Hi<div><br></div><div>I am sure all teachers are aware of the updated physics assessment specification;</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: italic; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;"><br>
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: italic; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px; ">Within each paper all questions will provide opportunity for all grades of performance - Achievement, Achievement with Merit and Achievement with Excellence; there are no stand-alone questions for lower achievement grades. Candidates should attempt all questions.</span><br>
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: italic; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;"><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px; ">Unlike the other sciences we have not been given any examples of what these might look like, just the following statement:</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;"><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The question format will appear the same to candidates as in previous years with each question containing a number of part-questions. While in previous years each part-question received a grade, this year there will be a single grade for each question overall.</span><br>
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;"><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;">I assume that to get an M grade a student must must first answer the A part correctly. </span></div>
<div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px; ">If this is so, does it mean questions asking for the correct number of sig figs or units will no longer be set? </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px; ">What happens in a situation where a student correctly answers the M or E sections of a question but messes up the A part - would they be graded as N for that question?</span><br>
</li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;">Will criterion 1 and 2 questions have equal weight in the final grade?</span></li>
</ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px; ">If anyone can clarify the situation for me I would certainly appreciate it.</span><br>
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;"><br></span></div><div>regards</div><div><br clear="all">John Watson<br>
Head of Science Faculty<br>St Bede's College<br>
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