Received statement of marks - should I inspect the exam?

[jinaede1342]

Today I received my statement of mark for biology, and feel as though my section B score is considerably lower than what I expected. There are four questions in which each examiner awarded a different number of marks, and one particular question in which I received 3/6 even though I am confident in my answers, and they match up with what the suggested answers have said on atarnotes (I know that these are not my by any means endorsed by VCAA). Should I inspect the exam, if so will the outcome likely be fruitful for a remark. And if this is the case, what does the process look like and will it change my study score. (I got a 40+ score so I believe these marks are quite valuable near the top end of things). Thanks

Edit: I just realised that some people may be curious about the A+ cutoff: 192/240 when it is doubled (80%)

[Sine]

Honestly, 4 questions where the two examiners gave different marks isnt out of the ordinary. In the past ive seen it be higher for some students (who still scored highly).

Also imo mistakes tend to not be so subtle such as a few marks here and there but quite large such as whole pages not marked.

By 3/6 is that the marks doubled or the raw marks?

If you still feel they made a mistake you could inseoct and contest the mark. I'm not sure about the process for this but you should be able to find it on the vcaa website.

Edit: note that for section B examiners are ridiculously pedantic for phrasing and key words.

[PhoenixxFire]

If you still feel they made a mistake you could inseoct and contest the mark. I'm not sure about the process for this but you should be able to find it on the vcaa website.

The process involves your subject teacher agreeing that there's 'a clear mistake' (VCAA's words). Your school then has to apply for the remark, using guidelines that are apparently available to them.

I also had some question where examiners had given me different marks - I think there was 3 or 4 questions I had like that.

[jinaede1342]

Thanks for your help! I've been awarded two 0s for the final two parts of the last question and the 3/6 was the doubled mark . I have just sent an email to my subject teacher, and am now waiting for their response.

[brynstar]

Hi there!

I was considering whether to do this for one of my subjects last year when I got a low 40s score and expected much higher. When I went and asked my school about this, the VCE coordinator told me that it was pretty near impossible to get a re-mark unless you were 2 grades below your indicative grade. Since you got 40+, this almost certainly isn't the case. Don't get me wrong, the system is horribly unfair and I think it should be much more transparent but the only cases I've heard of people actually getting the exam re-marked is in a situation where they had two answer booklets and one wasn't marked at all. I'm pretty sure VCAA will do everything they can so they don't have to do anything about it even if you inspect the exam.
But then again, maybe my school is just slack/bad at insisting on re-marks. It was a happy ending for me as I did 7 subjects so that score didn't actually count.

[Sine]

Thanks for your help! I've been awarded two 0s for the final two parts of the last question and the 3/6 was the doubled mark . I have just sent an email to my subject teacher, and am now waiting for their response.

So if you got 0s it means that both assesors didnt award a mark and for the 3/6 one assesor awarded 1 mark and the othrr gave two marks.           For the 3/6 its unlikely to be a mistake since both assesors have evidently seen an answerdidnt give full marks and 1 mark difference amongst assesors is possible for a subject like bio.           For the 0s if you feel like you wrote a correct answer it is the more likely place of a mistake on vcaas part.

[vox nihili]

Today I received my statement of mark for biology, and feel as though my section B score is considerably lower than what I expected. There are four questions in which each examiner awarded a different number of marks, and one particular question in which I received 3/6 even though I am confident in my answers, and they match up with what the suggested answers have said on atarnotes (I know that these are not my by any means endorsed by VCAA). Should I inspect the exam, if so will the outcome likely be fruitful for a remark. And if this is the case, what does the process look like and will it change my study score. (I got a 40+ score so I believe these marks are quite valuable near the top end of things). Thanks

Edit: I just realised that some people may be curious about the A+ cutoff: 192/240 when it is doubled (80%)

Happy to talk to you about the individual questions, as I put together the ATARNotes answers for Biology.

Agree with the above advice. A 40+ score is an excellent job, well done.

[jinaede1342]

Happy to talk to you about the individual questions, as I put together the ATARNotes answers for Biology.

Hi, thanks for your time!
I have a few individual questions where my answers coincide with AN answers and they're all from the last experimental design question
I have tried to write exactly what I have written in my exam script as I know that examiners care about expression.


11b
What I wrote:
1. Temperature that the test tubes were subjected to
2. Amount of algae in each test tube
3. Time given for each group of test tubes with algae to photosynthesise before a colour change was observed

number one and two are listed on the answers the third one is not, but more bizarrely, this is the question where I received 3/6 when the mark is doubled. They're controlled variables... so how can one examiner give 1/3 and the other 2/3 when we are only given one line per variable?

11C
IV: type of algae (red or green)
DV: rate of photosynthesis as denoted by time taken for indicator to switch colour

I was awarded 2/4 (again doubled score). But these were the exact words I used to answer the question? Are either of them incorrect?

11f
- rate of cellular respiration in red algae is lower than in green algae
- Sample size is too small for the results to be conclusive even if it passes the first test

I was awarded 0 for this. The first answer is on the atarnotes solutions the second now was not, either way I was awarded 0/4...

On top of these there are four instances where the examiners marks have not coincided, for me this isn't an issue because I'm aware that my expression could have been accepted by one examiner only. But for the above questions, controlled variables, dependent/independent variables, for the most part we were given one line of writing and I can't imagine examiners disagreeing on it. Correct me if I'm wrong. Once again thank you for your time.

[Bri MT]

Hi, thanks for your time!
I have a few individual questions where my answers coincide with AN answers and they're all from the last experimental design question
I have tried to write exactly what I have written in my exam script as I know that examiners care about expression.


11b
What I wrote:
1. Temperature that the test tubes were subjected to
2. Amount of algae in each test tube
3. Time given for each group of test tubes with algae to photosynthesise before a colour change was observed

number one and two are listed on the answers the third one is not, but more bizarrely, this is the question where I received 3/6 when the mark is doubled. They're controlled variables... so how can one examiner give 1/3 and the other 2/3 when we are only given one line per variable?

11C
IV: type of algae (red or green)
DV: rate of photosynthesis as denoted by time taken for indicator to switch colour

I was awarded 2/4 (again doubled score). But these were the exact words I used to answer the question? Are either of them incorrect?

11f
- rate of cellular respiration in red algae is lower than in green algae
- Sample size is too small for the results to be conclusive even if it passes the first test

I was awarded 0 for this. The first answer is on the atarnotes solutions the second now was not, either way I was awarded 0/4...

On top of these there are four instances where the examiners marks have not coincided, for me this isn't an issue because I'm aware that my expression could have been accepted by one examiner only. But for the above questions, controlled variables, dependent/independent variables, for the most part we were given one line of writing and I can't imagine examiners disagreeing on it. Correct me if I'm wrong. Once again thank you for your time.

I'm writing this having not looked at the questions or suggested answers, but these are my guesses:

11b
 One might have awarded marks for "amount of algae" and the other not. "amount" is vague and could refer to number of cells or mass (and thus given you a half mark) and they might have interpreted your third point as describing a dependent variable ie "how much time would it take for the indicator to change colour for  each test tube? "


11C
your DV doesn't make sense, when you consider that you said time elapsed should be a controlled variable.

You might have meant "whether or not the indicator changed colour over the time period"

11f

Your statements might have been perceived as contradictory. Again, I haven't seen the questions, but my guess is that you were supposed to state the conclusion you drew (1) and why (1)



Vox will probably be able to provide more guidance here, but I hope that this helps

[jinaede1342]

Ahhh, I see how my third controlled variable could've been misunderstood. What I meant was to the effect of: allowing each group of test tubes with algae to photosynthesise before any results were observed. E.g if you leave one for 10 minutes and then qualitatively determine the colour of the solution, whereas you leave another for an hour then it would be an unfair experiment. As for 11f, I seem to recall it asking for why, even though the experiment supports the hypothesis, conclusive results can not be drawn (state two reasons). But I also don't have a copy of the exam so perhaps I've misinterpreted it. (I'm hoping that during the exam I have written as denoted by colour of indicator solution instead of 'colour switch'. agh, I've literally lost 15 marks on experimental design question - but can't for the life of me remember what I did for the other parts, so only wrote the solutions that I remember). I had 40/40 for the multiple choice, and decent marks across all the other questions. I can't help but think of what my study score could've been had I not messed up this last question :/... Thanks for your help!