t he loss of t he hydrogen bond bet ween t he base

pairs and t he format ion of new covalent bonds. The responses t o part (a)(i i i) were general ly

not mark yielding and it appeared t hat candidat es had not t hought t hrough t heir answers.

Some described t he format ion of mRNA and prot ein synt hesis rat her t han t he process of DNA

repl icat ion. In part (b)(i), most candidat es appreciat ed t hat group A could survive higher doses

of UV-C. Weaker candidat es confused t he increasing doses wit h increasing t ime.

Question 7

Part s (a) and (b) were reasonably wel l answered wit h most candidat es picking up some, if not

al l t he marks. Part (c) proved chal lenging for t he weaker candidat es. The more able candidat es

ment ioned key enzymes such as rest rict ion enzyme and DNA l igase, t he role of t he plasmid and

t he process of using a bact erium t o get t he new DNA int o a banana plant . However, weaker

candidat es t ended t o overlook t he role of t he bact erium in t he sequence. They obt ained a

plasmid f rom a bact erium, added a new gene and t hen insert ed t he plasmid direct ly int o a

banana cel l rat her t han placing it back in a bact erial cel l f irst .



6106/ 02 Unit 6 Written Alternative (W2) Examiner Report

Maximum mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Mean mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

St andard deviat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

General Comments

Many candidat es scored wel l on basic t asks. They showed commendable accuracy in t abulat ion

and graph plot t ing. However, a maj orit y were less adept at applying higher level ski l ls t o

explaining st at ist ical dat a and planning invest igat ions at t he level expect ed of A2 st udent s.

A maj or fact or was t he t endency t o apply point s f rom previous mark schemes rat her t han

display independent t hought and a rigorous approach t o cont rol l ing variables.

Question 1

In part (a) most candidat es t abulat ed t he dat a accurat ely and scored high marks.

Axes and plot t ing were of t en wel l execut ed in part (b), but t here was much wider variat ion in

select ing a scat t ergraph or correlat ion l ine.

In part (c), as in part (d), candidat es were expect ed t o use t he t erm correlat ion which was

clearly indicat ed in t he rubric.

In part (d) most candidat es recognised t hat t he calculat ed value exceeded t he crit ical value,

but clear explanat ions of conf idence l imit s were rare. A simple repet it ion of p=0.05 given in

t he rubric was insuf f icient t o provide convincing evidence t hat candidat es underst ood t his

concept .

Question 2

Many plans in part (a) were not wel l done. The st raight forward nat ure of t he hypot hesis led

many candidat es t o suggest naïve and poorly st ruct ured invest igat ions. Cont rol of variables was

of t en vague and accurat e suggest ions of how germinat ion might be recorded were rare. A

signif icant minorit y of candidat es t r ied t o apply previous mark schemes rat her t han planning

for t he act ual hypot hesis t o be t est ed.

Loose t erms such as ‘ amount s’ and ‘ about ’ remain common but are never given credit at t his

level as t hey imply an inappropriat e level of r igour.

Whilst many candidat es scored wel l in part (b), t he st andard was sl ight ly lower t han in previous

papers. This was of t en due bot h t o poorly const ruct ed t ables which did not always t ake

account of raw dat a recording and t o a lack of suit able suggest ions for st at ist ical analysis.

Suggest ions for bot h l imit at ions and furt her work in part (c), were of t en very weak. Limit at ions

rarely addressed t he import ant area of act ual t echniques employed. It is assumed t hat t hese

t echniques are used compet ent ly and it is t he inherent variabil i t y t hat t hese may creat e which

needs t o be underst ood and discussed. Correct ing obvious omissions or errors in planning

cannot gain credit in t his sect ion.

Examiners have of t en comment ed t hat furt her work must provide addit ional evidence for t he

hypot hesis t est ed and not suggest ions for complet ely new invest igat ions. Yet t he maj orit y of

candidat es rel ied ent irely on a l ist of basic suggest ions t hey have learned f rom previous

examples rat her t han applying t heir own evaluat ing skil ls. These weaknesses of t en led t o low

marks in t his sect ion.



Summary

To improve t heir marks many candidat es could:

• Use t he informat ion in t he quest ion t o select t he appropriat e graphical format .

• Use more accurat e t erminology t o describe conf idence l imit s and nul l hypot heses.

• Focus more careful ly on planning a suit able invest igat ion for t he hypot hesis suggest ed,

using scient i f ic j udgement rat her t han seeking t o apply a set of memorised point s.

• Eliminat e al l suggest ions of poor t echnique or equipment fai lure f rom discussions of

l imit at ions.

• Conf ine suggest ions for furt her work t o t hose which would provide addit ional evidence or

support for t he hypot hesis under invest igat ion.


January 2005 6106/ 03 Biology / Biology (Human) Unit 6

6106/ 03 Unit 6 Synoptic Paper Examiner Report

Maximum mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Mean mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

St andard deviat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

General comments

There was a wide range of responses t o t his Paper, f rom some rat her poor at t empt s t o t hose

f rom candidat es wit h a good abil i t y t o apply t heir knowledge and underst anding, and t o

synt hesise fact s, principles and concept s f rom dif ferent areas of t he specif icat ion. In general,

Quest ion 1 part s (a) and (b)(i i), and Quest ion 2 part s (b) and (d) were answered wel l ; answers

t o ot her quest ions were more variable.

The qual it y of t he essays was as variable as usual. Relat ively few gave balanced account s, and

included informat ion f rom at least t wo unit s of t he specif icat ion. For high marks, i t is

expect ed t hat essays include a signif icant amount of mat erial relevant t o t wo or more unit s,

i l lust rat ed wit h suit able examples. One general fai l ing of candidat es at t empt ing t his Paper

was t heir abil i t y t o recal l accurat e informat ion f rom AS unit s. This was part icularly apparent in

Quest ion 3, where correct st ruct ures of glycerol and fat t y acids were seen very rarely.

Question 1

Almost al l candidat es answered part (a) correct ly, by st at ing eit her ‘ primary consumers’ or

‘ herbivores’ .

Answers t o part (b)(i) were more variable. Many candidat es gave a st ep-by-st ep descript ion of

t he dat a, rat her t han ident ifying t he general t rend. Alt hough some candidat es correct ly

included a manipulat ed quant it at ive comment , many did not .

There were some good descript ions of succession in abandoned woodland in part (b)(i i ), as

many candidat es appreciat ed t hat t he t rees t hat had previously been coppiced would cont inue

t o grow, wit h consequent ef fect s on t he woodland communit y. Some candidat es st at ed t hat

t he changes in t he woodland lead t o a decrease in t he numbers of speckled wood but t erf l ies

and, consequent ly, cont radict ed t heir answers t o part (b)(i).

Relat ively few candidat es answered part (b)(i i i) correct ly; many candidat es suggest ed t hat

because t he but t erf l ies preferred cold condit ions, t hey would migrat e t o t he nort h where t he

condit ions were more suit able for t hem. There were also some inappropriat e references t o

geographical isolat ion and speciat ion. However, i t was pleasing t o not e t hat some candidat es

were able t o describe t he possible changes in veget at ion, in response t o cl imat e change, as a

reason for t he change in abundance of t he but t erf l ies.


January 2005 6106/ 03 Biology / Biology (Human) Unit 6

Question 2

In part (a) t here were some good explanat ions of t he α-1,4 and α-1,6 bonds in relat ion t o t he

st ruct ure of glycogen, al t hough a number of answers did not clearly dist inguish bet ween each

t ype of bond.

Part (b) was general ly answered successful ly, wit h some good comparisons bet ween glucose

and glycogen. Many candidat es referred t o t he compact st ruct ure of glycogen, it s insolubil i t y

and consequent lack of osmot ic ef fect s. Marks point s 4, 5 and 7 were seen less f requent ly.

In part (c), t here were some good, reasoned descript ions of t he circumst ances under which t he

conversion of glycogen t o glucose occurs. However, t here were also some rat her muddled

account s of t he regulat ion of blood glucose in general, including references t o t he role of

insul in.

There were some good, det ailed explanat ions in part (d), in which candidat es clearly

appreciat ed t he possible ef fect s of a point mut at ion on enzyme st ruct ure. However, t here

were also some inaccurat e answers wit h confusion bet ween amino acids and bases,

polypept ides and polynucleot ides.

Answers t o part (e) were more variable. Whilst many candidat es suggest ed correct ly t hat

glycogen would not be complet ely broken down t o glucose, which could result in a low blood

glucose concent rat ion, some answers digressed int o irrelevant descript ions of diabet es.

Question 3

This essay was sl ight ly more popular t han 4B. The maj orit y of candidat es included t r iglycerides

and phosphol ipids in t heir answers, but fewer candidat es also referred t o ot her l ipids, such as

waxes and st eroids. It was rare t o see references t o t he general nat ure of l ipids, in t erms of

t heir solubil i t y, and many essays did not include an accurat e indicat ion of t he st ruct ure of a

t r iglyceride. Some of t he essays were rat her general account s, referring consist ent ly t o l ipids,

but wit hout st at ing which t ype. Many candidat es were aware of t he roles of t r iglycerides in

t hermal insulat ion, buoyancy and as energy st ores, but i t was rare t o see any at t empt t o relat e

t he st ruct ure and propert ies of t r iglycerides t o t heir funct ions. One f requent error was in

referring t o t he hydrolysis of t r iglycerides yielding met abol ic wat er, or energy.

The maj orit y of at t empt s at t his essay focused on Unit 1 only and did not , t herefore, include

much t ruly synopt ic cont ent .

Question 4B

There were some det ailed, accurat e and balanced account s of bot h t he synt hesis and t ransport

of organic solut es in f lowering plant s. Some essays, however, were unbalanced descript ions of

phot osynt hesis, of t en wit h considerable det ail of t he l ight -dependent react ions, wit h only an

out l ine of t ransport , almost as an af t ert hought . Consequent ly, t he emphasis of many of t hese

essays was on Unit 5B, wit h few det ails of phloem and t ranslocat ion f rom Unit 2B. Very few

essays included a reference t o organic solut es ot her t han sucrose.

Question 5H

There were very few at t empt s at t his essay and none included more t han a superf icial account

of homeost asis and t he regulat ion of body t emperat ure. There was l i t t le or no at t empt t o

int egrat e knowledge and underst anding f rom Unit s 2H and 4 and t he general st andard of t hese

essays was, consequent ly, lower t han t hat of Quest ions 3 and 4B.


January 2005 Unit Grade Boundaries and Uniform Marks (Int ernat ional Supplement )

UNIT GRADE BOUNDARIES AND UNIFORM MARKS

The raw mark obt ained in each module is convert ed int o a st andardised mark on a uniform

mark scale, and t he uniform marks are t hen aggregat ed int o a t ot al for t he subj ect . Det ails of

t he met hod of aggregat ion are given in Appendix A.

For AS examinat ions, t he t hree unit t est s each have a weight ing of 33.3% wit h a maximum of

100 uniform marks.

For t he A level, t he six unit t est s each have a weight ing of 16.7% wit h a maximum of 100

uniform marks.

The t able below shows t he boundaries at which raw marks were convert ed int o uniform marks

in t his examinat ion. The A and E grade boundaries are det ermined by inspect ion of t he qual it y

of t he candidat es’ work. The ot her grade boundaries are det ermined by dividing t he range of

marks bet ween A and E. Marks wit hin each grade are scaled appropriat ely wit hin t he

equivalent range of uniform marks.

In Unit 3, t he A and E boundaries are det ermined separat ely on t he t wo component s T1 and

Paper 03 (or W1 and Paper 03 for Int ernat ional). These marks are t hen added t oget her t o f ind

t he A and E boundaries for Unit 3 as a whole, and t he ot her grade boundaries for t he Unit are

t hen found as described above. Boundaries for t he B, C and D grades for each component can

be calculat ed in t he same way, but please not e t hat t hese are not simply added t oget her t o

obt ain t he B, C and D boundaries for t he unit as a whole.

Unit grade boundaries

Grade Maximum mark

A B C D E

Unit Unif orm marks

100 80 70 60 50 40

Raw marks

6103 Unit 3 70 43 38 33 29 25

Paper 02 W1 32 19 16 14 12 10

Paper 03 38 24 21 19 17 15

6105 Unit 5B 70 47 42 37 33 29

6106 Unit 6 70 51 45 39 34 29

Paper 01 T2 32 24 21 18 15 12

Paper 03 38 27 24 21 19 17

6106 Unit 6 70 48 42 37 32 27

Paper 02 W2 32 21 18 15 12 10

Paper 03 38 27 24 21 19 17


January 2005 Provisional St at ist ics (Int ernat ional Supplement )

PROVISIONAL STATISTICS

The provisional percent ages of candidat es obt aining at least t he indicat ed grade are given

below.

Cumulative percentage of candidates

Unit

Number

sat A B C D E

6103 Unit 3 (W1+03) 999 13.7 27.0 43.3 59.7 72.1

6105 Unit 5B 329 14.6 28.9 44.1 59.3 73.6

6106 Unit 6 (T2+03) 20 0.0 45.0 70.0 85.0 95.0

6106 Unit 6 (W2+03) 249 4.4 17.3 33.3 52.2 67.9


January 2005 Appendix A: The Uniform Mark Syst em

APPENDIX A

The Uniform Mark System for AS and A level Unit Schemes

The result for each unit wil l be issued as a st andardised mark on a uniform mark scale. AS

subj ect s have a t ot al of 300 uniform marks and A level subj ect s have a t ot al of 600 uniform

marks.

Tables 1 and 2 show t he numbers of uniform marks required t o gain each subj ect grade in AS

and A level examinat ions. They also indicat e t he number of uniform marks in unit s wit h

various weight ings t hat wil l aggregat e int o t he appropriat e subj ect grade. These provide a

guide t o t he level of performance in each unit .

The uniform marks shown for each unit do not necessari ly represent t he act ual mark range

used for marking t he module. Grade boundaries for modules are set at Awarding meet ings on

t he basis of candidat e performance on t he act ual mark range used. These boundaries are t hen

convert ed t o t he uniform marks shown in t he t ables, wit h int ermediat e values calculat ed

accordingly.

Table 1 – Advanced Subsidiary Subjects

Subject Unit Weighting

Grade UM 20% 30% 331

3% 40% 50% 60%

Max mark 300 60 90 100 120 150 180

A 240 48 72 80 96 120 144

B 210 42 63 70 84 105 126

C 180 36 54 60 72 90 108

D 150 30 45 50 60 75 90

E 120 24 36 40 48 60 72

For example, a candidat e for AS Biology or Biology (Human) must t ake t hree modules, al l

weight ed at 33.3% of t he subj ect .

Uniform mark obtained

Approximate level of

performance

Unit 1 65 C

Unit 2 73 B

Unit 3 80 A

Subject Total 218 Subject Grade = B


January 2005 Appendix A: The Uniform Mark Syst em

Table 2 – Advanced Level Subjects

Subject Unit Weighting

Grade UM 15% 162

3% 20% 25% 30%

Max mark 600 90 100 120 150 180

A 480 72 80 96 120 144

B 420 63 70 84 105 126

C 360 54 60 72 90 108

D 300 45 50 60 75 90

E 240 36 40 48 60 72

For example, a candidat e for A level Biology or Biology (Human) must t ake six unit s, al l

weight ed at 16.7%. The candidat e in t his example has four unit s in t he bank.

Uniform Mark Obtained

Approximate level of

performance

Unit 1 59 D

Unit 2 53 D

Unit 3 69 C

Unit 4 82 A

Unit 5 *

Unit 6 *

Partial Total in Bank = 263

The candidat e already has 263 uniform marks in t he bank. If a Grade C is required in t he

subj ect , t he candidat e must obt ain at least 97 marks f rom t he remaining t wo unit s (e.g. 45

+52) in order t o gain t he minimum uniform mark of 360 for a Grade C (263 + 97 = 360).

A subj ect grade of B would require at least 157 ext ra uniform marks (e.g. 80+77) and would

require a performance somewhat bet t er t han t he average achieved so far.

There is no rule requiring candidat es t o t ake unit s amount ing t o 30% of t he examinat ion at t he

t ime of cashing in, nor do candidat es have t o t ake al l papers wit h synopt ic assessment at t he

same t ime at t heir f irst cash in.


For more informat ion on Edexcel qual if icat ions please visit www.edexcel.org.uk/ qual if icat ionsAlt ernat ively, you can cont act Customer Services at www.edexcel.org.uk/ ask or on 0870 240 9800. Edexcel Limit ed. Regist ered in England and Wales no.4496750 Regist ered Of f ice: One90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BH

Documents

GCE - Xtreme Level...January 2005 i Mark Schemes and Examiners’ Reports Contents MARK SCHEMES pg Unit 3 6103/ 01 W1 Written Alternative to coursework 1 Unit 5B 6105/ 01 Genetics,