Combined Science and Triple Science questions

[happymummy2010]

I know in the Combined Science GCSE the syllabus covers two thirds of the Triple Science syllabus, but are the topics that are covered in both levels studied in the same detail or does Triple Science go into more depth ?

Are the same questions set in the exams for the topics covered in both levels or are the questions in the Combined paper slightly easier ?

Hope that makes sense !

That's a good question.

I would hope that a student getting 9,9 in Combined Science would be working at a similar level as a student getting 9,9,9 in Physics, Biology and Chemistry (it's just that they have covered fewer topics) so I would guess that the questions on the overlapping topics would be of a similar difficulty.

I'm not a science teacher though, so I could be wrong.

There are some topics that are triple only. There are also some topics which have small parts which are triple only- for example, in the biology topic on hormones, triple students learn about plant hormones as well. Assuming both students were doing higher tier, then everything they did on hormones in humans would be done to the same level- so they'd both know the same things about diabetes and the menstrual cycle (in theory).

I hope that makes sense?

As far as I’m aware, triple award will cover subjects into more depth- hence it is harder than a combined award. So combined whilst doing physics, biology and chemistry, won’t cover as much as triple, as they will be working at a faster pace, therefore being able to cover more.

Ds has just been moved into top set for science, he’s year 9. He was told that he has been asessed at levels higher than half of the top set. It also made him a prime candidate to do triple award which he would not be able to do in set 2.

Hopefully a science teacher will come along and tell us!

If you know which board your dc is taking you can have a look at the syllabus for both combined and the individual sciences which should make clear what the differences are.

Triple Science, according to the meeting we were at this week, goes into more depth and covers extra topics.

It's correct that Triple Science GCSE has a few extra in depth modules and the exam will have a few added questions about the extra modules
At least that is what DD Science Teacher told us.

Triple science covers a lot of extra material (in the same amount of lessons as the double students) which makes it harder. I wouldn't say more depth, but as PP said, in certain topics there are extra parts that are just for triple students.

When I was at school, combined was easier, so the lower sets did that. Only top set did triple.

If you think of the whole of science subjects as 3 unit modules the triple content is basically the unit 3. Everyone, combined or triple do B1 and 2, C1 and 2 and P1 and 2 but the triple also do B3, C3 and P3. The unit 3s are extra topics giving a wider coverage of the topic. Its not quite this straight forward as the triples do some some minor extra bits in units 1 and 2 but will also cover exactly what the combined science students have.
You can get a 1-9 on double or triple so they are of equal challenge accademically in theory however a lot of schools don't allow a third extra lesson allocation to triple students so the pace of teaching needs to be much faster.

I'm an AQA teacher and examiner by the way so hopefully have the correct idea! Other exam boards will have a simular set up.

“Triple science covers a lot of extra material (in the same amount of lessons as the double students) which makes it harder.”

Not necessarily. When DD took triple science it took up one of her options. Students who took double science had four other options to choose from, and those who took triple science had three.

She took her GCSEs in 2016 under the old system. Double science students sat units one and two only, and triple science students took units one, two and three. The work covered in units one and two was the same for all the students, but the triple science students covered some topics in greater depth and some extra topics. These were covered in unit 3 papers.

So would the Questions from Modules 1 & 2 be the same in both the Combined and Triple papers ?

Thanks everyone for your replies

They were in 2016

It depends on the exam board and syallbus followed. With AQA combined science can follow the trilogy or synergy pathway.
The trilogy has 2 bio 2 chem and 2 physics exams. These are the same questions as sat by the triple scientists but the triple scientists will also sit 3 additional exams.
Synergy is a bit different as the exam papers contain a mixture of sciences, not a distinct paper for each. In this case the whole paper isn't the same questions as the triple scientists but some questiobs may appear on both in theory.
Again the other boards will have thee ow systems. If you find out the exam board the website will have full details of the syllabus, assessment methods and copies of past papers which might be useful for you to see.

If you look at the syllabus you will see that only certain topics are covered in combined science but there are extra topics in single sciences.

The Higher paper contains more difficult questions than the Foundation paper obviously.

Triple is no more difficult than combined, just you are studying 3 GCSEs worth of content rather than two. At both of my children’s school triple science takes up an option column. At dds school (she sat her GCSE’s last year) the combined and single science students were taught together for some lessons then the triple students had an extra two lessons whilst the combined did their other option.

I am concerned that onto who claims to be an AQA examiner and teacher is incorrect.
For the Combined Science Trilogy there are 2 papers for each Science subject which are 1 hour 10 mins long. The students receive 2 grades for Combined Science which are based on an average mark across all 6 papers.
For the 3 separate Sciences route (sometimes called Triple science) there are also 2 papers for each Science subject but they are longer 1 hour 45 mins each. The pupils receive a grade for each Science subject i.e. Chemistry, Physics and Biology based on the 2 papers taken in each subject.
There are some extra topics for the Triple and they are not necessarily harder (some are but others it's just more content). However all the main areas that they would come across at A level are covered in the Combined so it's easier for students with combined Science to continue post-16.

So would the Questions from Modules 1 & 2 be the same in both the Combined and Triple papers ?
There are no modules for the new linear courses. This used to be the case for the old syllabus.

Dd sat the exams last year and I can confirm that what catndog says is correct. I believe that under the old A*-G syllabus there were 3 papers per subject for triple but certainly now there are two (longer) papers.

I'm also fairly sure but would have to confirm with dd that the questions set were different for triple and combined.

I can confirm that the questions taken by Combined Science students and Triple Science are different i.e. they are not exactly the same papers.
But they are designed to be at the same level so a pupil obtaining 8,8 for Combined Science should be at the same level for a pupil obtaining 888 for 3 separate Sciences (and so on for other grades).

Thats pretty much what I thought catndog, thanks for confirming.

I don't know about the papers but My DS took triple, a friend took combined, they both went on the study Forensic science at College and University and the boy who took combined found it a lot harder at College, as he hadn't learnt a lot of the science that was needed in the Forensic science course.

The new 9-1 Combined Science was first examined in 2018. So any reference to the old Double Award or previous GCSEs called Combined Science as in tinty post above are out of date.

“(in the same amount of lessons as the double students”

That depends. In some schools, for top set it may we’ll be the case. Others might allow an extra curriculum option time for it.
This is something to ask.

What is your dilemma, OP?

My scientist DC was very pleased to have done the full Triple curriculum as prep for science A levels.

@catndogslife

I did say in my post that I don't know about those papers, but my point was more that if the DC want to do any type of science course after GCSE they will have learnt significantly less content in a double science compared to triple whatever the exams are.

I know people can go on to A level with combined but as it is a big step up anyway for A level science I would always suggest that if there is any possibility they may want to study science at A level and higher and triple is available to opt for that.