Impossible is NOTHING!!!

this is to the people who get near 100% for their UMS for A2.

how do u do it?? i've just chosen my AS levels and im going back to six form slightly disappointed with my GCSE results (i struggled to get into the 90s precentage wise im most of them, so for a level it must b a huge task!!!). do u memorise the whole specifcation or something???? because to get 100%, surely u must know some hidden exam technique, and not just revise A LOT! because you're bound 2 miss something out, or must b revising directly from the markscheme lol.

so pls can u give me any advice on how u achieve this.
thanks
vinsta

Reply 1

generalebriety

It really is just a case of insurmountable amounts of practice and close reference to the mark scheme.

Reply 2

Erzan

I only do essay based subjects, but from people i know who regualry get 100% or at least 90%+ UMS they inform me they often devote themselves to doing past papers, readng mark schemes and examiner reports. This goes for all subjects.

I done this religiously for sociology and Business studies and got an A, didn't do it for English and hardly at all for Politics and got C and B. So maybe there is a correlation appearing there? :p:

Past papers, good timing (essay subjects), mark schemes and examiner reports.

Reply 3

Couldxbe

I got close to 100% in one of my History modules, getting 102/105. I know that it's not a whole A2 unit, but tbh you'll be VERY hard pushed finding someone with 100% at A2, particularly the arts as it's so subjective. Obviously, there are some people on here, but it is TSR which is like a breeding ground for high achievers :smile:

You do it by a combination of skill, good luck and talent. Skill gained by doing past papers and hard work. Pot luck by what topics you're asked about and talent as in how naturally good at a subject you are.

Reply 4

threepiecesuit

Just revise lots, and then do past papers on top of that, and 100% UMS will become a reachable goal. It can never be guaranteed though, especially in the arts, because as someone above noted, the examiner has to mark far more subjectively. Also sometimes people don't actually get every mark available, their marks might be scaled up or down relevant to everyone else's, so say they got 95% on a paper, but an unusually large amount of people who took it were stuck at 75%, the exam board would rejig all the marks up 5%, so the 75 percenters would now have 80, and the 95% person, 100%, without technically scoring full marks. Happens fairly often.

Reply 5

mit

Well, if you can work hard then getting near 100% is not impossible. For me, I spent time studying politics (much more than the other subjects) and I got all 3 unit >90%. unit 2 I got 97%. Just try to do as many past papers as possible since they will help you prepare for the exams. It won't take a lot of time any way. But make sure that you pay attention to other subjects as well...

Reply 6

city_chic

I got full marks in one History module. That was due to revising revising and revising. Just learning practise answers from past Qs. It's certainly doable.

Reply 7

sugar_cane

I got full marks in a couple of maths modules for AS and A2...
And as everyone says all I did was practice as many questions as I could get my hands on, until I felt confident that I could apporach any question.

Reply 8

bobby1986

if you understand everything you have been taught why should you not be able to get 100%??

Reply 9

vinsta

thanks to everyone who has posted a reply, ive found the information very helpful

Reply 10

Swyn

I got full marks in several modules without even answering all the questions. It's all about scaling up marks!

Reply 11

Reblet

I have to be honest: it's really subject specific.
I got full marks in all my English Literature exams. I put this down to:
a) knowing the texts/ past questions/ themes/ everything very well through re-reading throughout the year
b) knowing exactly what the examiners want (AQA has very clear Assessment Objectives, write to these and you are set).
However, for psychology I also got 3 full mark modules. Here I can't claim I did much work besides cramming for two hours before each exam (I wouldn't encourage it, but it worked for me!) Then just again remembering the Assessment Objectives, keeping calm etc.
To be honest the first few full marks I thought were luck and good examiners. But I swear anyone could potentially get full marks. Just know everything backwards by constantly revising it throughour the year AND know what the examiners want.
My friends who got full marks in the sciences basically said just know the syllabus word for word. Learn it like hell and splurge all the information onto the exam paper on the day.
These are for specific subjects. But I got a B in History so I have absolutely no clue how on earth people got full marks in those modules. I knew my stuff, but had no handy Assessment Objectives to work to, bloody OCR.
Has anyone got any advice on how to do well in OCR History?
Anyway vinsta good luck. Just try your best, full marks are down to dedication but also to luck. I really hope it all works out well for you. xxx

Reply 12

MiaMia

i got 100% in one AS and in both A2 history modules and in two politics modules...not too sure how that happened in politics, but for history i just focussed entirely on exam technique- the synoptic paper especially. the correct essay structure really will get you a long way, and once i learnt how to manage my time it seemed a whole lot easier. you really do need to know the course material well though...it's such a waste of time in the exam room if you're still struggling with facts.

Reply 13

vinsta

thanks for the help, im doin maths chem bio economics and further maths, and i think ill b able to apply the info i gt here to these 5 subjects, so thanks again everyone :biggrin:

Reply 14

Terrafire

Someone talked about arts subjects being more subjectively marked, but at A-level that isn't actually the case. Even subjects like English and History have relatively prescriptive, strict mark schemes that don't leave examiners too much room to manoeuvre. And of course you don't need 100% in the exam to get 100%UMS, as an example I think you needed 77% in one AQA Psychology 5 paper to get 100% UMS marks! See my thread about UMS (in my sig) for more about that.