WJEC PH4 20th June 2016

Original post by EJRicketts

Okay, thoughts for PH4?
Also does anyone know somewhere where they release the paper and even an unofficial mark scheme for the exam?

Thanks :smile:

I just hope it's a semi-reasonable paper like June 2014... PH4 is also quite weird in terms of the mark-to-UMS conversion, so let's just hope it's a good paper.

I don't think there would be an unofficial mark scheme unless someone randomly makes one, since so few people do physics with WJEC (I seem to remember from an examiners' report that the number of people who take WJEC physics is in the low hundreds). As for the paper, it didn't turn up on last year's thread, so my hunch is it won't turn up this year either. Though I think teachers get access to it the day after the exam, so you could always ask your teacher.

Reply 2

matthewdjones

9

How did everyone found it? I thought it was quite good but slightly strange in places

Reply 3

Original post by train

Honestly not feeling at all confident about that. I'm hoping my PH5 can lift up overall UMS, I think I did quite well in PH6 so that should help.

Does anyone remember how many marks each question was worth?

Not all of them, but I remember specific ones (eg. Final temperature question was worth four).

Reply 4

Hopefully the mark-to-UMS conversion won't be as bad as in past years...

Reply 5

Original post by train

Nah not each part of a Q, just the value of each question overall, e.g. Q7 was 14 I think?

Hmm, don't remember that, sorry. :colondollar:

Reply 6

Original post by train

That is not something I'll be relying on happening :facepalm:

It's unlikely, but there has been a paper or two with reasonable boundaries in the past. :tongue:

Did you think it was easier or harder than last year's paper?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 7

Qwertykeyboard15

5

Unofficial mark scheme?

Reply 8

WhisperingTide

10

Original post by Hydeman

Not all of them, but I remember specific ones (eg. Final temperature question was worth four).

I'm kicking my self so hard for that, I figured out how to do it right at the end, but ran out of time! Gah!!!

Predicted grade boundaries? I feel like they will be lower than usual, since that paper seemed harder.

I think I did okay on the rest of the paper, though.

Reply 9

ArbaazMalik

I found it decent. I struggled with that temperature change Q and I just finished.

Reply 10

ArbaazMalik

Some Qs deserved way more marks such as the heat flow in Q and also the mass Q. But there were many definition Qs. So overall think it was balanced. It was Harder than last year so hope for lower grade boundaries

Reply 11

Original post by WhisperingTide

I'm kicking my self so hard for that, I figured out how to do it right at the end, but ran out of time! Gah!!!

Predicted grade boundaries? I feel like they will be lower than usual, since that paper seemed harder.

I think I did okay on the rest of the paper, though.

I couldn't predict grade boundaries exactly but if the general opinion on TSR is anything to go by (and it often isn't, because those who were unhappy with the paper are more likely to come on here and see if others found it hard as well), they will be somewhat lower than last year's.

I tend not to hold out much hope for a grade boundary rescue with PH4 - this module is unfortunately notorious for having a very steep mark-to-UMS conversion (for some papers, there are parts of the raw mark range where a difference of one raw mark corresponds to a difference of three or four UMS. It's frustrating but not much can be done about it now.)

Reply 12

WhisperingTide

10

Original post by Hydeman

I couldn't predict grade boundaries exactly but if the general opinion on TSR is anything to go by (and it often isn't, because those who were unhappy with the paper are more likely to come on here and see if others found it hard as well), they will be somewhat lower than last year's.

I tend not to hold out much hope for a grade boundary rescue with PH4 - this module is unfortunately notorious for having a very steep mark-to-UMS conversion (for some papers, there are parts of the raw mark range where a difference of one raw mark corresponds to a difference of three or four UMS. It's frustrating but not much can be done about it now.)

Well, if the paper is legitimately harder, there is surly no way they can justify not lowering the grade boundaries.

Reply 13

Original post by WhisperingTide

Well, if the paper is legitimately harder, there is surly no way they can justify not lowering the grade boundaries.

In theory, yes. However, you need only look to the boundaries from previous papers to see that PH4 is something of an oddball.

We'll just have to wait and see. Time to focus on PH5 next week.

Reply 14

WhisperingTide

10

Original post by Hydeman

In theory, yes. However, you need only look to the boundaries from previous papers to see that PH4 is something of an oddball.

We'll just have to wait and see. Time to focus on PH5 next week.

My theory is that students with a certain mindset tend to do -really- well on PH4, hence the consistently high grade boundaries.

Yeah - I'm guna stop kicking myself over that question and focus on my other exams. Speaking of PH5, that seems to have consistently generous grade boundaries, so I suppose it evens out.

Reply 15

LukeWeatherstone

Original post by Hydeman

In theory, yes. However, you need only look to the boundaries from previous papers to see that PH4 is something of an oddball.

We'll just have to wait and see. Time to focus on PH5 next week.

What are the normal grade boundaries? as raw marks

Reply 16

Original post by LukeWeatherstone

What are the normal grade boundaries? as raw marks

Usually they're quite high - anywhere between 66/80 and 70/80 for an A. Though they have been as low as 60/80 for an A on one past paper, I think.

Reply 17

LukeWeatherstone

Original post by Hydeman

Usually they're quite high - anywhere between 66/80 and 70/80 for an A. Though they have been as low as 60/80 for an A on one past paper, I think.

okay thanks, last question. what was the last question on the exam because i cant remember it

Reply 18