ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => Victorian Education Discussion => Topic started by: serendipity21 on March 03, 2012, 01:57:36 pm

Title: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: serendipity21 on March 03, 2012, 01:57:36 pm: I've heard that it is but just wanted to be absolutely positive.
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: amilss on March 03, 2012, 03:12:17 pm: Yes
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: totaled on March 03, 2012, 04:25:50 pm: Many psychology examiners actually prefer you writing in dotpoints. <source, I did it in both my psychology exams and attained a score of 50. Also, my teacher was one of the senior people on the Psychology board, and a VCE Examiner, and was quite close with the Chief Examiner who often discussed with his exam techniques>

As I revealed in my Summer Headstart Psychology Lecture, the reasoning behind this is that, like all other subjects, psychology exam papers are marked very, very quickly by VCE Examiners. As a result, they'd much rather look through and give out marks to say 3-4 dotpoints for a 3 mark question, rather than a whole huge chunk of a paragraph, and trying to find and award marks for bits and pieces.

Writing in dotpoints for Short Answer questions is strongly advised, and also enables you to keep a guide of what sort of information/definition you're missing in your answer :D
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: serendipity21 on March 03, 2012, 04:41:24 pm: Wow a 50, that's what I'm aiming for! THANK YOU SO MUCH :)
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: aiming_95 on March 03, 2012, 05:39:33 pm: Are dot-points OK in most exams ?
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: meganrobyn on March 03, 2012, 09:29:32 pm: Quote from: aiming_95 on March 03, 2012, 05:39:33 pm
Are dot-points OK in most exams ?

No. You absolutely have to check subject-by-subject. For example, dot-points in a Legal exam will result in half marks for that question tops.
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: Special At Specialist on March 03, 2012, 10:05:39 pm: Dot points are fine in maths exams. But you have to sequence the points in the correct order. Also, you have to use 3 dots instead of 1.
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: paulsterio on March 03, 2012, 10:10:42 pm: Quote from: Special At Specialist on March 03, 2012, 10:05:39 pm
Dot points are fine in maths exams. But you have to sequence the points in the correct order. Also, you have to use 3 dots instead of 1.

3 dots? What?!
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: amilss on March 03, 2012, 11:00:27 pm: Quote from: paulsterio on March 03, 2012, 10:10:42 pm
Quote from: Special At Specialist on March 03, 2012, 10:05:39 pm
Dot points are fine in maths exams. But you have to sequence the points in the correct order. Also, you have to use 3 dots instead of 1.

3 dots? What?!

Are you talking about the 'therefore' symbol? cause if you are, yeahhh, they're not dotpoints
Title: Re: Is it acceptable to use bullet points in a VCE Psychology exam?
Post by: Hutchoo on March 03, 2012, 11:14:27 pm: He could be talking about $\because$ (because) as well.

Either way, still not what OP means by 'dot point'.