Edexcel unit 4 Biology June 2016 grade boundaries?

username2190247

That exam was awful. Genuinely, after Q2, it was a complete mess. Pretty much everyone found it hard as f***, some people came out of the exam crying, etc.

For everyone who sat the exam; how low do you think the grade boundaries could be for an A? That paper was 100% harder than last year's one, and that was 60 for an A. I genuinely think it could end up being as low as 56 for an A but was just wondering what you guys thought.

NOTE: please don't discuss answers you put down in the exam in this thread, do that in the discussion one

Reply 1

0shas0

1

Where is the discussion one ? Can u put a link please
Don't worry I felt the same way :frown:

Original post by ASTK98

That exam was awful. Genuinely, after Q2, it was a complete mess. Pretty much everyone found it hard as f***, some people came out of the exam crying, etc.

For everyone who sat the exam; how low do you think the grade boundaries could be for an A? That paper was 100% harder than last year's one, and that was 60 for an A. I genuinely think it could end up being as low as 56 for an A but was just wondering what you guys thought.

NOTE: please don't discuss answers you put down in the exam in this thread, do that in the discussion one

Reply 2

username2190247

OP

11

Original post by 0shas0

Where is the discussion one ? Can u put a link please
Don't worry I felt the same way :frown:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3895665&page=42

Reply 3

scarlettm03

https://www.change.org/p/edexcel-lower-grade-boundaries-for-edexcel-unit-4-a2-biology-paper

Reply 4

username2190247

OP

11

Original post by scarlettm03

https://www.change.org/p/edexcel-lower-grade-boundaries-for-edexcel-unit-4-a2-biology-paper

Saw that, it's a pointless petition + the message is dumb. We shouldn't be complaining about the AS questions because we've always known A2 papers are synoptic. We should be complaining about the blurry and vague image of the plasma cell as well as the lack of template questions i.e PCR/Photosynthesis where it's easy to pick up marks.

Reply 5

ayeshapat

Original post by ASTK98

That exam was awful. Genuinely, after Q2, it was a complete mess. Pretty much everyone found it hard as f***, some people came out of the exam crying, etc.

For everyone who sat the exam; how low do you think the grade boundaries could be for an A? That paper was 100% harder than last year's one, and that was 60 for an A. I genuinely think it could end up being as low as 56 for an A but was just wondering what you guys thought.

NOTE: please don't discuss answers you put down in the exam in this thread, do that in the discussion one

I completely agree - i was crying during the second half of the exam because i knew I had messed up. But the people that are sticking up for the exam saying it was synoptic is ********. You either knew fertilisation or you don't, you can't wing it and you can't briefly summarise it to learn it. I just thought that paper was so unfair and ridiculous and I am so angry. Anyone that had seen the Jan 2014 IAL paper has a total advantage because they know the answers without even needing to study which defeats the whole purpose of 'applying your biological knowledge'. Edexcel have f***ed us all over and the petition going round has 3,000 signatures. https://www.change.org/p/edexcel-lower-grade-boundaries-for-edexcel-unit-4-a2-biology-paper?recruiter=34040869&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive

If you stick up for the paper, you're clearly one of the few that had to retake you AS, but you already had the advantage of knowing all the AS content. MAAAAAAAN Edexcel have really pulled one over us, I am still so angry.

Reply 6

ayeshapat

Original post by ASTK98

Saw that, it's a pointless petition + the message is dumb. We shouldn't be complaining about the AS questions because we've always known A2 papers are synoptic. We should be complaining about the blurry and vague image of the plasma cell as well as the lack of template questions i.e PCR/Photosynthesis where it's easy to pick up marks.

But your complaint is pointless because you're simply complaining about the lack of A2 content. However - we've actively created a petition for them to LOWER the grade boundaries. What your doing won't lower the grade boundaries because you're not doing anything to make them understand what they've done wrong. Sign the petition so we all have a shot at getting decent grades.

Reply 7

username2190247

OP

11

I've signed the petition. My point is, they're not gonna look at the petition and say "we need to lower the grade boundaries now." Reality is, this paper will have low GBs as everyone found it hard - so when they've marked all the papers and notice that the average mark has dropped, they'll lower them anyway.

Don't mean to sound like a tw*t but that's how it is really. We sign the petitions anyway because we think it will make a difference to the grade boundaries, but it won't.

Reply 8

username2190247

OP

11

I was at an advantage for the AS content but I had to spend time learning it anyway, so it took time from my A2 revision a bit too. I agree they were dicks for pulling that paper on us; I'm not defending the questions they put in, as they did put in too many AS questions. I just mean that we should've expected some AS questions at least, but you're right they abused the idea of a synoptic paper, can't be having 25 marks or so on just AS content.

Overall though I think this paper will have low grade boundaries. Like, really low. It has the June '13 C3 feeling for it which ended up ring 52/75 for an A lol.