ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Biology => Topic started by: WhoTookMyUsername on December 09, 2011, 05:49:40 pm
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Here's my advice to score a very high score in Bio.
Please make no mistake, to score a 48 + in Bio you need to put in work. A lot of work. Biology isn't a "tough" subject as such, but to score at the top end you have to know a huge amount of knowledge and be able to describe and explain things to perfection. And sometimes if your unlucky enough to have a pedantic marker, this may not be enough. Aim to start prac exams by the end of term 1 / term 3 holidays. Aim for as many prac exams as you can do. If your in year 11, 40 - 45 (PER UNIT) exams is not too difficult. Definitely do all the VCAA, STAV, NEAP (the "top tier" for Bio) and also if you play to do 40 ish also do lisachem, insight, TSSM, CSE (2nd Tier) and if that's not enough, also do QAT/IARTV, Chemology, Engage Ed (3rd Tier). For unit 4 make sure you do '00 - '05 VCAA (and STAV + neap if you need to).* The study design is practically the same.
Book Resources i recommend
Definitely get a hold of a second hand Campbell's Biology (6th or 7th edition is fine) from textbookexchange.com.au or otherwise. This is an essential resource if your looking to get a top score. It is a first year uni book that can complete and strengthen your understanding of key concepts, especially for SACs at "better" schools (usually tougher SACs to differentiate).
Nature of Biology is easily the best textbook for biology. Despite the often irrelevant / excessive info, it's not difficult to separate this out from the rest of the great explanations and diagrams. Nelson and Heinemann are insufficient and shallow in comparison (though these are still viable books, pretty decent, but not very thorough).
Biozone workbook - Great practice with great information that helps to reaffirm key concepts in your mind. Essential. (also pick up suggested answers for $15 if you want).
A+ notes - Concise and useful summaries with some interesting and tough questions. Not essential but helpful to summarise key information.
A+ sample prac exams - Some very interesting questions that can help you to understand Biology more deeply and fully.
Neap - Still a great resource with many great questions despite the fact that there are sometimes anomalies in the answers (which when ratified will deepen your knowledge of the course
A GOOD Biology dictionary. Personally i used Henderson's Dictionary of Biology which was excellent. It is about $80 brand new but you can probably pick up one for $30 second hand. Please don't use the very simple, insufficient definitions in "the Australian Biology Dictionary - Pearson (for students)" or any other book aimed at secondary school kids. These by their very nature are shallow definitions with few terms.
you do NOT have to buy all of these, borrowing from library should be sufficient / buying second hand
Tutor
I didn't have a tutor and didn't feel i needed one. For me biology is much more about practicing application through prac exams than having someone ramble on about some concepts you already understand.
If you wish to get a tutor, for next year, you can't go past Has Perera (i do not have contact details and i think he is full). I had his notes and they were excellent. Definitely a worthwhile tutor.
General study advice
1) Ask Questions I cannot stress this enough. To achieve a very high score in Biology, you not only need to completely understand what is in your textbook (and on the course), but you also to fill gaps within the course with knowledge from Uni courses. Even if these are not directly assessed, it will help to improve your knowledge and more importantly, understanding to a huge degree.
If you cannot find the answer on the internet, or in your textbook, ask your teacher or someone on AN to clarify. Here i would personally like thank AN users Russ and Lexitu. These two would have answered easily hundreds of my questions each throughout the year on AN and are a huge reason i was able to get large enough knowledge base to receive a 50. My gratitute is not limited to these two, many other AN users have helped me throughout the year: Scocliffe, Shinny and others, and i would also like to thank them. If you have a good teacher, spam him/her with all your questions that you can't find answers to on AN / internet (for me this was still a large amount). My teacher was indeed a very good teacher and answered hundreds of my questions throughout the year (thankyou).
2) Do not rote learn. Biology is very different from a subject such as psychology. If you memorize every piece of information in the book, but are unable to convey this clearly and simply, you'll get 0 marks on the exam. My whole rote learning consisted of memorizing 4 words ("cue words" for evolution process). Through each Unit it is essential to develop a huge knowledge base, but this knowledge base must be in your mind as a connected framework of understanding. For this, if you have time, writing notes from multiple sources will help to fill your gaps (more on this right after).
3) Note writing If you're in year 11 i definitely recommend this. Combining multiple information sources into one summation will test your knowledge and allow you to ask questions and fill these with answers. It also helps to structure information into your mind into a more logical order. If you're in year 12 with many other subjects this isn't as completely essential, though everyone is different. I certainly found note writing to be quite useful developing a logical structure within my mind. Whether this is worth the time and effort it takes is up to you. I suggest trying this for unit 3 and see how it goes. For unit 3 i spent probably around 50 hours writing my final summary, for unit 4 it was around 20 hours. I suggest aiming to complete each unit in around <20 hours total (roughly 2 hours per NOB chapter; maybe a bit more for Unit 3).
Practice exam advice
For Unit 3 i was slack. And my Biology was almost destroyed because of this. I would just complete practice exams in however long it took to complete them, i never looked back through my exam or MC for mistakes, and i think this came back to bite me in the exam.
I finished the exam with about 20 minutes left, but spent this whole time wondering whether to write "abscisic acid" or "ethylene" fora specific question and did not read over the rest of my exam OR double check mulitple choice. I believe i lost multiple marks in SA because of this and could have lost a huge amount of MC due to one inputting error. THe solution to this?: treat each practice exam, ESPECIALLY from the good companies (NEAP, STAV, VCAA) as a whole exam, with 15 minute reading time.
My scores on practice exams: for unit 3 i started around 45/75 on the end of the summer holidays (do not start prac exams there lol) and ended up around a 71 - 72 average on papers by the end of Unit 3. For Unit 4 i started around 60/75 just before term 3 holidays and worked my way to around a 73 average by the end.
My Scores - Lessons to be learned
Estimated raw SACs (MHS)
1: 21; 2: 25; 3: 18; 4: 22; 5: 16: 6: 23; 7: 23; 8:23 Total raw estimated: 171 Predicted after scaling: 195+
Exam 1: 70; cut off 60
25/25 MC
I lost 1 full mark in SA and 8 half marks. To me this indicates that examiners are just tight as markers. This means that the markers differed on how many marks i should be given on at least 8 questions. Now for a relatively "closed" subject like Bio you would think that the marking scheme would be pretty straight forward. This is not the case, and it just goes to show, especially for U3 how pivotal perfecting your expression is. When half marks are lost it means one examiner has taken a dislike to your expression while the other has given it a satisfactory. Your aim is to improve your expression to such a degree it sates the appepitite of not only the most critical markers, but the most critical markers for each and every type of questions. Write to get full marks from the chief assessor who understands the course and wants to know how much you understand it; the genius highly critical Nobel prize laureate who seeks eloquent yet succinct, clear, accurate and precise explanations; and the dumb rubbish collector who does not understand what your talking about unless you signpost it extremely clearly.
Exam 2: 71; cut off 64.5
MC: 25/25
SA: Completely different with the marks lost. I received 1.5/3 on 2a) and .5/2 on 5c). For the less mathematically able that's 3 out of 4 marks lost on 2 questions. A huge contrast to U3 where i lost 4 marks on 8 questions. Given i have achieved my aim there's nothing for me to gain wondering too much about why i lost these marks, but it's definitely different to U4. While U4 still features the need for perfect expression in explaining the process of evolution etc; you have to drive yourself to perfect your simple mathematical calculations and punnet squares etc. This must be where i lost my marks.
Multiple choice This is extraordinarily easy to practice and even fun. You should aim to perfect multiple choice to receive 25/25 giving yourself a ~5 or 6 mark leeway on SA to receive a 50. Losing 2 marks on MC makes it very hard to stay within the boundaries of a 50.
I plan to tutor Biology in the 2013 year. Please pm me for any inquiries
*EDIT by Thushan: VCAA 1997-1999 are IMO the best, they were the hardest and best papers for biology Unit 4. IF you could score a 72 in those papers, you've topped the state.
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Nice! When you're done, PM me and I'll formally add it to Biology Advice Megathread :)
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I think the most important thing about biology is taking caare with how you word your answers. In the high end, 47+ the difference is semantics. Those 2-3 marks come from knowing how to please an examiner.
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Definitely the wording of your answers, writing the word "specific" was the difference between you getting the mark and not the mark in a question a few years ago. Tip: memorise the answers given in assessment reports so that if a similar question comes up then you can use those key words and terms which are essential for the marks.
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Yep don't worry i will cover exam technique and everything a bit later :)
just wanted to get book info up so people have time to buy
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Moved one comment, please keep this on-topic.
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Ah sorry! I can only see half the page on my phone
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alright, it's done rohitpi. Perhaps not quite as thorough as it could be but i've done my best and to be honest I've just had enough of Bio for now XD
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Ask Questions I cannot stress this enough.
This is the reason I did so poorly in Biology. I never asked any questions in class and because of this I lacked knowledge in key areas and made me loose motivation to try in Biology. Everything falls down, without asking anything I almost guarantee you won't get a 40+. It doesn't hurt to ask something, even if it may seem to be a stupid question that you should understand because by not asking it you are only hurting yourself and falling further and further behind.
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Thanks for writing this Bazza, I'm gonna print it out, and all the other ones in the Bio resources thread, and stick it into the front of my Bio folder for motivation and reminders next year! ^_^
I was wondering though, do you recommend writing notes extensively as the main learning method, or reading the textbook?
It doesn't hurt to ask something, even if it may seem to be a stupid question that you should understand because by not asking it you are only hurting yourself and falling further and further behind.
I've always been really shy about asking questions in class, but I agree with you, it's to my own detriment if I don't. But I just don't know how to get over being painfully shy in public. :( I guess I could go see the teachers privately, but I'd feel as if I'd be wasting their time. Any advice?
Tip: memorise the answers given in assessment reports so that if a similar question comes up then you can use those key words and terms which are essential for the marks.
Thanks for this tip Hamdog...would anyone be able to give a quick guide on how to structure eloquent answers? That's always been my downfall in Unit 1/2 exams.
And also, my teachers expect us to give 4 pieces of information for every 2 mark question - so we only get 1/2 marks for every bit of info. How do you guys make sure your answers are detailed enough, but at the same time, succint?
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I've always been really shy about asking questions in class, but I agree with you, it's to my own detriment if I don't. But I just don't know how to get over being painfully shy in public. :( I guess I could go see the teachers privately, but I'd feel as if I'd be wasting their time. Any advice?
I was the same :( Asking them after class is good, also asking them when everyone starts working as well so you can have 1on1 time. Also remember chances are if you're not understanding something someone else in the class isn't either. You can always ask questions on this forum as Bazza said, you will get a lot of advice from people that have scored highly in the subject.
As for being painfully shy about asking questions the more you do it the easier it becomes you seem to care less about what others think and people respect that you are trying to learn and better yourself.
Hope this helps. :)
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Thanks for writing this Bazza, I'm gonna print it out, and all the other ones in the Bio resources thread, and stick it into the front of my Bio folder for motivation and reminders next year! ^_^
I was wondering though, do you recommend writing notes extensively as the main learning method, or reading the textbook?
It doesn't hurt to ask something, even if it may seem to be a stupid question that you should understand because by not asking it you are only hurting yourself and falling further and further behind.
I've always been really shy about asking questions in class, but I agree with you, it's to my own detriment if I don't. But I just don't know how to get over being painfully shy in public. :( I guess I could go see the teachers privately, but I'd feel as if I'd be wasting their time. Any advice?
Tip: memorise the answers given in assessment reports so that if a similar question comes up then you can use those key words and terms which are essential for the marks.
Thanks for this tip Hamdog...would anyone be able to give a quick guide on how to structure eloquent answers? That's always been my downfall in Unit 1/2 exams.
And also, my teachers expect us to give 4 pieces of information for every 2 mark question - so we only get 1/2 marks for every bit of info. How do you guys make sure your answers are detailed enough, but at the same time, succint?
The only way to develop the correct expression is through doing many practice exams and marking and reviewing these thoroughly.
Writing notes is up to you. I did it, and it helped, but it does take a fair amount of time. It's up to you whether you feel the benefit of having a slightly more solidly connected information base is worth the time and effort it takes. With regards to learning, i read the textbook and notes and ask questions. This is how I learn, i will have probably 40 questions an hour pop up in my head for bio, and maybe 30 i know the answer to, or can easily find the answer too. The other 10 about 7 or 8 i can find the answers to on the internet, the rest i ask my teacher or pop on AN
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Hey Bazza, I'm going to be doing 3/4 bio this year, and I also have a really harsh marker (might be the same as yours)
In regards to you asking him questions, do you go to his office at recess/lunch and ask questions or do you ask questions in class?
He seems really scary :-\
Thanks!
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Great advice Bazza, but I just wanted to warn people to be skeptical of how useful purchasing textbooks can be.
There's a plethora of information out there, and you don't need to buy it. You could torrent it. You could just search the answers to your questions on the internet. A textbook is costly, and if you already have the resource available, then there's no need to spend the extra money.
That said, it's not going to negatively impact your score and if it's your own money that you're deciding to spend on a tool for yourself, then go for it. But if it's going to hit your parents'/guardians', ask yourself if you truly need such an exuberant aid and how much you will use it throughout the course of the year.
But coming from a largely independent student throughout year 12 (I didn't pay school fees, but I paid for my internet + phone, textbooks, board, stationary, and many more general living expenses), I can tell you that if you seek any information then you can find it using free services. Take my word, just seek and you shall find.
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Hey Bazza, I'm going to be doing 3/4 bio this year, and I also have a really harsh marker (might be the same as yours)
In regards to you asking him questions, do you go to his office at recess/lunch and ask questions or do you ask questions in class?
He seems really scary :-\
Thanks!
If you're talking about Dr. S, then just ask questions in class. Don't be scared, he's a teacher, they want to help you. Yeah, he's a retard sometimes, but just ignore him if he gives you attitude. Like you've probably heard before, you'll be stupid for a few minutes for asking questions but you'll be stupid forever if you don't ask (or something along those lines...)
Anyway, yeah honestly, your teacher is the best resource you'll have so use them as much as you can
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Thankyou! ;D
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Hey Bazza, I'm going to be doing 3/4 bio this year, and I also have a really harsh marker (might be the same as yours)
In regards to you asking him questions, do you go to his office at recess/lunch and ask questions or do you ask questions in class?
He seems really scary :-\
Thanks!
If you're talking about Dr. S, then just ask questions in class. Don't be scared, he's a teacher, they want to help you. Yeah, he's a retard sometimes, but just ignore him if he gives you attitude. Like you've probably heard before, you'll be stupid for a few minutes for asking questions but you'll be stupid forever if you don't ask (or something along those lines...)
Anyway, yeah honestly, your teacher is the best resource you'll have so use them as much as you can
Is it still possible to ask him questions even if you're not his student? My teacher is lacking a bit on the more in-depth kind of knowledge.
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Is it still possible to ask him questions even if you're not his student? My teacher is lacking a bit on the more in-depth kind of knowledge.
Knowing the teachers of this school, and the specific ones you are talking about:
You can ask, but do it tactfully. It can really come off as disrespectful to think they are 'lacking a bit.' Your teachers are all more than qualified to teach you, its just that some of them aren't as good at explaining as others. Go to yours first, if still confused ask the other one.
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Hey Bazza,
I'm a year 11 at MHS and was wondering if you could help me with the beetroot and vinegar SAC that is coming up. I didn't do Bio in year 10 and my prac reports in year 10 were also pretty bad.
Im in the library at most lunchtimes so if you could help me i would be grateful
thanks
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you got a 50 in bio and you made mistakes in the exam? i always thought I would need a 100% for my 50 physics this year and i'm pretty sure i got it on this easy mid-year.
Anyways what I actually wanted to ask was where you've got all those practice exams from. I've done 35 for physics and many of them were with the old study design.
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A+ exam books have 9 in them, you can find third party ones everywhere. For unit 4 bio I've heard the old study design is very similar to the current one, so that gives around 11 VCAA exams for Bio which is fantastic.
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A+ exam books have 9 in them, you can find third party ones everywhere. For unit 4 bio I've heard the old study design is very similar to the current one, so that gives around 11 VCAA exams for Bio which is fantastic.
Insane, do you use the A+ exam books? And what are your opinions on them :O How do they fare in terms of VCAA quality etc
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Unfortunately, I never got around to buying it. :P Since doing third party practice exams, I have developed quite a dislike in their comparisons to VCAA exams. The only sets I liked were Lisachem pretty much but they are extremely expensive.
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you got a 50 in bio and you made mistakes in the exam? i always thought I would need a 100% for my 50 physics this year and i'm pretty sure i got it on this easy mid-year.
Anyways what I actually wanted to ask was where you've got all those practice exams from. I've done 35 for physics and many of them were with the old study design.
Bio has a bit more leeway as it is very difficult to get 70+/75, unlike like physics in which it is common more many people to get 100% or close to it.
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Unfortunately, I never got around to buying it. :P Since doing third party practice exams, I have developed quite a dislike in their comparisons to VCAA exams. The only sets I liked were Lisachem pretty much but they are extremely expensive.
I've never really liked lisa chem. It seems to have off topic questions, the NEAP and TSSM seems the most relevant to me.
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TSSM was good too, but a couple of NEAP ones were so specific. :S
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Isn't specific what were after?
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OK it's good for knowledge, but it's really bad for a real judge of a VCAA exam grade.
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Yeah, in comparison with VCAA exams no company is really quite 100% there yet.
I like VCAA because it gets in more depth but not too far in and it really helps if an asshole question pops up on the exam.
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Yeah VCAA exams are fantastic, but sometimes I think they can be really harsh for some questions and really lenient on others.
No company is really close yet, they seem to hang around specific things pre-2006 study design for some reason.
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I am currently in year 10 doing Bio 1+2 and completing it in year 12. Any tips? I am doing it via Distance Ed (my stupid school does not have the numbers to open a class), and so I have to do it this way. I am also finishing Further 3+4 next year, and I was wondering if I could receive any tips about the ambiguous, or so I hear, exam questions.
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According to your signature it says you're completing bio it in year 11, not 12 :o
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Any tips for Unit 4 prep?
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Hi there,
how many marks can one afford to lose to get 45+?
especially cuz this year there is no mid year, would this exam be harder or easier than usual?
thanks
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Hi there,
how many marks can one afford to lose to get 45+?
especially cuz this year there is no mid year, would this exam be harder or easier than usual?
thanks
I reckon 45+, try and get 100/110. That should do for a 45+. Obviously, the higher, the better! A 50 I reckon would be 105+/110.
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How many trial exams do u recommend doing?
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How many trial exams do u recommend doing?
Its not about quantity; its about quality. I'd say around 30 would do. Just make sure that when you correct your exams, you really retain memory of how you'll express your answers. Make sure that you fill up gaps in your knowledge and really just try and perfect your expression. In the end, your expression is paramount!
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Any tips for someone who finds bio quite challenging in comparision to the rest of their subjects?
Would you recommend getting a tutor? I get the concepts in class, but come test time I forget some of the answers and then realise my mistakes when I get back the paper..
How much preparation is recommended over summer? I want to start off the year on a good foot with all my subjects, but especially biology.
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Any tips for someone who finds bio quite challenging in comparision to the rest of their subjects?
Would you recommend getting a tutor? I get the concepts in class, but come test time I forget some of the answers and then realise my mistakes when I get back the paper..
How much preparation is recommended over summer? I want to start off the year on a good foot with all my subjects, but especially biology.
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Personally I never though a tutor was necessary. The concepts are relatively straightforward, and getting a set of notes from companies such as TSFX or even the ATARnotes guide would be great. Plus, there are SO many smart people on AN that you could clarify all your queries with. I reckon finishing AOS 1 of unit 3 over the summer, plus skimming lightly through AOS 2 of unit 3, would suffice. You'll get a head start pretty much for term 1, and at least in class, you'll be in a position to fine tune your knowledge, as opposed to learning it all in class.
Biology is a subject that requires time, so you should dedicate a fair bit of time to it. I mean, doing it in year 11, I have found much more luxury with time, and I've invested a lot more time than if I had been in year 12.
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Any tips for someone who finds bio quite challenging in comparision to the rest of their subjects?
Would you recommend getting a tutor? I get the concepts in class, but come test time I forget some of the answers and then realise my mistakes when I get back the paper..
How much preparation is recommended over summer? I want to start off the year on a good foot with all my subjects, but especially biology.
Hi, sorry for the really late reply!
I feel Biology can be quite challenging because you have to simultaneously know the material and be able to adapt and utilise it whilst simultaneously interpreting difficult questions and information
I think as with every subject preparation during summer helps a lot, but in many ways it's probably not necessary to learn the whole course as you've got a lot on your plate next year.
Start with the content and try to get as much done as you feel comfortable doing, which will give you a headstart and maybe make it easier for you during the year reducing your workload
I would work through the textbook, if you plan on making notes and it helps you learn thats great, if not, maybe just highlight the important stuff and knock down the revision questions for a few chapters. I wouldn't think you need to start anything like doing exam papers and such.
If you find you know the content but are making mistakes, make sure you truly not only know your content inside out and can utilise it fluently in different scenarios. The best way to do this is practice by answering questions. Sit down, look at a question, think about what it's really asking, plan out your response in your head before you put pen to paper at the start. Take it slowly and try to actively engage with the question would be the most ideal method
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Hi,
Where can I access/obtain VCAA 1997-1999 past papers?
Cheers :)
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I think the easiest way is to get them off your school, they should have been given a CD rom with past papers.
I do not think it is necessary to go so far back though
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Hi,
I was just wondering how many marks you can afford to lose in Biology SACs to get a 50 at the end of the year? Our SACs at school are incredibly difficult, and there are only 14 people doing the subject...
Thanks!
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Hi,
I was just wondering how many marks you can afford to lose in Biology SACs to get a 50 at the end of the year? Our SACs at school are incredibly difficult, and there are only 14 people doing the subject...
Thanks!
Wouldn't that depend a lot on how well you did on the exam?
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Back in my day (the good old days of midyear exams ahaha), you'd usually have to get 70+/75 on both exams to get a 50. Not sure about now, but probably something like 104-106+/110 would get you a 50. Depends on your SACs and the A+ cut off though, of course
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All these past year exams, do I have to buy them (excluding VCAA)? i.e. STAV, NEAP, lisachem, insight, TSSM, CSE etc
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All these past year exams, do I have to buy them (excluding VCAA)? i.e. STAV, NEAP, lisachem, insight, TSSM, CSE etc
Your school should have them for you, definitely ask them before you purchase them yourself because it's a costly process.