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AS Edexcel S1 - (5th June 2015) Exam Thread

Edexcel Statistics 1


Haven't been able to find a thread for S1 maths on here so far for this year, so I decided to make one myself.
Please feel free to discuss exam preparation or any questions relating to this exam :smile:

Videos explaining each of the topics: http://www.examsolutions.net/maths-revision/syllabuses/Edexcel/period-1/S1/module.php

Papers and Markschemes: http://www.examsolutions.net/a-level-maths-papers/Edexcel/Statistics/Statistics-S1/S1-Papers.php


Grade boundaries for 2014
This paper has 75 Raw marks

Raw 75 60 53 46 39 32 0
UMS 100 80 70 60 50 40 0

Edexcel grade boundaries
http://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/Support/Grade-boundaries/A-level/1406_GCE_A_level_Grade_Boundaries.pdf
(edited 8 years ago)

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what would you say is the hardest topic of this s1 exam, still haven't finished thoroughly going through s1 :.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 2
Original post by abdifarah97
what would you say is the hardest topic of this s1 exam, still haven't finished thoroughly going through s1 :.


LOL Ive just started revising S1, I'm retaking it and it's such a bore... I don't think S1 is actually that hard, it's just that it's so boring that it feels hard learning it LOL

in regards to the hardest topic, I can't find one single topic particularly harder than the rest, but then again it varies for everyone.

But I find the easiest topic is normal distribution.. :smile:

Hope I've been of some help :smile:
Reply 3
Original post by abdifarah97
what would you say is the hardest topic of this s1 exam, still haven't finished thoroughly going through s1 :.


I changed my mind... histograms... I hate histograms...
Reply 4
If any of you have a question regarding this exam or regarding revision, please feel free to post it here
Probability, normal distribution and the discrete random variable chapters are the hardest in my opinion.

I've been putting off S1 revision because it's in over a month and I have other exams which are more important :/
Reply 6
For the median, as the formula is that it is the (n+1)/2 th term, why for grouped frequency tables do you only find the n/2th term? I know you need to interpolate after, but I dont get why the term you need to find is different?

I mean say there are 70 terms, if it was just a normal frequency table, you would find the 35.5th term, as that's the mid-point and is (n+1)/2 th term, as it is 71/2.

But in a grouped frequency table, the book says you would just find the 70/2= 35th term, so the median lies in the class with the 35th term.

Surely thats wrong as 35.5 is the midpoint of 70, not 35??
Reply 7
Original post by Egg1
For the median, as the formula is that it is the (n+1)/2 th term, why for grouped frequency tables do you only find the n/2th term? I know you need to interpolate after, but I dont get why the term you need to find is different?

I mean say there are 70 terms, if it was just a normal frequency table, you would find the 35.5th term, as that's the mid-point and is (n+1)/2 th term, as it is 71/2.

But in a grouped frequency table, the book says you would just find the 70/2= 35th term, so the median lies in the class with the 35th term.

Surely thats wrong as 35.5 is the midpoint of 70, not 35??


I was confused about this too!
Reply 8
Original post by Egg1
For the median, as the formula is that it is the (n+1)/2 th term, why for grouped frequency tables do you only find the n/2th term? I know you need to interpolate after, but I dont get why the term you need to find is different?

I mean say there are 70 terms, if it was just a normal frequency table, you would find the 35.5th term, as that's the mid-point and is (n+1)/2 th term, as it is 71/2.

But in a grouped frequency table, the book says you would just find the 70/2= 35th term, so the median lies in the class with the 35th term.

Surely thats wrong as 35.5 is the midpoint of 70, not 35??


Original post by Kill3er
I was confused about this too!




I think it's because when you're looking at terms in a grouped frequency table, you can't have half a term.
just gonna quickly google search a grouped frequency table here


we have 30 students who are grouped up according to their class mark. When you find the median, it has to be a full number as you cannot have half a student, so it can't be 15.5. Therefore 30/2 is 15. The median is the score of the 15th student or 15th term.
then we can see its in the class boundary 31-35 and you can find the median by interpolating from there

I hope this helps... sorry this is abit late, been busy with other exams :smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 9
How do you know when or μ should be used to represent the mean?
Original post by danlocke
How do you know when or μ should be used to represent the mean?


Bump
Original post by danlocke
How do you know when or μ should be used to represent the mean?


I've seen the latter being used in the discrete random variables chapter and I guess the former is used for everything else.
I made a thread but it got pushed down, here are some tips for S1:

Here's some tips for S1:
- Make sure you understand the content. There's lots of people on here who've complained about the C1 and C2 exams, but the exams were good if you had a really good understanding of how it all worked and were able to add new things onto this (e.g. the price to clean the cylinder on C2, it was just an extra detail). Obviously don't look at things like normal distributions seriously indepth, just make sure you understand whats necessary.
- Check answers. Especially for things like a normal distribution backwards, it should give you a really similar answer. For regression equations, try inputting given values and see if the answer is similar to what they've given, does x correspond to y? If you get something extremely wrong, try checking over the working.
- Calculators are seriously useful. They aren't just for adding two numbers, they can do so much more. Our college suggested to get a certain Casio calculator ("silver calculator") which has several different modes. One of these is a STAT mode (mode, 3) in which you can input data and calculate mean, standard deviation, and normal probabilities, amongst others. If you don't understand how and have one of these calculators, ask your teacher or find a manual (or ask me). Side note, if you are given sigmax, Sxy etc., you cant use this and have to calculate things like r, a and b manually, sucks doesn't it.
- Use the formula book. So what if you can remember an equation? There's still a small probability that you may use a + rather than a minus for the Sxx equation. Thats a ton of marks lost. You may forget to square just the sigmax and not the sigmax/n. More marks lost. Don't think you know it all.

Also, a lot of people seem to be completely relying on S1 to give them the marks, as the C1 and C2 papers were comparably hard to lesson work. I'm fine with that but my best advice is to look at past papers and gold papers, practice the routine for regression and correlation and make sure you can be open to new things, like coding in regression lines and conditional probability in normal distributions. Edexcel can easily mix and match topics and they clearly aren't afraid to do that.
Reply 13
Original post by danlocke
How do you know when or μ should be used to represent the mean?


I don't think it matters too much?... As long as you know the symbols for the mean and not get it mixed up for something else, I'm sure it's fine...
It's mainly just down in equations.. I've never written an answer stating something like e.g. x̄= 1.56,
I've always stated it as mean=1.56

I don't think it matters that much.
It depends on the equation as well, e.g. for normal distribution


Then here, clearly μ stands for the mean

I hope this helps, Sorry about the late reply :smile: If you have any more questions, feel free to ask :smile:
Reply 14
Original post by Craig1998
I made a thread but it got pushed down, here are some tips for S1:

Here's some tips for S1:
- Make sure you understand the content. There's lots of people on here who've complained about the C1 and C2 exams, but the exams were good if you had a really good understanding of how it all worked and were able to add new things onto this (e.g. the price to clean the cylinder on C2, it was just an extra detail). Obviously don't look at things like normal distributions seriously indepth, just make sure you understand whats necessary.
- Check answers. Especially for things like a normal distribution backwards, it should give you a really similar answer. For regression equations, try inputting given values and see if the answer is similar to what they've given, does x correspond to y? If you get something extremely wrong, try checking over the working.
- Calculators are seriously useful. They aren't just for adding two numbers, they can do so much more. Our college suggested to get a certain Casio calculator ("silver calculator":wink: which has several different modes. One of these is a STAT mode (mode, 3) in which you can input data and calculate mean, standard deviation, and normal probabilities, amongst others. If you don't understand how and have one of these calculators, ask your teacher or find a manual (or ask me). Side note, if you are given sigmax, Sxy etc., you cant use this and have to calculate things like r, a and b manually, sucks doesn't it.
- Use the formula book. So what if you can remember an equation? There's still a small probability that you may use a + rather than a minus for the Sxx equation. Thats a ton of marks lost. You may forget to square just the sigmax and not the sigmax/n. More marks lost. Don't think you know it all.

Also, a lot of people seem to be completely relying on S1 to give them the marks, as the C1 and C2 papers were comparably hard to lesson work. I'm fine with that but my best advice is to look at past papers and gold papers, practice the routine for regression and correlation and make sure you can be open to new things, like coding in regression lines and conditional probability in normal distributions. Edexcel can easily mix and match topics and they clearly aren't afraid to do that.


One tip I'd like to give out is to be careful when using your calculator when changing modes. Sometimes, people forget what mode their calculators are in which may affect the answers of your other questions.
Especially in the exam, you're gonna be stressed or a little panicky and may forget, so always make sure you have the right mode on your calculator if you're gonna be switching it around.
Original post by Bustamove
LOL Ive just started revising S1, I'm retaking it and it's such a bore... I don't think S1 is actually that hard, it's just that it's so boring that it feels hard learning it LOL

in regards to the hardest topic, I can't find one single topic particularly harder than the rest, but then again it varies for everyone.

But I find the easiest topic is normal distribution.. :smile:

Hope I've been of some help :smile:


can i have some help with normal distribution i cannot get my head around it:frown:
Reply 16
Original post by kandykissesxox
can i have some help with normal distribution i cannot get my head around it:frown:


What do you need help in specifically? Sorry, but I don't have the time to go through everything regarding normal distribution as I have my A2 exams coming up. If you have a specific problem with normal distribution or a problem regarding a question, I'd be happy to help

I think this may help you alot more than my explanation anyway, this website helped me alot with understanding maths O.o
I've already linked the S1 edexcel topic page here. Here you can choose which specific topic you don't understand and the videos will explain it all

http://www.examsolutions.net/maths-revision/syllabuses/Edexcel/period-1/S1/module.php

If you're struggling with a particular question, I'd be happy to help :smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Bustamove
What do you need help in specifically? Sorry, but I don't have the time to go through everything regarding normal distribution as I have my A2 exams coming up. If you have a specific problem with normal distribution or a problem regarding a question, I'd be happy to help

I think this may help you alot more than my explanation anyway, this website helped me alot with understanding maths O.o
I've already linked the S1 edexcel topic page here. Here you can choose which specific topic you don't understand and the videos will explain it all

http://www.examsolutions.net/maths-revision/syllabuses/Edexcel/period-1/S1/module.php

If you're struggling with a particular question, I'd be happy to help :smile:


Ok thank you very much :smile:
Reply 18
I'm so upset with how c2 went :frown:( did so much practice and was getting high a's in every past paper...If I were to get 80% in c1 and 60% or maybe less in c2, what do you think I'd need to to get to secure an A overall?? (I'm doing S1 next) I'm just really hoping that I can still get an A because I've worked so hard with maths throughout the year and I know how disappointed I would be, might resit these two next year to help with my overall A level grade! Replies would be appreciated to reassure me, many thanks
Reply 19
Original post by mrt1997
I'm so upset with how c2 went :frown:( did so much practice and was getting high a's in every past paper...If I were to get 80% in c1 and 60% or maybe less in c2, what do you think I'd need to to get to secure an A overall?? (I'm doing S1 next) I'm just really hoping that I can still get an A because I've worked so hard with maths throughout the year and I know how disappointed I would be, might resit these two next year to help with my overall A level grade! Replies would be appreciated to reassure me, many thanks


Stop thinking about C1 and C2 now. What is done is done, there is nothing you can do now to change it unless you invent yourself a time machine. Focus on doing well on S1.

Lets say worst comes to worst and you do bad in C1 and C2, do you want to resit only two exams or do you want to end up resitting 3? because if you're gonna sit there and not do the work for S1, you're gonna end up with a higher work load next year

Just keep your head down and focus on S1, only around 2 weeks till S1.. then it's over :smile: that is until results day XD

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