[Piprod01]

(Original post by Flyteryder)
This will have given an advantage to anybody who saw the 2805/5 2003 paper and its mark scheme, which will result in some students being awarded marks for simply remembering what they have read on the past paper and mark scheme, and not for applying their knowledge of GCE Biology to the question asked.

That "remembering" that you speak about is called "learning". Some parts of biology is simply memorisation of names, much of the question you are complaining is exactly that.

It doesn't matter for Knowledge questions whether the same questions are used or not. If students know how to pick out simple features from a microscope picture it's the same process regardless of whether you learned it by looking back at past papers or if you memorised a textbook.

[Nickini]

(Original post by youidiot)
And I'm failing to understand (a) why shouldn't they? and (b) why you all care so much?? There is so much more to life.

Because if they just copy old entire pages from old papers and stick them in new ones it completely defeats the purpose of these examinations, which are meant to test your knowledge and understanding of the syllabus. Granted, the best way to revise is by doing past paper questions, but they should help you prepare for the exam by making you answer similar questions, not by making you answer the exact same one.

I just don't think this should go unnoticed, this is just another cockup to add to OCR's fairly impressive list. My entire experience with OCR Biology has been awful, and this is just the nail in the coffin.

[aliyah1994]

could you let us know what ocr replies with if they do please? i took this exam as well and im kinda worried

[youidiot]

(Original post by Nickini)
Because if they just copy old entire pages from old papers and stick them in new ones it completely defeats the purpose of these examinations, which are meant to test your knowledge and understanding of the syllabus. Granted, the best way to revise is by doing past paper questions, but they should help you prepare for the exam by making you answer similar questions, not by making you answer the exact same one.

I just don't think this should go unnoticed, this is just another cockup to add to OCR's fairly impressive list. My entire experience with OCR Biology has been awful, and this is just the nail in the coffin.

Your priorities in life are messed up.

[Nickini]

(Original post by youidiot)
Your priorities in life are messed up.

Nice counter argument there. You know next to nothing about me, or what I do. But thank you for such an insightful response. I believe in standing up for what I believe in, and if that means someone on TSR thinks my "priorities in life are messed up", then so be it.

[TigerRose93]

Well them putting in a question from 9 years has made me learn my lesson because I figured they wouldn't do it so I didn't go back that far. It's made me be super cautious and go back to F214 and go through the central concepts papers as far back as January 2002 and pick out the relevant stuff. Hopefully I can make up for what will be a pitiful result in F215.

Unfortunately life isn't fair, so you've just got to make the best with what OCR examiners give you. I doubt complaining will get anyone anywhere.

[Groat]

Has anyone heard back from OCR yet?

[Venomilys]

what did OCR say?

[Flyteryder]

(Original post by aliyah1994)
could you let us know what ocr replies with if they do please? i took this exam as well and im kinda worried

(Original post by Groat)
Has anyone heard back from OCR yet?

(Original post by Ilyas)
what did OCR say?

I got an email yesterday morning saying:

'Thank you for your email.‏ This is now receiving our attention and we will respond to you shortly.

Kind regards
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations)'

Nothing else as of yet.

[Venomilys]

(Original post by Flyteryder)
I got an email yesterday morning saying:

'Thank you for your email.‏ This is now receiving our attention and we will respond to you shortly.

Kind regards
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations)'

Nothing else as of yet.

"trolololol EAT MOAR, REVIZE MOAR!"

that's the reply that your email deserves.

[Flyteryder]

(Original post by Ilyas)
"trolololol EAT MOAR, REVIZE MOAR!"

that's the reply that your email deserves.

Considering that my school also think it's right to complain, and have submitted a formal written complaint to both OCR and Ofqual, a string of professionals are agreeing with me.

[Fahim711]

(Original post by Groat)
Has anyone heard back from OCR yet?

got a reply today aswell

Thank you for your recent email in which you commented on the examination for Unit F215, which was sat on the 15 June 2012. We are sorry to read of your concerns that parts of a question for this examination were assessed nine years ago in a previous (Legacy) Biology specification.

Your comments will be brought to the attention of the senior examining team for this unit, and will be given full consideration. As part of our standard procedure, we always monitor the performance of papers (and questions) during the marking process to see if they perform differently to expectations. We will be doing this for F215 and all information will be provided to the Awarding Committee, along with your comments, when it meets in July.

Thank you for your feedback.

Yours sincerely

Gwen Low
Chair of Examiners

[Fahim711]

(Original post by Groat)
Has anyone heard back from OCR yet?

(Original post by Ilyas)
what did OCR say?

(Original post by aliyah1994)
could you let us know what ocr replies with if they do please? i took this exam as well and im kinda worried

Thank you for your recent email in which you commented on the examination for Unit F215, which was sat on the 15 June 2012. We are sorry to read of your concerns that parts of a question for this examination were assessed nine years ago in a previous (Legacy) Biology specification.

Your comments will be brought to the attention of the senior examining team for this unit, and will be given full consideration. As part of our standard procedure, we always monitor the performance of papers (and questions) during the marking process to see if they perform differently to expectations. We will be doing this for F215 and all information will be provided to the Awarding Committee, along with your comments, when it meets in July.

Thank you for your feedback.

Yours sincerely

Gwen Low
Chair of Examiners

[tamitm]

(Original post by Fahim711)
got a reply today aswell

Thank you for your recent email in which you commented on the examination for Unit F215, which was sat on the 15 June 2012. We are sorry to read of your concerns that parts of a question for this examination were assessed nine years ago in a previous (Legacy) Biology specification.

Your comments will be brought to the attention of the senior examining team for this unit, and will be given full consideration. As part of our standard procedure, we always monitor the performance of papers (and questions) during the marking process to see if they perform differently to expectations. We will be doing this for F215 and all information will be provided to the Awarding Committee, along with your comments, when it meets in July.

Thank you for your feedback.


Yours sincerely

Gwen Low
Chair of Examiners

Looool, i got the same reply from them! Guess they're still automatically replying!

It should be atleast 62% for an A?
who agrees?

[The Polymath]

(Original post by Flyteryder)
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about one of the questions asked in the F215 Biology paper I sat on 15th June 2012. Two sections of a question, worth 10 marks collectively, were directly copied word for word from question 4a and 4b of the 'Mammalian Physiology and Behaviour' 2805/05 paper from June 19th 2003, which can be seen here: http://pastpapers.org/A2/biology/mam...0June%20QP.pdf

This question was copied word for word into F215 June 2012, with the Figure, marks allocated and wording of the question being exactly the same. This will have given an advantage to anybody who saw the 2805/5 2003 paper and its mark scheme, which will result in some students being awarded marks for simply remembering what they have read on the past paper and mark scheme, and not for applying their knowledge of GCE Biology to the question asked.

As a student who is depending on the result of this exam to secure my university place, I am very disappointed with OCR. Inevitably, the grade boundaries will be raised for the F215 paper, as every student who saw the 2805/5 paper of June 2003 will have secured the 10 marks allocated to this question in F215 June 2012. This will make it harder for me, and every other student who did not see the 2805/5 paper, to secure their places at university, with students possibly losing out on their university place due to OCR's exact repetition of a question from a previous year.

I understand that many questions are reworded over the years, using different content and different scenarios, but the exact repetition of a question is unacceptable. I would like a response from somebody who is responsible for setting this paper, not a generic computer automated reply. I would like to know how OCR will set the grade boundaries for F215 June 2012, due to the fact that some candidates will have had an advantage over others, due to OCR's inability to set a fair and original question.

Yours faithfully,

My name

----------------------

If you would like to report this to the BBC, which I have done, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10725415

I would like more people to complain to both the BBC and OCR to maximise the chance of action being taken by OCR.

OCR have been known to repeat questions in loads of papers In fact, in one of their ICT short course ones they practically repeated a past paper..

[t.mo]

oh dear i got all this question wrong, anyone have aguess abt the grade boundaries? i really hope they are low!

[rudin94]

Wow, I didn't sit this exam but this is completely outrageous!
Pure laziness. I hope something gets done about this paper, this is a much bigger deal than the 'unfair' chem paper.
Stupid exam boards.

[minouch]

I don't see anything wrong with writing the same questions again. I mean at university it is often like that. Past papers are very alike with the exam.

Point is you should have revised properly. I don't think this complaint will lead you anywhere.
I am not trying to be rude here but more realistic.

[rudin94]

(Original post by minouch)
I don't see anything wrong with writing the same questions again. I mean at university it is often like that. Past papers are very alike with the exam.

Point is you should have revised properly. I don't think this complaint will lead you anywhere.
I am not trying to be rude here but more realistic.

I disagree, in fact at university (although I can only speak of the few I know about) they may reword questions, but would never have the dame question word for word.

Having revised properly means he was probably able to answer the question, I think his point is that others who have done said question before didn't have to use their brain to pick up the marks available. Which in my opinion is not really a test of ability, and I do think it is a bit unfair. You can easily have revised thoroughly not just not seen this particular paper (it seems it's quite an old paper) and so would have had to struggle through while others could just write down stuff.

I truly think the OP has a bit of a case here.


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

[minouch]

(Original post by rudin94)
I disagree, in fact at university (although I can only speak of the few I know about) they may reword questions, but would never have the dame question word for word.

Having revised properly means he was probably able to answer the question, I think his point is that others who have done said question before didn't have to use their brain to pick up the marks available. Which in my opinion is not really a test of ability, and I do think it is a bit unfair. You can easily have revised thoroughly not just not seen this particular paper (it seems it's quite an old paper) and so would have had to struggle through while others could just write down stuff.

I truly think the OP has a bit of a case here.


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

No, you are wrong! They do tend to take the exact same questions as the past papers. I have been to two completely different university and did the same. I am sorry but for me this complaint is absolutely non-sense!