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AQA AS Biology mark scheme key

I'm going through the mark scheme for one of the papers and I don't understand what they mean by "neutral" in the mark scheme...

Do you get a mark for it or not? :confused:
Reply 1
Same here, I've been wondering myself.
I think it means "no mark, but no penalty".
Neutral, it means that if you have two Neutral marks, you will recieve only one real mark for it

For example: i answered 6 questions that got me 6 Neutral marks. I will recieve only 3 marks for them.

Also if i recieve 5 neutral marks i will only get 2.
Original post by Hippysnake
I think it means "no mark, but no penalty".


sorry mate, thats wrong since you cannot be penalised in exams, a mark cannot be taken off your paper. You start off with 0 marks and gain them throughout the paper.
Original post by crazycake93
sorry mate, thats wrong since you cannot be penalised in exams, a mark cannot be taken off your paper. You start off with 0 marks and gain them throughout the paper.


That's definitely wrong. You can be penalised if you make a contradiction, I've seen it for myself in a friends AQA Biology paper when this specification was first launched two years ago.
Original post by Hippysnake
That's definitely wrong. You can be penalised if you make a contradiction, I've seen it for myself in a friends AQA Biology paper when this specification was first launched two years ago.


According to the head of the biology dept at my school it isn't.

We went through the paper last friday. I think my source is more up to date than yours, from how long ago? Two years?

Keep it current...
Original post by crazycake93
According to the head of the biology dept at my school it isn't.

We went through the paper last friday. I think my source is more up to date than yours, from how long ago? Two years?

Keep it current...


Current? I am talking about the very current specification that you're doing right now. I did your spec, got my A* at 99.5% and now I'm sitting here with a smile on my face, because there's no reason at all for me to lie to you.

Your Biology head of department is an idiot if he/she hasn't explained to you a contradiction will lead to a deduction in marks. That's just a fact. I've seen it. You can get two marks out of a three mark question, and then make a statement which invalidates your first two points, and you WILL BE PENALISED.
Original post by crazycake93
According to the head of the biology dept at my school it isn't.

We went through the paper last friday. I think my source is more up to date than yours, from how long ago? Two years?

Keep it current...


Your head of Bio is talking out of his arse tbh.
Original post by FinalFlash
Your head of Bio is talking out of his arse tbh.


Yo dude, wassuuuuP?
Original post by Hippysnake
Yo dude, wassuuuuP?


Pm. :biggrin:
Original post by crazycake93

Lol mate that is absolute bull- my teacher said the same the same thing everyone has said- no mark, no penalty- what you've been told is absolutely wrong- you don't get half the amount of real marks you would have usually got

Original post by crazycake93
Neutral, it means that if you have two Neutral marks, you will recieve only one real mark for it

For example: i answered 6 questions that got me 6 Neutral marks. I will recieve only 3 marks for them.

Also if i recieve 5 neutral marks i will only get 2.
Guys, just to clear up the confusion once and for all.

"When marking answers with many marking points, the points will be numbered. The points do not have to appear in the candidate’s response in the order in the Marking Guidelines. The appropriate number must be placed alongside the tick. This helps to clarify where a specific point has been awarded and again makes moderation much easier. It also helps the teacher to avoid awarding the same point twice.

Disqualifiers A correct point should be disqualified when the candidate contradicts it in the same answer. Indicate this on the script by 'dq'. If a tick has already been placed against a valid point, ensure that it is clearly deleted. Note that there is no penalty for incorrect points which are not contradictory, or for surplus or neutral information.

The list rule When a question asks for a specific number of points, and the
candidate gives more, the general rule is that any wrong answer cancels a correct answer. For example, if a question asks for two points and three answers are given, two correct and one clearly wrong, the mark awarded is one, whatever the order of the answers. This prevents candidates from gaining full marks from a list of right and wrong answers.

For example, if in answer to 'Name two products of photosynthesis' a candidate
gives:

'Oxygen, carbon dioxide, glucose', 1 mark would be awarded.

Two or more correct points on the same answer line should be credited. 'Neutral' points, i.e. ones which are not creditworthy but not actually incorrect, should
not negate a correct answer.

Spelling Reasonably close phonetic spellings should be credited. However, any misspelling of technical terms which can easily be confused, such as between
‘mitosis’ and’ meiosis’, should result in the relevant marking point being withheld.
Spellings like this will be underlined in the Marking Guidelines to show that misspellings must not be credited."


Taken from http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2410-W-TRB-ISAMG.PDF

Lots of useful stuff on the aqa website.....
'Neutral' points, i.e. ones which are not creditworthy but not actually incorrect, should not negate a correct answer.
Reply 14
you wont be deducted a mark. if you contradict a correct point on the mark scheme however, you may not be awarded the mark even though you were initially correct. but no, you cannot have marks 'taken away'. imagine having -10% in a paper. it all depends on what the mark scheme says.
Original post by arranhc
you wont be deducted a mark. if you contradict a correct point on the mark scheme however, you may not be awarded the mark even though you were initially correct. but no, you cannot have marks 'taken away'. imagine having -10% in a paper. it all depends on what the mark scheme says.


Basically yepIMG_2265.JPG

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