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Original poster

Help with GCSE exam question

41 replies

NonStopp · 25/10/2023 00:45

can any examiners please help me with the marking of this question. My DC question on his paper was marked wrong

Question: What prompted the speaker to go back to school?

My DC answered - Her friend

Answer in mark scheme - Her friend persuaded her

would you mark this wrong or was it harshly marked?

OP posts:
Original poster
NonStopp · 25/10/2023 00:49

Sorry I meant to say

answer: A friends persuaded her

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TeenDivided · 25/10/2023 07:22

Not a teacher.
Clarifying: AQA English Language Paper 1 Q1 ?

(in my brain, saying 'a friend' would be who whereas 'a friend persuaded her' would be the 'what')

Iwantacampervan · 25/10/2023 09:40

I am not an English teacher/specialist but interpreted the question/answer the same as @TeenDivided.

clary · 25/10/2023 12:07

Yeh agree with PPs, can we have some context? I know more about MFL - so if this were a qu in a German GCSE paper and the mark scheme said "her friend persuaded her" then the answer "her friend" would probably not be enough.

In MFL at least the MS is often very specific about what's not acceptable (and what is. Examples I have seen - the answer is Spain (in English) and any spelling of Spain (Spane, Spaaan, Spayn) would be fine, but the French word Espagne would not; or the answer is teacher, for which the French word is professeur, and so "professor" would be incorrect (as it shows lack of understanding).

Was this an English lang past paper OP, or MFL, or some other subject?

SaracensMavericks · 25/10/2023 12:10

His answer wasn't specific enough. It wasn't simply the existence of the friend, it was the friend's action that made it happen.

Berushni · 25/10/2023 12:13

If the test is to find specific information, then the response must contain the exact and precise information. If it's something that is a non specific guess or gleaned from something else on the paper, or a general copying of chunks of random detail, it doesn't gain marks.

HappiDaze · 25/10/2023 12:25

You can't just write a friend

The friend had to do something to warrant her returning to school

So the word persuade is the crucial word

You have to expand on just a friend

Hence why it's so very important to do all these past papers to get a feel of what specific answers are required and accepted

It's a learning curve, it's fine.

HappiDaze · 25/10/2023 12:26

Move on and do more papers of your own

They are all online

larkstar · 25/10/2023 12:57

I don't think it was marked harshly at all. They are looking for understanding - cdeep not superficial - and require an explanation. I think a photo of 4 people involved in an incident provides little or no insight into what went on - what is needed is a description of the dynamics - of the interactions between the "actors" - the people participating in the scene - so an explanation would be A verbally provoked B, B pulled out a knife, C and D stepped into try and wrestle the knife off B and D got stabbed. So an answer like "her friend" is very unlikely to ever be sufficient:
did the friend lie to the speaker to get her into trouble?
was the friend mistaken about the situation and accidentally misled the speaker?
No - the friend provided reasoned argument why the speaker should return. It is the interaction - the dynamics that have to be understood and expressed clearly in the answer. I'm sure the teacher has been flogging this issue to death for a long time - you have to provide the reason for an action.

SoupDragon · 25/10/2023 13:01

in my brain, saying 'a friend' would be who whereas 'a friend persuaded her' would be the 'what'

This is what I thought.

Dishee · 25/10/2023 14:17

Another one saying she answered with a who and not what.

I completely agree with @HappiDaze this is why it is so important to look at past papers and the mark scheme to see how things are worded and know what gets you marks and what doesn't. Usually there are clarifiers on the mark scheme too ie "This question tests the ability to identify explicit and implicit information and ideas."

The English papers are not foundation/higher so they are covering all levels. I got my children to underline the important words in the question, ie what. But I also went through a past paper with them, let them answer one by one and each time look at the mark scheme to see if their answer matched.

Original poster
NonStopp · 25/10/2023 19:02

Thank you so much for the feed back, you have made it clearer to me now, but just a bit frustrated with it as one mark from the next grade up!!

It is from a community language which was very hard this year, teachers said the examiners were very strict and a couple of the papers were too hard for the age and development of the students.
I was told that community languages are harder than those taught at school eg French and Spanish.

I read the below comment from the Mark scheme guide, please tell me if this should have helped with DC answer, if not what does it mean?…….

Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather than penalised for omissions.

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McCartneyMather · 25/10/2023 19:09

It means award marks for evidence of understanding and do not take marks away when the candidate misses something.

McCartneyMather · 25/10/2023 19:17

As your DC answered “who” marks could have been deducted but weren’t because of the positive application of the mark scheme. I.e. wrong answers are ignored. PP have rightly pointed out the question asked for “what”.
Encourage your DC to underline salient words in the question - “what” - to ensure a precise response.

Original poster
NonStopp · 25/10/2023 19:17

Exactly what I thought, so does that not mean the answer should have been marked correct?
he omitted the word persuaded but understood that the friend was the influence by writing the friend.

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clary · 25/10/2023 19:23

Ah interesting, so it was an MFL paper. Yes then the MS was looking for evidence of greater understanding - that the candidate understood the word for persuade, rather than just (maybe) spotting the word "friend". Does that make sense? FWIW with that MS I would also have marked it incorrect.

Yes positive application means don't mark down if sthg is wrong. So she doesn't lose a mark for this wrong answer. It doesn't mean if you miss out key information you still get the mark. Sorry it was so close but someone has to be one mark away.

McCartneyMather · 25/10/2023 19:24

The answer to “what” is persuaded. As your DC didn’t include this word or allude to it, your DC’s response is incorrect. The paper has been fairly marked. Trust me.

Original poster
NonStopp · 25/10/2023 19:24

I did not think marks could be deducted, Just not given

the word friend was in the answer which means some understanding?

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clary · 25/10/2023 19:25

NonStopp · 25/10/2023 19:17

Exactly what I thought, so does that not mean the answer should have been marked correct?
he omitted the word persuaded but understood that the friend was the influence by writing the friend.

No bc the correct answer was that the friend persuaded her.

If the correct answer was the boy hated football, you wouldn't get a mark just for "football".

McCartneyMather · 25/10/2023 19:26

N. B. “rather than penalised for omissions”.

McCartneyMather · 25/10/2023 19:28

”The friend” does not demonstrate understanding of the question
“What prompted…”

McCartneyMather · 25/10/2023 19:30

Consider the difference between “what” and “who”.

Original poster
NonStopp · 25/10/2023 19:31

Thank you @McCartneyMather @clary
I feel better knowing that they didn’t get away with marking it wrong and you have all confirmed it as being marked in the correct way.

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McCartneyMather · 25/10/2023 19:38

An examiner’s job is to award marks, not to “get away with marking (something) wrong”. S/he wants a candidate to succeed and applies a mark scheme positively - focuses on where to give marks.

Original poster
NonStopp · 25/10/2023 19:38

Still think it is a bit strict though as they were expecting word for word perfect for almost all answers.
in a way kids have to be almost psychic to know what is written in the mark scheme.

Also after Covid there are not many real past paper with the new grading system to practice with as previous couple years have been assessments.

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