The Student Room Group

Edexcel A2 Biology Unit 4 (6BI04) - 15 June 2012 - Official Exam Discussion Thread!!!

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1080
Has anyone complained to Ofqual? I mean, if they haven't listened to other years complaints, it would be fair to do so, as Ofquals policy states:
'Similarly if you have a complaint about an Awarding Organisation (AO) and you have exhausted the relevant AO's complaints procedure you may also raise this with Ofqual and an investigation can be made on your behalf.'

Might be a useful idea to try, especially seeing as there are a considerable amount of complaints here :smile:
Reply 1081
Original post by SimpleGirl
It seems that the majority of you that emailed them have received the exact same reply - to me, it looks as if students' complaints aren't being taken as seriously as they should be.

It may be more effective if a biology teacher or the school in general issued a formal complaint.


Yeah i think so too, is anyone telling their teacher?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Reply 1082
Original post by ash356
Has anyone complained to Ofqual? I mean, if they haven't listened to other years complaints, it would be fair to do so, as Ofquals policy states:
'Similarly if you have a complaint about an Awarding Organisation (AO) and you have exhausted the relevant AO's complaints procedure you may also raise this with Ofqual and an investigation can be made on your behalf.'

Might be a useful idea to try, especially seeing as there are a considerable amount of complaints here :smile:


This to me sound's like the best possible route, aside from complaining to teachers. Perhaps if we all lodge an official complaint Ofqual something may happen? I would hope so as they would be acting as a quality regulatory body.

I think ash has come up with a great idea and played a blinder. :smile:
Reply 1083
okay so let someone write a good formal complaint and we all send it this will show them that many students have the complaining points..........
Reply 1084
Original post by Lala4321
This to me sound's like the best possible route, aside from complaining to teachers. Perhaps if we all lodge an official complaint Ofqual something may happen? I would hope so as they would be acting as a quality regulatory body.

I think ash has come up with a great idea and played a blinder. :smile:


Heh, thanks - there's a first for everything :P
For the record though folks, you have to include:
a clear explanation of the nature of your query or complaint
your full name and candidate number
your centre name and number (school/college/training provider)
the name of the awarding body/organisation
the qualification or unit title and code number
copies of any relevant supporting documents.

So if someone was setting up a pre-established email, make sure to have the template in there (I would do this, but revising for a Chem exam at the present moment, so somewhat busy).
For the record, email is: [email protected]
Reply 1085
Original post by VRS
defo, vague paper - loads of marks for questions like what is a niche, or why do their tentacles contract, then literally none for some massive questions =/


It's just ridiculous -.- :unimpressed:
I say we all find the edexcel base and bomb it ¬_¬ :mob:
Reply 1086
Original post by ghogho
okay so let someone write a good formal complaint and we all send it this will show them that many students have the complaining points..........


and,..whose gonna do that??? we'll have to hurry or else they are just going to give the excuse for getting the complaints too late....
Reply 1087
Original post by cisne
and,..whose gonna do that??? we'll have to hurry or else they are just going to give the excuse for getting the complaints too late....


well im nt that gd i writting formal letters though i got A grade in english but still i think there are pple who can write it better than me so can u ?
Reply 1088
Join and share and complain!

https://www.facebook.com/6bio4
Anyone got a copy of the paper ? x
Reply 1090
Original post by greenhamrolls
Anyone got a copy of the paper ? x


i think it is toooo difficult to get a copy nw w8 till next month..... (min)
Reply 1091
Original post by arnab
OP : can you please make a poll of what the grade boundary will be like for an A

start with something like this ?

45 - 50 - A
51-55 - A
56-60 - A
60-65 - A

I personally don't think it will be higher then 65max. probz around 50-55 for an A lol


Sure, I will. But only if someone tells me how to add a poll because I don't know how to add one. Can someone please tell me how to do so?
Reply 1092
Original post by M Kh
Sure, I will. But only if someone tells me how to add a poll because I don't know how to add one. Can someone please tell me how to do so?



I don't really know either lol:s-smilie:
Reply 1093
Doesnt a teacher need to send the formal complaint on behalf of the school? :s or are you guys going to send it to that other place someone mentioned lol


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad
Reply 1094
Hello all fellow SFers,

I suggest:
- we must continue complaining to Edexcel about the exam paper. If anyone has not done so yet, please do so if you feel that the exam was unfair in any way. Do not forget to write about why you felt the exam was unfair - they must know the reasons so that they pay particular attention to them. All private candidates as well as candidates attached to internal centres must complain individually so that Edexcel becomes familiar with the amount of students who feel that this paper was unfair.
Send your complaints to Edexcel at: [email protected]

- we must also inform our teachers to complain on behalf of the whole class. I think Edexcel asked us to do so because they had received a vast number complaints from students about that paper. But try to convince your teachers to complain as well so that they seriously consider the complaints. Candidates attached to schools can ask their teachers to complaint as well as continue sending complaints themselves. Private candidates only have the option to send complaints individually.

- we create a facebook page and seriously discuss there why we feel that the exam was unfair instead of just ending up talking to each other about random stuff. Create a page called : Edexcel A2 Biology June 2012 Unit 4 Exam - An Unfair Paper In Many Ways. Any one who creates this page must also add a description of why we feel this paper was unfair (I have given my reasons below though). If someone creates a facebook page, do post a link here and we all shall join it and/or like it.

- we must also bring this into the attention of Ofqual. Seriously, this cannot continue to happen exam session over exam session. I think we have to write to Ofqual individually because they ask for our Candidate Number and Centre Number. We also have to attach any supporting documents but, because we have not got hold of the exam paper yet, we will ask them to get hold of the paper from Edexcel itself and decide whether it is a fair paper or not. So we shall write to Ofqual individually asap and state our anger over Edexcel. Make sure they receive complaints from all of you. I hope they take our complaints seriously - after all, they are exam board regulators and they have to abide to their duties fully.
Check this link on complaints to Ofqual: http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/help-and-support/96/796

I believe the paper was unfair because:

1. It was very lengthy for a 90 minutes exam. It did not reflect the 1 minute-1 mark rule that most of us follow during the exam ;

2. A very large proportion of marks of the paper were not based on the official specification itself ;

3. Only a small proportion of marks of the paper were actually based on the specification ;

4. Not many practical-related questions came up. Questions based on only one of the five core practicals actually came up. Students are supposed to be tested on the practicals as well ;

5. Too many analysis questions that were impossible to be handled in the amount of time allowed. A very HSW-heavy paper ;

6. The paper did not test us WELL on many of the major topics like Photosynthesis, Succession, Specific and Non-specific immune responses, TB, HIV/AIDS. I can give you a list of the specification points that we were not actually tested on at all in the exam.

7. I thought we would be tested on atleast one synotic question as always and revised the whole of the AS specifcation but this was not the case and I feel like my hard work has gone wasted.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 1095
I'm so happy that this thread is here! I'll be complaining too :biggrin: I revised so hard :angry: I felt that there were too many analytical questions :frown: I'm so not motivated for friday
Reply 1096
Original post by 19941994
Doesnt a teacher need to send the formal complaint on behalf of the school? :s or are you guys going to send it to that other place someone mentioned lol


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad


Ask your teacher to send a complaint.
Send a complaint individually to Edexcel and Ofqual as well.
Spread the word.
Reply 1097
Original post by arnab
I don't really know either lol:s-smilie:


Never mind.

I want to add a poll on grade boundaries so DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO ADD A POLL?
Reply 1098
Hello all fellow SFers,

I suggest:
- we must continue complaining to Edexcel about the exam paper. If anyone has not done so yet, please do so if you feel that the exam was unfair in any way. Do not forget to write about why you felt the exam was unfair - they must know the reasons so that they pay particular attention to them. All private candidates as well as candidates attached to internal centres must complain individually so that Edexcel becomes familiar with the amount of students who feel that this paper was unfair.
Send your complaints to Edexcel at: [email protected]

- we must also inform our teachers to complain on behalf of the whole class. I think Edexcel asked us to do so because they had received a vast number complaints from students about that paper. But try to convince your teachers to complain as well so that they seriously consider the complaints.

- we create a facebook page and seriously discuss there why we feel that the exam was unfair instead of just ending up talking to each other about randon stuff. Create a page called : Edexcel A2 Biology June 2012 Unit 4 Exam - An Unfair Paper In Many Ways. Any one who creates this page must also add a description of why we feel this paper was unfair (I have given my reasons below though). If someone creates a facebook page, do post a link here and we all shall join it and/or like it.

- we must also bring this into attention of Ofqual. Seriously, this cannot continue to happen exam session over exam session. I think we have to write to Ofqual individually because they ask for our Candidate Number and Centre Number. We also have to attach any supporting documents but, because we have not got hold of the exam paper yet, we will ask them to get hold of the paper from Edexcel itself and decide whether it is a fair paper or not. So we shall write to Ofqual individually asap and state our anger over Edexcel. Make sure they receive complaints from all of you. I hope they take our complaints seriously - after all, they are exam board regulators and they have to abide to their duties fully.
Check this link on complaints to Ofqual: http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/help-and-support/96/796

I believe the paper was unfair because:

1. It was very lengthy for a 90 minutes exam. It did not reflect the 1 minute-1 mark rule that most of us follow during the exam ;

2. A very large proportion of marks of the paper were not based on the official specification itself ;

3. Only a small proportion of marks of the paper were actually based on the specification ;

4. Not many practical-related questions came up. Questions based on only one of the five core practicals actually came up. Students are supposed to be tested on the practicals as well ;

5. Too many analysis questions that were impossible to be handled in the amount of time allowed. A very HSW-heavy paper ;

6. The paper did not test us WELL on many of the major topics like Photosynthesis, Succession, Specific and Non-specific immune responses, TB, HIV/AIDS. I can give you a list of the specification points that we were not actually tested on at all in the exam.

7. I thought we would be tested on atleast one synotic question as always and revised the whole of the AS specifcation but this was not the case and I feel like my hard work has gone wasted.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 1099
Hello all fellow SFers,

I suggest:
- we must continue complaining to Edexcel about the exam paper. If anyone has not done so yet, please do so if you feel that the exam was unfair in any way. Do not forget to write about why you felt the exam was unfair - they must know the reasons so that they pay particular attention to them. All private candidates as well as candidates attached to internal centres must complain individually so that Edexcel becomes familiar with the amount of students who feel that this paper was unfair.
Send your complaints to Edexcel at: [email protected]

- we must also inform our teachers to complain on behalf of the whole class. I think Edexcel asked us to do so because they had received a vast number complaints from students about that paper. But try to convince your teachers to complain as well so that they seriously consider the complaints.

- we create a facebook page and seriously discuss there why we feel that the exam was unfair instead of just ending up talking to each other about randon stuff. Create a page called : Edexcel A2 Biology June 2012 Unit 4 Exam - An Unfair Paper In Many Ways. Any one who creates this page must also add a description of why we feel this paper was unfair (I have given my reasons below though). If someone creates a facebook page, do post a link here and we all shall join it and/or like it.

- we must also bring this into attention of Ofqual. Seriously, this cannot continue to happen exam session over exam session. I think we have to write to Ofqual individually because they ask for our Candidate Number and Centre Number. We also have to attach any supporting documents but, because we have not got hold of the exam paper yet, we will ask them to get hold of the paper from Edexcel itself and decide whether it is a fair paper or not. So we shall write to Ofqual individually asap and state our anger over Edexcel. Make sure they receive complaints from all of you. I hope they take our complaints seriously - after all, they are exam board regulators and they have to abide to their duties fully.
Check this link on complaints to Ofqual: http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/help-and-support/96/796

I believe the paper was unfair because:

1. It was very lengthy for a 90 minutes exam. It did not reflect the 1 minute-1 mark rule that most of us follow during the exam ;

2. A very large proportion of marks of the paper were not based on the official specification itself ;

3. Only a small proportion of marks of the paper were actually based on the specification ;

4. Not many practical-related questions came up. Questions based on only one of the five core practicals actually came up. Students are supposed to be tested on the practicals as well ;

5. Too many analysis questions that were impossible to be handled in the amount of time allowed. A very HSW-heavy paper ;

6. The paper did not test us WELL on many of the major topics like Photosynthesis, Succession, Specific and Non-specific immune responses, TB, HIV/AIDS. I can give you a list of the specification points that we were not actually tested on at all in the exam.

7. I thought we would be tested on atleast one synotic question as always and revised the whole of the AS specifcation but this was not the case and I feel like my hard work has gone wasted.
(edited 11 years ago)

Quick Reply