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Original post by jneill
Section B? ... or Section 2?


yeah sorry section 2
Reply 41
Original post by isaac_wood_
yeah sorry section 2


In which case... nope. :smile:
in fact this was less necessary as the answers for this section are given on the website since the beginning and now they have explanations there too.

WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS ANSWERS TO SECTION 2 WHICH ARE NEEDED ASAP
Has anyone got any other materials that are worth trying out? For instance the first section of the exam (at least for maths)is the same as the EngAA exam. I think the best way to get prepared for these exams is to do enough past papers to get in the mindset they are looking for, it is a shame there is such limited content, as I am struggling to do so.
Reply 44
Original post by flamingllama
I think the best way to get prepared for these exams is to do enough past papers to get in the mindset they are looking for, it is a shame there is such limited content, as I am struggling to do so.


lol wat, that's the opposite of the truth. People need to get out of this stupid school exam mindset - just understand what you're doing and you'll be (more than) fine. There's no need to do any past papers.
Original post by Zacken
lol wat, that's the opposite of the truth. People need to get out of this stupid school exam mindset - just understand what you're doing and you'll be (more than) fine. There's no need to do any past papers.

I have to disagree. I can do all the questions and my understanding is acquit, but if you've timed yourself doing section 1 of the specimen paper you will realise that you not only need to have the thinking, but the correct mindset to realise things quickly and effectively. This is something I cannot do without exam practice.
Original post by NeverLucky
NSAA Specimen Paper Worked Solutions
Hi there! As some of you are considering applying to Cambridge (or already decided to apply), you'll no doubt be looking towards preparing for the pre-interview assessments. I'm not sure how helpful this will be but Cambridge only provides the answers and so some of you might find it difficult in knowing how to get to that answer if you are stuck on a particular question. So I hope that having some worked solutions would be beneficial in your preparation. Good luck!

Note: More information on the NSAA and links to all the original NSAA files as well as general information about Natural Sciences at Cambridge can be found here: http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/natural-sciences
More information on the Admissions Assessments themselves can be found here: http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying/admissions-assessments/pre-interview

Note: I do not study Biology and therefore will not be able to provide worked solutions to the Biology sections. If someone is willing to write up some worked solutions to those sections, you will be given full credit. :smile:

Note: This is a WIP. Expect more solutions to all the different sections in the upcoming few weeks. Also, there are different ways to solve these questions and my solutions are far from optimal. If you have a better way to solve them, please do share!

Section 1:

Part A - Mathematics:
Q1-4:

Spoiler

Q5-8:

Spoiler

Q9-12:

Spoiler

Q13-16:

Spoiler

Q17-18:

Spoiler

Part B - Physics:
Q19-21:

Spoiler

Q22-25:

Spoiler

Q26-29:

Spoiler

Q30-31:

Spoiler

Q32-34:

Spoiler

Q35-36:

Spoiler

Part C - Chemistry:
Q37-39:

Spoiler

Q40-42:

Spoiler

Q43-47:

Spoiler

Q48-51:

Spoiler

Q52-54:

Spoiler

Part D - Biology: (Sorry :redface:)
Part E - Advanced Mathematics and Advanced Physics:
Thank you @Zacken for your (Partial) Solutions :wink:
Q73-75:

Spoiler

Q76-78:

Spoiler

Q79-82:

Spoiler

Q83-88:

Spoiler

Q89-90:

Spoiler



For question 18 on the maths part, where did 1/5 come from?
Original post by Jas1947
For question 18 on the maths part, where did 1/5 come from?


it's because he has already found out the probability of it landing on 6, so the probability of it being 1 to 5 is 2/3 so he is timesing through by a 5th to get the probability of each number (excluding 6).
Does that make sense?
Original post by k.russell
it's because he has already found out the probability of it landing on 6, so the probability of it being 1 to 5 is 2/3 so he is timesing through by a 5th to get the probability of each number (excluding 6).
Does that make sense?


My syllabus doesn't cover any probability at all so it's kind of new to me, it makes a bit more sense now thank you. If you don't mind, could you help me with a few more questions? You don't have to do every single one but I'd appreciate it if you could do at least one, it's some more multiple choice maths, Thanks http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4368046&p=68047282#post68047282
Original post by Jas1947
My syllabus doesn't cover any probability at all so it's kind of new to me, it makes a bit more sense now thank you. If you don't mind, could you help me with a few more questions? You don't have to do every single one but I'd appreciate it if you could do at least one, it's some more multiple choice maths, Thanks http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4368046&p=68047282#post68047282


I can sure try... as a forewarning, I am a biology applicant so not the best at maths but I'll have a go. Where are those questions from?
Original post by k.russell
I can sure try... as a forewarning, I am a biology applicant so not the best at maths but I'll have a go. Where are those questions from?


I found this when trying to search for additional material to help me prepare for the NSAA, I don't know if it is relevant but it's better than not having anything to use.

http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-test-takers/test-of-mathematics-for-university-admission/preparation/
Original post by Jas1947
I found this when trying to search for additional material to help me prepare for the NSAA, I don't know if it is relevant but it's better than not having anything to use.

http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-test-takers/test-of-mathematics-for-university-admission/preparation/


I see. I think that these are the sorts of questions people who are applying for maths might get (rather than science applicants like us). Are you going for physics or biology?
Original post by Jas1947
For question 18 on the maths part, where did 1/5 come from?


For question 89, how did you come up with that answer? And what topic is this called? I've been trying to self teach this but I don't know where to start, Thank you.
Original post by k.russell
I see. I think that these are the sorts of questions people who are applying for maths might get (rather than science applicants like us). Are you going for physics or biology?


I'm going for physics
Reply 54
Original post by Jas1947
For question 89, how did you come up with that answer? And what topic is this called? I've been trying to self teach this but I don't know where to start, Thank you.


trigonometry
Original post by Zacken
trigonometry


Thank you but I know it's trigonometry and whenever I google this it shows me the very basics but not the examples I want that are similar to this question
Does anybody have the answers to section 2 (specifically the Physics questions)? I can't seem to find them on the admissions website and nobody seems to have the worked solutions here either.
Original post by Jonesy99
Does anybody have the answers to section 2 (specifically the Physics questions)? I can't seem to find them on the admissions website and nobody seems to have the worked solutions here either.


There aren't any.
I found some video worked solutions for Chemistry Section 2:

Q3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWrXk7bxc6s
Q4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZCZUFsTqfE

She goes through it fairly well but note that none of the answers are confirmed.
Original post by TheHaxii
I found some video worked solutions for Chemistry Section 2:

Q3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWrXk7bxc6s
Q4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZCZUFsTqfE

She goes through it fairly well but note that none of the answers are confirmed.


Well it doesn't take a genius to 'confirm' them does it? The first Chemistry question (Q3) seems barely above AS standard, in fact one part of it (the identification of isomer B) has been asked before in an F322 (old OCR specification) paper with less help!

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