GCSE mock

[IDontGetOutMuch]

Dd did a 3 question biology mock in year 10. She bombed one question (15%) but got 85-88% in the other questions. Came out as 6 overall. How do I help her going forward? My gut feeling is that a 6 isn't as high as she can get.

Why did she do sa badly in the question? Was it a knowledge gap? Did she misunderstand the question? Did she not meet the success criteria?

This should be explained in her feedback.

Combination of things. She didn't read one part of question properly, so included a factor that had been given in question, did a percentage decrease calculation wrong, and didn't know enough about liver failure. So all sorts!

Well, surely you help her by:

• making she can do all the required maths
• helping/testing revision
• encouraging her to read questions properly

3 questions is neither representative nor really a mock in my opinion. She has 10+ months to go.

If you don't have the relevant revision guides, then get them. They contain everything needed but nothing extra.

I'm kind of glad you said that about a 3 question mock. We can't tell whether she'd have done similarly or better on a 6-7 question paper. If, over 2 papers, she had one question she bombed, it would be a very different story. But I know you can't go on how well she did on the other two questions either. I will let this go, just trying to process how to support her.

With science

• you have to use the scientific language, and use it clearly
• you have to give as many details as there are marks
• you have read the question clearly e.g 'what will you see' is different from 'what is happening' (what you see - the clear liquid turns a milky white; what is happening the precipitates out from the solution)

Thank you Teen. Helpful to know I was along right lines with what I was suggesting she needs to do!

I particularly noticed the number of points needed and also the observations in chemistry.

Some topics seem to be 'obvious' 6 mark questions, e.g. theory of evolution, reproduction, how enzymes work so it is worth making sure they can rattle off enough detail counting up on fingers as they go

• competition for resources 1
• natural variation 2
• best adapted can get the resources so survive 3
• survivors go on to breed 4
• characteristics get passed on to next generation 5
• over time characteristics become more prevalent 6

I've definitely noticed a pattern of questions on photosynthesis with a logical sequence of consequences...lack of light so less photosynthesis so less glucose so less respiration so less energy so less making of amino acids...or whatever it was that day! I don't remember having to do much on respiration in my 90s gcse and certainly there seems more sequential linking.