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Edexcel core 3 unfair marking

I thought I did better in core 3 therefore I payed for a remark and a photocopy of my script to check where I lost marks. I found this one question where I think I should have been awarded some marks since the working was same as in Arsey's unofficial mark scheme. Can you please give me feedback on why I didn't obtain any marks for these questions. Pictures of my working and working from Arsey's unofficial mark scheme have been linked below.





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Original post by JDraz
I thought I did better in core 3 therefore I payed for a remark and a photocopy of my script to check where I lost marks. I found this one question where I think I should have been awarded some marks since the working was same as in Arsey's unofficial mark scheme. Can you please give me feedback on why I didn't obtain any marks for these questions. Pictures of my working and working from Arsey's unofficial mark scheme have been linked below.





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You put k back in at the end, I can't really see how you got from your second last line to your last line (putting the k in).

It's also disappeared for part b.

For part c) that would get you no marks. It has to refer to f'(x) in some way and why it's either always positive or always negative (if that's the answer, and depending on whether there's ecf).
Reply 2
Original post by SeanFM
You put k back in at the end, I can't really see how you got from your second last line to your last line (putting the k in).

It's also disappeared for part b.

For part c) that would get you no marks. It has to refer to f'(x) in some way and why it's either always positive or always negative (if that's the answer, and depending on whether there's ecf).




yeah part c seems reasonable why I didn't get any marks.

In part A I just didn't write the ks next to the constants since I thought it would be quicker at the timeso for example I wrote k as 1 and 3k as 3 and then added ks in the final result.

For part B I just forgot to include the ks but I did the differentiating correct and got same answer just without the ks so I don't see why I didn't even get one mark, I think should have got 1 or 2
Original post by JDraz
yeah part c seems reasonable why I didn't get any marks.

In part A I just didn't write the ks next to the constants since I thought it would be quicker at the timeso for example I wrote k as 1 and 3k as 3 and then added ks in the final result.

For part B I just forgot to include the ks but I did the differentiating correct and got same answer just without the ks so I don't see why I didn't even get one mark, I think should have got 1 or 2


At first glance doing what you've did probably works, though writing on the side saying you've done so was probably vital. Because you've written x^2 as just x^2, whereas if you took k out of everything it would be x^2/k ... +. Not writing k might've saved a bit of time but it just doesn't work, it's inconsistent as well.

Without looking at the mark scheme, I would have given you 1 mark for each question because you knew exactly what you had to do but the whole k thing is a bit of a nightmare, to be honest.
Reply 4
Original post by SeanFM
At first glance doing what you've did probably works, though writing on the side saying you've done so was probably vital. Because you've written x^2 as just x^2, whereas if you took k out of everything it would be x^2/k ... +. Not writing k might've saved a bit of time but it just doesn't work, it's inconsistent as well.

Without looking at the mark scheme, I would have given you 1 mark for each question because you knew exactly what you had to do but the whole k thing is a bit of a nightmare, to be honest.



The whole situation is more annoying since I was 2ums of a B in a level maths and just because of a this minor error I didn't get it.
Original post by JDraz
The whole situation is more annoying since I was 2ums of a B in a level maths and just because of a this minor error I didn't get it.


Ouch. If there's anywhere else in the paper you think was harshly marked (comparing it to the mark scheme) and your school would pay for it, I would suggest a remark.
Reply 6
Original post by SeanFM
Ouch. If there's anywhere else in the paper you think was harshly marked (comparing it to the mark scheme) and your school would pay for it, I would suggest a remark.



I already had it remarked for £40 and it went up by one mark but I still need two more ums :/ I'm going uni in september and I was thinking if it's possible to retake only one a level module(core 3)while you're at uni?
Original post by JDraz
I already had it remarked for £40 and it went up by one mark but I still need two more ums :/ I'm going uni in september and I was thinking if it's possible to retake only one a level module(core 3)while you're at uni?


I did that this year for another Maths module, so it's possible. Just priorotise degree work first but give fair attention to your resit too.
Reply 8
oh that's really good but how does it work exactly?Do you retake it at your university or in somewhere else?
Original post by JDraz
I thought I did better in core 3 therefore I payed for a remark and a photocopy of my script to check where I lost marks. I found this one question where I think I should have been awarded some marks since the working was same as in Arsey's unofficial mark scheme. Can you please give me feedback on why I didn't obtain any marks for these questions. Pictures of my working and working from Arsey's unofficial mark scheme have been linked below.





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You have simplified the question by leaving the k out. I think that the method mark that you given in part a was generous.

The mark scheme for part b says that the method mark is for applying the quotient rule to (x+k)/(x-2k), which you did not do.

Your answer for f '(x) would mean that f(x) was a decreasing function. You have not said WHY you made your decision, which is what the method mark was for.
Reply 10
Original post by JDraz
I already had it remarked for £40 and it went up by one mark but I still need two more ums :/ I'm going uni in september and I was thinking if it's possible to retake only one a level module(core 3)while you're at uni?


If you've already secured a university place, then retaking A level modules is a poor use of time and is going to be of no benefit whatsoever.

I would strongly recommend you give your priority to your uni work. If you really, really find that you have an excess of free time, then look at other ways to boost your employability in the future by gaining additional skills or work experience - don't go backwards and start looking at A level stuff again!
Reply 11
Original post by JDraz
I thought I did better in core 3 therefore I payed for a remark and a photocopy of my script to check where I lost marks. I found this one question where I think I should have been awarded some marks since the working was same as in Arsey's unofficial mark scheme. Can you please give me feedback on why I didn't obtain any marks for these questions. Pictures of my working and working from Arsey's unofficial mark scheme have been linked below.





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You've let k=1, but in the question it states k is negative (not that letting k=any number is any better though)

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