Higher Maths 2012

Well, they just ask applicants don't they? Though what's to stop one saying they got one band instead of another I'm not sure. You probably know more about it than me :tongue:

Actually some places have a freaky system where somehow they manage to get your grades including bands without asking you. People have found out their bands before from admissions sites run by Edinburgh and St. Andrew's etc. which shows you your results they received (and in the past there has been complaints when they accidentally released those sites before results day).

Reply 1581

mimx

14

Original post by ukdragon37

Actually some places have a freaky system where somehow they manage to get your grades including bands without asking you. People have found out their bands before from admissions sites run by Edinburgh and St. Andrew's etc. which shows you your results they received (and in the past there has been complaints when they accidentally released those sites before results day).

Perhaps they're cosy with a centre or two?

Nothing even to stop them registering with the SQA as a centre themselves I suppose. Panorama should do an investigation. :tongue:

Reply 1582

Tycho

14

Grade bands for previous years:

Reply 1583

Morrowc95

Can anyone tell me how many marks I could possibly get for these questions?
6a) a limit exists as -1_< sinx >_1 and since sin
Graphs have a maximum and minimum amplitude
Of one and neg one!

6b) I wrote the limit formula and messed around for a bit and
Eventually and somehow got a quadratic and solved it correctly but it was in degrees and my working was crazy?

7a) I made the eqs equal to each other, log of
Both sides, and took the power to the front of the log! But I
Can't remember the whole thing I did but I accidentally made the equation equal to the example equation :s-smilie:

!!

7b) subbed into one of the equations and messed around with it! Again, I can't remember what i did!

Reply 1584

CossLne

16

Original post by Morrowc95

Can anyone tell me how many marks I could possibly get for these questions?
6a) a limit exists as -1_< sinx >_1 and since sin
Graphs have a maximum and minimum amplitude
Of one and neg one!

6b) I wrote the limit formula and messed around for a bit and
Eventually and somehow got a quadratic and solved it correctly but it was in degrees and my working was crazy?

7a) I made the eqs equal to each other, log of
Both sides, and took the power to the front of the log! But I
Can't remember the whole thing I did but I accidentally made the equation equal to the example equation :s-smilie:

!!

7b) subbed into one of the equations and messed around with it! Again, I can't remember what i did!

q6 sounds like full marks except losing from not working in rads
q7a, hard to judge if you can't remember what you put! shoud have about 4 from what you describe, maybe 1 for part b

Reply 1585

tomathon1

Here is the official word from the SQA (Taken from SQA Sam on another thread)

"SQA has not apologised for the Higher Maths exam. There have been some comments about the difficulty of a few of the questions. A Higher exam is intended to challenge candidates and to do so fairly. All questions are based on content from the course and were written and checked by experienced Maths teachers.

You will be aware that SQA operate a Grade Boundary system whereby exam teams meet each year after the exams but before the results are issued to ensure that the standards of our exams are maintained from year to year. This allows any adjustments required to be made to ensure that a candidate who would have been awarded a C grade in previous years would still get a grade C if they had sat this year’s exam."

Reply 1586

member592149

11

Original post by tomathon1

Here is the official word from the SQA (Taken from SQA Sam on another thread)

"SQA has not apologised for the Higher Maths exam. There have been some comments about the difficulty of a few of the questions. A Higher exam is intended to challenge candidates and to do so fairly. All questions are based on content from the course and were written and checked by experienced Maths teachers.

You will be aware that SQA operate a Grade Boundary system whereby exam teams meet each year after the exams but before the results are issued to ensure that the standards of our exams are maintained from year to year. This allows any adjustments required to be made to ensure that a candidate who would have been awarded a C grade in previous years would still get a grade C if they had sat this year’s exam."

Well by reading this we must assume that the grade boundary will be no more than the 72% issued in 2009 for an A. Maybe if we're lucky it'll drop down to 70/71.

Reply 1587

ukdragon37

14

Original post by JaggySnake95

Well by reading this we must assume that the grade boundary will be no more than the 72% issued in 2009 for an A. Maybe if we're lucky it'll drop down to 70/71.

People have been saying this ever since 2009 and it has only been going up and up.

This year was probably harder than the last two but my bet is still on 73%=+

Reply 1588

member592149

11

Original post by ukdragon37

People have been saying this ever since 2009 and it has only been going up and up.

This year was probably harder than the last two but my bet is still on 73%=+

I know but surely if they are saying that to maintain good standards they need to ensure a person who got an A in previous years, would have got an A this year and so on. Just have to wait I guess.

Also where do the marks come from in 2b) the circles question...

I put down the midpoint Q because I knew it was a key bit of information. I also wrote down r1-r2<d<r1+r2 which is the equation for when two circles touch at two separate points. I then worked out the distance between the midpoint of Q and the circles centre (the one we were given) and I then doubled it I think...I then put in the radius of the circle into the equation of a circle without a point.

Care to guess my mark? :P

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 1589

ukdragon37

14

Original post by JaggySnake95

I know but surely if they are saying that to maintain good standards they need to ensure a person who got an A in previous years, would have got an A this year and so on. Just have to wait I guess.

Also where do the marks come from in 2b) the circles question...

I put down the midpoint Q because I knew it was a key bit of information. I also wrote down r1-r2<d<r1+r2 which is the equation for when two circles touch at two separate points. I then worked out the distance between the midpoint of Q and the circles centre (the one we were given) and I then doubled it I think...I then put in the radius of the circle into the equation of a circle without a point.

Care to guess my mark? :P

This is purely speculation but perhaps:

- 1 for the midpoint Q
- 1 for the radius
- 1 for the original circle's radius

For the rest you'd need stepping out/vectors but maybe you'll another 1 for what you've written.

Reply 1590

Once a year

7

There are several nice sets of answers on this forum. If anyone is interested, here are full questions and answers in Word format. Each year I send these out to students and colleagues so I thought why not share them.

Many of the posts here seem to reflect my thoughts on the last three questions in paper 2!

Updated versions now on post #1651

Please tell me if you find any errors or typos.

(edited 11 years ago)

2012 paper 1 answers (Higher).doc494.6KB

2012 paper 2 answers (Higher).doc269.8KB

Reply 1591

tomathon1

Original post by Once a year

There are several nice sets of answers on this forum. If anyone is interested, here are full questions and answers in Word format. Each year I send these out to students and colleagues so I thought why not share them.

Many of the posts here seem to reflect my thoughts on the last three questions in paper 2!

Please tell me if you find any errors or typos.

Really good set of answers, thanks for posting :smile:

Reply 1592

Direct15

2

Original post by Once a year

There are several nice sets of answers on this forum. If anyone is interested, here are full questions and answers in Word format. Each year I send these out to students and colleagues so I thought why not share them.

Many of the posts here seem to reflect my thoughts on the last three questions in paper 2!

Please tell me if you find any errors or typos.

What is your thoughts on the last three questions on paper 2? I still have German nationalism floating around in my head :frown:

Reply 1593

badumdumtscht

16

Has someone posted the two papers? :awesome:

Reply 1594

Reece:)

Original post by Varunaen

If i get 100 thumbs up, i will post the two papers now.

LOL wut...?

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

Reply 1595

Direct15

2

Original post by Varunaen

If i get 100 thumbs up, i will post the two papers now.

Does 100 thumbs down work? Anyways most of us take the papers home, I though I need to after being place at desk no 13

Reply 1596

ukdragon37

14

Original post by badumdumtscht

Has someone posted the two papers? :awesome:

Paper: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2001300&page=38&p=37673646#post37673646
My solutions: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2001300&page=50&p=37676802#post37676802

The solutions in the post a few above yours also contain the questions.

Reply 1597

badumdumtscht

16

Original post by ukdragon37

Paper: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2001300&page=38&p=37673646#post37673646
My solutions: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2001300&page=50&p=37676802#post37676802

The solutions in the post a few above yours also contain the questions.

Oooo

What's the verdict? Worst paper ever? :biggrin:

Reply 1598

tryingtolearn94

For question 6b) do you think that you could get a mark for

- expanding cos2x
- making something =0

even if the working before and after is utter ramblings?

also, in 5b) i squared at the wrong time - but would i get a mark for having squared it anyway?