Can't people cheat real easily on the AQA's EMPA practical?
For those doing AQA-A physics (and maybe bio and chem), I gather most will do ISAs. But some take EMPA's which unlike ISA's, are externally marked. For those who aren't sure what EMPA involves, you get set two practical tasks (devised by the exam board) in which you have to fiddle around with the practical tools and make various measurements - you get marks for all of this. And then you have the a formal timed exam in which you'll be given questions asking you to do further analysis on your results, etc.
Because there is no specific date for doing these EMPA's (you get given a window between March and the middle of May), can't people cheat by asking their mates (who've done it before them) for heads up on what will come up?
Because there is no specific date for doing these EMPA's (you get given a window between March and the middle of May), can't people cheat by asking their mates (who've done it before them) for heads up on what will come up?
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In principal, yes. The same system applies for OCR assessed practicals across all three sciences.
It is good practice for each school to run the test at the same time for all students. This at least means that students cannot confer within a school. This leaves the problem of people at difference schools conferring, and there is nothing that can be done to stop this. However, students who have done the test may know what the experiment is about, but not exactly what the marks will be gained for. The mark schemes are strictly confidential.
This is the reason why discussion of these exams is not allowed on TSR.
It is good practice for each school to run the test at the same time for all students. This at least means that students cannot confer within a school. This leaves the problem of people at difference schools conferring, and there is nothing that can be done to stop this. However, students who have done the test may know what the experiment is about, but not exactly what the marks will be gained for. The mark schemes are strictly confidential.
This is the reason why discussion of these exams is not allowed on TSR.
It's very easy to cheat 
cheating in those practicals is very silly if you want to actuly become a scientist when you are older... for example AQA Chem PSA's : some schools just give the 12 ums without even doing the practicals which is bad for the students that actuly want the practical expierence before they head to uni and are told to create compound X using the resources given and you are stood there thinking **** wtf do i do ;p
I'm actually quite shocked this is true. Its no wonder schools tend to go for the ISA route instead of the EMPA.
Maybe its an initiative test?
Original post by 05sykesd
That didnt stop me from doing awfully :'(
I'll assume you did physics. I've had a brief look over it, most of it seems alright, literally just following the intructions on question paper - e.g. ''vary the height 5 times and measure the length of X, then draw a table a put results in there''.
what did you find so bad about it?
Original post by Nuss
The ISA route is prefered because teachers have direct access to mark schemes even before the students sit the exams allowing for widespread cheating.
With the EMPAs, no mark schemes are released to teachers since their internally marked.
With the EMPAs, no mark schemes are released to teachers since their internally marked.
I suppose both are very open to cheating, but I've just done the ISA and my teacher never gave us any hints more than what was necessary, and I would think most schools abide by this. With ISA you can only cheat if your teacher does so, but with EMPA you can do behind their backs.
Original post by internet tough guy
I'll assume you did physics. I've had a brief look over it, most of it seems alright, literally just following the intructions on question paper - e.g. ''vary the height 5 times and measure the length of X, then draw a table a put results in there''.
what did you find so bad about it?
what did you find so bad about it?
Yeah, i did physics + the practical bits were fine, it was more the test, i didnt think it went too badly at the time, however now im doing what i do with every exam and thinking of what it would have been better to put as an answer to specific questions all the time :L
Couldn't u just cheat by changing the results for task 1 and 2 when get given it back in task 3 so grappa looks better or do the teachers take a photocopy of them??
Original post by sayab
Couldn't u just cheat by changing the results for task 1 and 2 when get given it back in task 3 so grappa looks better or do the teachers take a photocopy of them??
They take copies at my college, I don't know about anywhere else though.
My chemistry teacher told us that there are various different experiments available to different schools (e.g. some schools might do the same experiment but with different reagents) - I strongly suspect that was just bull**** to make it seem like it was too much effort to cheat, however
Original post by internet tough guy
I'm actually quite shocked this is true. Its no wonder schools tend to go for the ISA route instead of the EMPA.
the ISA route is just as bad!
Original post by glitter_star12
the ISA route is just as bad!
Yeah but with ISAs, to 'cheat' or gain an unfair advantage, you actually need the teacher's help. Whereas with EMPAs, this can be done between friends, without requiring the help of any exam officials or teachers.
Original post by internet tough guy
Yeah but with ISAs, to 'cheat' or gain an unfair advantage, you actually need the teacher's help. Whereas with EMPAs, this can be done between friends, without requiring the help of any exam officials or teachers.
they are completely the same except the teachers mark the ISA while examiners mark the EMPA, it doesn't affect candidates.
Both can be done within a certain time, and so different schools do it at different times
Original post by glitter_star12
they are completely the same except the teachers mark the ISA while examiners mark the EMPA, it doesn't affect candidates.
Both can be done within a certain time, and so different schools do it at different times
Both can be done within a certain time, and so different schools do it at different times
What's ISA?
Original post by glitter_star12
they are completely the same except the teachers mark the ISA while examiners mark the EMPA, it doesn't affect candidates.
Both can be done within a certain time, and so different schools do it at different times
Both can be done within a certain time, and so different schools do it at different times
No, ISAs are set by the teachers, so depending on which school or college you attend, you'll be doing different experiments.
Original post by internet tough guy
No, ISAs are set by the teachers, so depending on which school or college you attend, you'll be doing different experiments.
Nope. I know I did the same experiment and paper as a girl at school in Manchester, and the same experiment and paper as a boy at my old school a few miles away. Two ISA's are released a year and everyone sits the same papers, but all at different times, it's just the same as the EMPA's only teachers mark them, not external markers.
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