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

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Reply 1100
Original post by M Kh


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 ;


HUH???? what was this practical? I don't remember there being any practical lol
Reply 1101
Original post by M Kh
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.




I've made a page
https://www.facebook.com/6bio4

Please like it and share it. If you feel anything is missing from it, let me know please.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 1102
Original post by RAKA786


I've made a page
https://www.facebook.com/6bio4

Please like it and share it. If you feel anything is missing from it, let me know please.


The unit code is 6BI04, not 6bio4, may be hard for people to find it if they don't use the studentroom.
Reply 1103
Original post by RAKA786
Join and share and complain!

https://www.facebook.com/6bio4

very few likes :frown: guys....where are you all????
Reply 1104
Original post by cisne
very few likes :frown: guys....where are you all????


People till have exams today...im betting more ppl will start liking the page by the weekend!
Reply 1105
Also some may have deactivated for the exam period (I did this) so once I reactivate I will like the page and share it :smile:

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my HTC Desire S
Reply 1106
Original post by Gago99
People till have exams today...im betting more ppl will start liking the page by the weekend!


yup....true....really it would be nice to change ""edexcels mind""
Reply 1107
Original post by Dima.K
Also some may have deactivated for the exam period (I did this) so once I reactivate I will like the page and share it :smile:

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my HTC Desire S


yeah, I did,...years ago...but yet, for this i reactivated my ID...
Reply 1108
I know this might be an unpopular opinion but I think the reaction for Unit 4 is similar every year. It's a notoriously difficult paper which is why it's usually only 67% for an A*.

The paper was time-rushed yes, but we can't expect every topic to come up. Yes pathogens and the specific immune response were missing- but there was a bigger emphasis on vaccinations and forensics, the other side of that topic that isn't usually covered in papers. I bet nobody would have kicked up a fuss if those topics hadn't come up.
Reply 1109
Original post by zincoff
I know this might be an unpopular opinion but I think the reaction for Unit 4 is similar every year. It's a notoriously difficult paper which is why it's usually only 67% for an A*.

The paper was time-rushed yes, but we can't expect every topic to come up. Yes pathogens and the specific immune response were missing- but there was a bigger emphasis on vaccinations and forensics, the other side of that topic that isn't usually covered in papers. I bet nobody would have kicked up a fuss if those topics hadn't come up.


yeah...may be...but I think this time a lot of students couldn't finish the paper...not 4 or 5 ,...a lot of...like majority of candidates couldn't...
Reply 1110
I saw people liking a page on facebook about the AQA chemistry exam yesterday! We need to do something fast about our exam lol, anyone emailed ofqual yet?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad
Original post by vampirerahim
Guys we can take a stand
some dude tweeted edexcel they were the teacher can file an official complaint on behalf of the student

Lets do this guys
for all of us who need As to get into universities...
lets take a stand.....



May I remind you, I need a B so it isn't just A's to get into uni thanks! :colondollar:
i never took more than one hour to finish any one past paper but i nearly couldnt finish this one ehhh
Reply 1113
Original post by M Kh
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.


i am in the middle of writing to ofqual about this, but with some amendments will send the same email to edexcel, do you have a list of the points not tested on at all because i feel like rather than just us being whiny teenagers who didnt do as well as we wanted, both need to know that we have done our research and formed a valid argument which can be backed up...

this is what i have so far, anyone who thinks i should add or remove anything please let me know.. i dont really write formal emails very often :P:colondollar:

To Whom it may concern,
I am writing to make a complaint about the following exam
Edexcel GCE Biology- 6BIO4
Friday 15th June 2012

My details are
xxxxxxx- candidate number
centre- centre number.

The reasons for my complaint are as follows:

It was very lengthy for a 90 minutes exam. It did not reflect the 1 minute per 1 mark rule that many students are advised to follow during the exam. This was partly because large amounts of introductory blurb were printed before each question. As a student, to decipher this and understand the relevant information took quite some time. Prior to the exam, I used past papers, under timed conditions to assess my progress. Every paper was more than possible to finish with the given time, and the A* grade was easily achievable for me. However, during this exam I found myself extremely pushed for time, and not able to answer many of the questions due to their vague nature. The information needed for the answer was not clear.

A very large proportion of marks of the paper were not based on the official specification itself, and only a small proportion of marks of the paper were actually based on the specification. "Suggest" questions took up the majority of questions. These types of questions imply that although the answer was not specified in the syllabus, the student should be able to apply some knowledge to answer. As a student, I understand why these types of question are necessary, but feel that they comprised a large proportion of the paper.

There were several data analysis questions that were impossible to be handled in the amount of time allowed, without having to neglect other questions. Again, a typical paper would only have one or two of these types of questions, but the paper I sat seemed to have several more, which took up lots of time.

what else should i mention?
Reply 1114
Original post by zincoff
I know this might be an unpopular opinion but I think the reaction for Unit 4 is similar every year. It's a notoriously difficult paper which is why it's usually only 67% for an A*.

The paper was time-rushed yes, but we can't expect every topic to come up. Yes pathogens and the specific immune response were missing- but there was a bigger emphasis on vaccinations and forensics, the other side of that topic that isn't usually covered in papers. I bet nobody would have kicked up a fuss if those topics hadn't come up.


The january unit 4 exam wasnt like this one at all, and i dont remember half as many people complaining about it


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad
Reply 1115
Original post by 19941994
The january unit 4 exam wasnt like this one at all, and i dont remember half as many people complaining about it


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


True. the Jan one was way better than this load of ***** we had in June :angry:
Reply 1116
http://www.facebook.com/6bio4 link to the facebook group complaining about this disgrace of a paper
Reply 1117
Original post by mnichols
i am in the middle of writing to ofqual about this, but with some amendments will send the same email to edexcel, do you have a list of the points not tested on at all because i feel like rather than just us being whiny teenagers who didnt do as well as we wanted, both need to know that we have done our research and formed a valid argument which can be backed up...

this is what i have so far, anyone who thinks i should add or remove anything please let me know.. i dont really write formal emails very often :P:colondollar:

To Whom it may concern,
I am writing to make a complaint about the following exam
Edexcel GCE Biology- 6BIO4
Friday 15th June 2012

My details are
xxxxxxx- candidate number
centre- centre number.

The reasons for my complaint are as follows:

It was very lengthy for a 90 minutes exam. It did not reflect the 1 minute per 1 mark rule that many students are advised to follow during the exam. This was partly because large amounts of introductory blurb were printed before each question. As a student, to decipher this and understand the relevant information took quite some time. Prior to the exam, I used past papers, under timed conditions to assess my progress. Every paper was more than possible to finish with the given time, and the A* grade was easily achievable for me. However, during this exam I found myself extremely pushed for time, and not able to answer many of the questions due to their vague nature. The information needed for the answer was not clear.

A very large proportion of marks of the paper were not based on the official specification itself, and only a small proportion of marks of the paper were actually based on the specification. "Suggest" questions took up the majority of questions. These types of questions imply that although the answer was not specified in the syllabus, the student should be able to apply some knowledge to answer. As a student, I understand why these types of question are necessary, but feel that they comprised a large proportion of the paper.

There were several data analysis questions that were impossible to be handled in the amount of time allowed, without having to neglect other questions. Again, a typical paper would only have one or two of these types of questions, but the paper I sat seemed to have several more, which took up lots of time.

what else should i mention?


I think this would be it. It would be good if you could give them a link to this thread and also the facebook protest group so that they can see for themselves what's going on. I wil give a list of the specification points that we were not tested on tonight.
Reply 1118
Original post by arnab
HUH???? what was this practical? I don't remember there being any practical lol


The ecology one.
Reply 1119
Original post by RAKA786


I've made a page
https://www.facebook.com/6bio4

Please like it and share it. If you feel anything is missing from it, let me know please.


Well done buddy.

I have liked it. How do I share it?
I think nothing's missing but we need more likers. Tell your school friends and fellows about it.

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