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2009 BPhO - Paper 2

I sat this today (only two from my College did who got 40%+ on paper 1). We've had no training or practise for either - although I checked a past paper - so we don't have any aspirations for making Round 3.

However it was really good experience I thought, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I'm wondering if anyone else has any comments about it, also how well you think you have done, and also what kind of boundaries you think the merit certificate (top 50%) will be.

I have marked myself since coming out and put it to 40-60%.

<3

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Reply 1

iRiis

Wow... the paper date was Nov 7th and we had to sit it in exam conditions at 9am. I assumed the rest of the country would be doing so too!

Our paper 1 was very slack... but this one is externally marked - it's strange that it didn't have to be sat at the same time nationally.

Reply 2

DKer

Yer mine was today aswell, 9:15, surely if it says the 7th on the paper thats when it's got to be sat...

Reply 3

iRiis

Yup - because now people like Adje could just find out all the questions and prepare for them.

How did you find it DKer?

Reply 4

DKer

Well lets firstly say physics isn't my subject, then that we didn't really get much preparation, so consequently I found it pretty hard. I think I answered about half of the parts for question 1, then got a complete but probably dodgy solution, and a couple of half attempts to the other questions.
So I think its going to be a commendation for me (i.e. the worst grade you can get)
What about you?

Reply 5

iRiis

DKer for a commendation you have to come in the top 50% of people who sat the paper, I think.

So for me I'd be absolutely chuffed if I got that!

I was similar; I answered question 1 okay - say confidently attempting 35-40marks worth. But I made a big mistake in my 15min read time. When reading I saw a moments question and a suvat question - both of which I have been really strong at on past papers; so I chose these questions without giving some of the others a real look. I then found out I couldn't answer either of them, but only came to this conclusion after I had committed a considerable amount of time to them so I tried to stick with them. So on those I think the highest I could score is 10 on one of them, and 5 on the other. I also did the half-life question which I did a lot better at, but I couldn't quite get the last bit because by the way I was doing it I needed the volume of a cone formula but I couldn't for the life of me think of it. Think I got 13 marks for sure though on that one.

So yeah, as a result I predict 40-60% for me. Really was kicking myself for sticking with the questions I found I couldn't do - I think I would have been better with the pythag light question. So if I get a commendation certificate I would be quite chuffed.

(That's also because I looked at the results of last years paper 2 and 80% of people that got a certificate at all came from a private or grammar school. Also my college has never achieved a certificate afaik in the past)

Reply 6

DKer

Yer my friend said the light question was OK, I know exactly what you mean on the projectile question, I thought it would be good but I couldn't get very far.
I could well be wrong about the commendation thing, we got told at my college that It went from worst to best; commendation, bronze 2, bronze 1, silver and then gold.

Reply 7

iRiis

Not quite, I am pretty sure it is like this:

Top 50 = Gold
Next 100 = Silver
Next 200 = Bronze I
Next 200 = Bronze II
Next 200 = Commendation

And typically 1000-1500 sit the paper. So yeah.

(http://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/olympiad/Downloads/Results/BPhO_2008_Awards_by_School.pdf last year's results)

Reply 8

DKer

Fair enough, we didn't get told numbers.

Reply 9

iRiis

If I had to guess at it I would say score wise it would be something like

90% Gold
80% Silver
75% Bronze I
70% Bronze II
60% Commendation

Reply 10

iRiis

Did no one else sit this paper? :redface:

Reply 11

iRiis

I can't believe no one else at TSR did this!?

Reply 12

Shrub

I did! When do we get the results?

Reply 13

bloodlust

I did this paper too.. hated the mechanics question (question 2). The results come out this month I believe!

Reply 14

iRiis

My Physics teacher rang/emailed the organisation that runs it and got told that we should get our results by the end of this week. : ]

Reply 15

bloodlust

iRiis

My Physics teacher rang/emailed the organisation that runs it and got told that we should get our results by the end of this week. : ]

thanks. Ill keep an eye out on the results

I'm not expecting anything big.. i prepared for the exam on my own with little support from college :smile:

Just did two past papers and some other work and then i sat it

Reply 16

Shrub

I think people that got gold found out last month so they could prepare for paper 3. So unless I'm very mistaken its a max of a silver for us!

Reply 17

iRiis

I'm same as you blood - I mean if I even got a Bronze II I would be over the moon! Doubt it's gonna happen though, kind of thing you kinda need decent prep for if you're gonna do well.

Reply 18

bloodlust

I'd be happy with a Bronze II or even a commendation. It's something extra that we have had a go at which not so many people would have done. Something to be proud of :smile:

Does anyone know anyone on TSR who actually got a Gold at all?

Reply 19

bobbysinders

I did this paper, and my Physics teacher has been chasing the markers for the results this last week. Hoping to get some sort of certificate, but no-one from our school has got anything for a couple of years, so anything will be good.