AS Edexcel Biology Unit 1 June 12- 14th of May

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Reply 380

katu_mcd

don't know, depends how they mark it i guess - i put genetic screening eg amniocentesis

Reply 381

oli_G

Original post by VRS

will i not get the mark?

i wrote two correct ones though...

chorionic villus and amniocentesis

Yeah you definitely will as they are two examples of PRENATAL GENETIC DIAGNOSIS, not PREIMPLANTATION GENETIC DIAGNOSIS.

Reply 382

katu_mcd

what did you guys put for giraffes?

Reply 383

username893771

Original post by ShmangoBaby

What did you guys get for the diameter? I got an increase of 2.3 cm :\

But overall the paper was MUCH better than the papers i have sat for so far :smile:

Hoping chemistry will be easy today :frown:

But im so scared cause i suck at it! -_-

Omg I got the same!

Reply 384

LottieJ24

Original post by Panicomg

I swear they should call this paper a data analysis paper instead, they should do it with most of the edexcel biology exam. You would have thought there would have been a hell of a lot more biology. They're basing our biology grade on a few measly topics in the book and how we interpret data. Where was the process of blood clots, atherosclerosis, DNA replication, gene therapy, cell membranes how cells transport substances? These were all major parts of the spec that they failed to test us on and that we spent hours revising... feel like it was a waste of my time spending hours revising only for a few things from the spec to come up.

I completely agree. From the viewpoint of somebody studying this specification at home through NEC, and who spent a lot of time making sure that I'd covered every assessment point on the specification (or so I thought?), I left the exam feeling pretty dejected. I literally spent hours making sure I understood important processes like blood clotting, atherosclerosis, DNA transcription and translation, cell membrane structure, fluid mosaic model, cystic fibrosis aka actual biological processes that were all major parts of the Edexcel spec AND the revision guides.

I accept that there should be some elements that test our ability to analyse data and identify trends/patterns, and that also test how we can adapt what we have learnt to new contexts. But come on, some more actual relevant biology in the paper would be nice?!?

Now to steel myself for six days of revision in-between working, that will probably end up being a waste of time.....grrrrrrr.

Reply 385

ANDREW_AKRAm

Original post by Chocip

Omg I got the same!

I wrote that too

Reply 386

ANDREW_AKRAm

anybody got the unofficial mark scheme yet?

Reply 387

ANDREW_AKRAm

Original post by cspb

It was asking for a percentage increase!!!!!

noooo he said calculate the increase not the percentage increase

Reply 388

katu_mcd

i'm pretty sure it was just increase. think i put something like 2.3 - 0.8 = 1.5

Reply 389

ANDREW_AKRAm

I am pretty sure about that i read that question 450 times

Reply 390

Kabelan1

Original post by ANDREW_AKRAm

noooo he said calculate the increase not the percentage increase

i read percentage increase, it was definetly a percentage increase, but i still got it wrong though. my answer should of been 177%, but i wrote something different. i guess you will still get marks for calculating the increase

Reply 391

filangee

Original post by oli_G

Yeah you definitely will as they are two examples of PRENATAL GENETIC DIAGNOSIS, not PREIMPLANTATION GENETIC DIAGNOSIS.

i think u might have to specify a method eg cvs or amniocentisis...even tho wat u put is right, its not specific enough

Reply 392

VRS

Original post by katu_mcd

i'm pretty sure it was just increase. think i put something like 2.3 - 0.8 = 1.5

i think i got about the same, but in millimeters ... ie 15mm

Reply 393

ANDREW_AKRAm

any news about the unofficial mark scheme

Reply 394

filangee

Original post by VRS

i think i got about the same, but in millimeters ... ie 15mm

i did that but then i worked out a % of 68? would i only get 2/3 marks?

Reply 395

katu_mcd

Original post by ANDREW_AKRAm

any news about the unofficial mark scheme

don't know about this - who normally puts these together? i would have thought it will take a bit longer than the day after the exam :wink:

Reply 396

oli_G

Original post by filangee

i think u might have to specify a method eg cvs or amniocentisis...even tho wat u put is right, its not specific enough

Hmm, well I personally put 'prenatal genetic diagnosis, for example amniocentesis' - I expect you're right.

Reply 397

Jack5r

Terrible exam. It was like 30% data analysis! I'm studying from home with no teacher so this really wasn't a fun exam for me.

How do the grade boundaries work exactly? I need at least an A, A* if possible. Just looking at the Jan 2012 (here - http://www.edexcel.com/iwantto/I%20want%20to%20%20Tasks/1201%20GCE%20Units%20Grade%20Boundaries%20(Home%20Int).pdf ) and it says:

Unit 1 - 59/80 = A
Unit 2 - 64/80 = A
Unit 4 - 62/90 = A
Unit 5 - 59/90 = A

Do they just do 59+64+62+59 = 244 out of 80+80+90+90 = 340. So you need 244/340 to get an A? That is only 72%.. Am I correct in my thinking or is there a more complex equation they use? Also how do you get an A*?

Reply 398

viclupa1

What did you guys put for the question which asked why they measured both systolic and diastolic pressures?
Also what did you guys write when it asked why Group A were given pills with no drug in it?

Reply 399

Jack5r

First one I just said so they could compare the effect it had on systole vs diastole.. It was 1 mark so that may be ok..?

Next one I said so that could compare the drug to a placebo group. Without the placebo group they would have no idea if they drug was having an effect or if people were just lowering there blood pressure naturally.