how maths tests are marked

hi,

i was just wondering because i heard from some people that at GCSE and even at A level maths for questions where there is a box for working out if you aren't sure of the answer you can work out 2 possible answers and if you have good working out and you have written the right answer you will get the mark.

this only happens if you don't write an answer in the answer box.

is this correct?

(edited 12 years ago)

Why not provide eight answers and cover all bases? No it is not "write".

Reply 2

non

OP

15

Original post by Mr M

Why not provide eight answers and cover all bases? No it is not "write".

that's just what i heard from a retired market nvm.

Reply 3

julian0708

You should definitely provide as much working out as possible even if you don't know the answer. For whatever you provide the examiner has to search through your working to see where he/she could give you extra marks.

"this only happensif you don't write an answer in the answer box."

This doesn't make sense, and if it doesn't make sense it probably isn't true. Your best bet is to write your most educated guess in the answer box, because it could be right, and you may regret it otherwise

Sometimes by writing random gibberish, it actually helps me to work out what I need to do for the question, so you should write answers in the box as well as include your working.

Reply 4

tooambitious

16

Original post by Jed123

hi,

i was just wondering because i heard from some people that at GCSE and even at A level maths for questions where there is a box for working out if you aren't sure of the answer you can work out 2 possible answers and if you have good working out and you have written the right answer you will get the mark.
this only happens if you don't write an answer in the answer box.

is this correct?

two contradictory answers=0 marks

Reply 5

non

OP

15

Original post by tooambitious

two contradictory answers=0 marks

i thought it was strange as well i just wanted other people opinions on it. apparently if you don't write an answer in the box for the answer and you write more than 1 answer and working out in the box for working out and if 1 is right apparently you get the question right. this is not what i think btw, just something i heard

Reply 6

tooambitious

16

Original post by Jed123

i thought it was strange as well i just wanted other people opinions on it. apparently if you don't write an answer in the box for the answer and you write more than 1 answer and working out in the box for working out and if 1 is right apparently you get the question right. this is not what i think btw, just something i heard

I've heard if you don't have an answer on the line the examer will look for it in your workin and try to give you marks but ifthings are contradicted you will not gy anything

Reply 7

Sagacious

13

Original post by Jed123

i thought it was strange as well i just wanted other people opinions on it. apparently if you don't write an answer in the box for the answer and you write more than 1 answer and working out in the box for working out and if 1 is right apparently you get the question right. this is not what i think btw, just something i heard

I doubt it, two answers = surely 0 marks, but I do know that if you spam the question with a load of working out you can scrape a few marks - despite not putting an answer!

Reply 8

H.C. Chinaski

12

interestingly in IB marking, if the correct answer is written , regardless of the presence of other incorrect answers, the marks are awarded..

Reply 9

non

OP

15

Original post by H.C. Chinaski

interestingly in IB marking, if the correct answer is written , regardless of the presence of other incorrect answers, the marks are awarded..

thats basically what i was saying

Reply 10

H.C. Chinaski

12

Original post by Jed123

thats basically what i was saying

except you were talking about ks4 and ks5 exams .... which by all accounts are not marked in this way.

Reply 11

TenOfThem

18

Original post by H.C. Chinaski

interestingly in IB marking, if the correct answer is written , regardless of the presence of other incorrect answers, the marks are awarded..

So in IB if a question said what is 50% of £10 and you wrote

£3, £4, £5, £6

You would get the mark

(clearly I have simplified to a ridiculous level)

Reply 12

H.C. Chinaski

12

Original post by TenOfThem

So in IB if a question said what is 50% of £10 and you wrote

£3, £4, £5, £6

You would get the mark

(clearly I have simplified to a ridiculous level)

So I have been led to believe by a recent chief examiner..

Reply 13

non

OP

15

Original post by H.C. Chinaski

So I have been led to believe by a recent chief examiner..

Is there anyway to find out if it's the same for a level and gcse

Reply 14

Andythepiano

13

For Edexcel GCSE - I am an examiner - a brief paraphrase of the rules are as follows, and make perfect sense

If the answer in the box is correct, give full marks (exceptions being trial and improvement and certain constructions)

Otherwise, look in the workings out. No workings out = no marks
Two contradictory answers with no indication as to which is correct = no marks (the examiner shouldn't choose for you)

Otherwise, look at what workings out there are, and mark according to the mark scheme

I have no reason to think this would be different for other GCSE or for A-level. I can only assume that you misunderstood what was being said to you