ATAR Notes: Forum

Archived Discussion => 2012 => Mid-year exams => Exam Discussion => Victoria => Biology => Topic started by: InsaneMcFries on June 12, 2012, 10:46:58 pm

Title: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: InsaneMcFries on June 12, 2012, 10:46:58 pm: I found the MC was about equal to 2011 and such.

However, I found the short answer, sporadic, odd and harder than 2011. I also found it more odd than 2010, with more room for mistakes.

I just have no idea where the cut-off will lie this year. I don't think it'd be higher than 61.

How did you find the exam compared to past years?
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: diam0nds on June 12, 2012, 10:57:12 pm: I thought last years was easier, I know it's different doing the real exam but it was a lot more straight forward, and I don't think this years was THAT difficult but, there was just a lot of silly mistakes that could easily be made, and some of the questions could be interpreted in a lot of different ways (like the polypeptide q) idk :P

I hope the A+ cut off isn't too high :(
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: spherelin on June 12, 2012, 11:52:55 pm: 2011 was much easier. in comparison... this year's exam concentrated too much on like 3 aspects of the course, especially immunity. the 2011 exam was more straightforward and tested our knowledge across the course, so they didn't ask anything too intricate/complicated in comparison to this year
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: InsaneMcFries on June 13, 2012, 03:46:59 pm: Yeah I found there was a huge amount of immunity in the exam.

Also, questions like the difference between cytosol and cytoplasm are really out of the ordinary as well. I found the multiple choice a really good set though, some tricky questions in there but a fair difficulty.

The short answer was surprising to me though.
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: spherelin on June 13, 2012, 03:51:31 pm: the exam was.... two fifths immunity? no... wait yes? idk. yeah multipule choice was reasonable. SA.... hmm not to sure. Do you think the A and A+ cut off will be higher or lower than last year?
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: InsaneMcFries on June 13, 2012, 03:57:23 pm: It wouldn't be lower I don't think, maybe a tiny bit higher? Or the same. It definitely wasn't a 2010 or 2006, but it wasn't a 2008 either.
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: saheh on June 13, 2012, 04:03:24 pm: Anyone have any suggested answers?
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: ILiekMudkipz on June 13, 2012, 04:19:04 pm: Quote from: saheh on June 13, 2012, 04:03:24 pm
Anyone have any suggested answers?

No one likes biology :(
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: diam0nds on June 13, 2012, 04:28:01 pm: Wah I want solutions :P

My teacher thinks it's been the hardest VCAA exam haha I thought 2010 was harder
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: ILiekMudkipz on June 13, 2012, 04:30:54 pm: Quote from: diam0nds on June 13, 2012, 04:28:01 pm
Wah I want solutions :P

My teacher thinks it's been the hardest VCAA exam haha I thought 2010 was harder

If it was 2010 I would've had a heart attack right there in the exam,

But thank god it wasn't and had most of my fav. topics :D
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: Edward21 on June 13, 2012, 04:33:09 pm: I thought that the cytosol/cytoplasm was a really cheap shot, because I looked in Nature of Biology and I have friends from at least 5 other schools that use this textbook and the difference is listed in one sentence in small writing on the side of the page because it was Units 1/2 stuff... so sly that question! I doubt they'll give me the marks for stating that the cytoplasm is the cytosol with the organelles of the cell suspended in it because you have to specify excluding the nucleus otherwise I'm stating the protoplasm :-[
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: diam0nds on June 13, 2012, 04:39:59 pm: I never paid attention to the difference between the cytoplasm and cytosol argh it's such a simple question too, I said the cytosol was the fluid and cytoplasm was everything HAHA fml. Yeah nature of biology is the textbook I have!
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: ILiekMudkipz on June 13, 2012, 04:55:27 pm: Quote from: rhinoking96 on June 13, 2012, 04:33:09 pm
I thought that the cytosol/cytoplasm was a really cheap shot, because I looked in Nature of Biology and I have friends from at least 5 other schools that use this textbook and the difference is listed in one sentence in small writing on the side of the page because it was Units 1/2 stuff... so sly that question! I doubt they'll give me the marks for stating that the cytoplasm is the cytosol with the organelles of the cell suspended in it because you have to specify excluding the nucleus otherwise I'm stating the protoplasm :-[

We're separating the noobs from the pros here. (sarcasm).
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: ChickenCh0wM1en on June 13, 2012, 05:00:01 pm: it wasn't a hard exam to be honest, just some really real questions that were ambiguous and tricky.
many of the questions were misleading, as a result, I think this years a+ cut off mark will be around 60 or 61
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: spherelin on June 13, 2012, 05:15:20 pm: Quote from: gunhero123 on June 13, 2012, 05:00:01 pm
it wasn't a hard exam to be honest, just some really real questions that were ambiguous and tricky.
many of the questions were misleading, as a result, I think this years a+ cut off mark will be around 60 or 61
REALLY? are you sure 60 and 61 isn't the cut off for just an A :S or do you honestly mean A+ (please say you honestly mean A+, that would make me feel a million times better)
and damn,.... i forgot to say cytoplasm doesn't include nucleus... THAT QUESTION IS SO STUPID... that's unit 1/2 stuff!
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: Panicmode on June 13, 2012, 05:31:49 pm: To be honest, it is about the same level as the 2011 exam (IMO). I thought the 2010 exam was slightly harder but this exam was quite nice. A couple of iffy questions but generally not too hard.
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: datfatcat on June 13, 2012, 05:52:14 pm: @Panicmode

I checked my answers with yours. Here are couple of problems that I would like to ask. For q6 mc, shouldn't it be D? Lack of nitrogen causes the plant to become yellow. Yellow isn't great for photosynthese, which means less glucose production. Glucose+frutose in plants=sucrose.

Second one is MC Q10 It should be B (phagocytes). During inflammation, blood vessel's permeability increases, more blood flows and more phagocytes diffuse out of the vessels to the infected site and engulf the bacteria.

By the way, I lost around 12 marks, will I still get an A+?
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: Panicmode on June 13, 2012, 06:03:36 pm: Quote from: drfatcat on June 13, 2012, 05:52:14 pm
@Panicmode

I checked my answers with yours. Here are couple of problems that I would like to ask. For q6 mc, shouldn't it be D? Lack of nitrogen causes the plant to become yellow. Yellow isn't great for photosynthese, which means less glucose production. Glucose+frutose in plants=sucrose.

Second one is MC Q10 It should be B (phagocytes). During inflammation, blood vessel's permeability increases, more blood flows and more phagocytes diffuse out of the vessels to the infected site and engulf the bacteria.

By the way, I lost around 12 marks, will I still get an A+?

For question 6, the answer is definitely A. ribonucleic acid. In effect, the question was asking, "which of the following molecules contains nitrogen". True, lack of nitrogen = lack of RNA = lack of proteins = lack of sugars; but this question was really asking for which one contained nitrogen.

As for your comment about question 10, I had already modified my answer prior to your post :). You are indeed correct.
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: datfatcat on June 13, 2012, 06:06:55 pm: For q6 it says: "PLants growing in soil with low levels of nitrogen may be unable to produce sufficient molecules of... It did not say the following molecule have to be nitrogen.
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: Panicmode on June 13, 2012, 06:11:39 pm: Quote from: drfatcat on June 13, 2012, 06:06:55 pm
For q6 it says: "PLants growing in soil with low levels of nitrogen may be unable to produce sufficient molecules of... It did not say the following molecule have to be nitrogen.

You're right it didn't. But if there are low levels of nitrogen, which molecules won't be able to be made? Answer: The ones that contain nitrogen.

Perhaps they'll accept both answers :) Remember, mine are only suggested solutions.
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: Edward21 on June 13, 2012, 07:15:36 pm: With Q20 on the MC, about TSH and Grave's disease with the thyroid... what answer did you put? I chose the +ve feedback answer, but I'm not sure if I'm on the right track here?
Also with the question about the 1st line of defence against the virus, it a mosquito bites you....isn't that breaching the 1st line to transmit the yellow fever virus anyway?
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: alphamale on June 13, 2012, 07:42:43 pm: to be perfectly honest, i would not be too surprised if this exam had a lower A+ cut off score than last year.
There was an immense room to make silly mistakes under exam pressure and I think those
who found it easy may have underestimated the exam. IMO wording was CRITICAL in this examination.
I found all those hours of studying did not pay off.
Its one of those exams where you almost had to have common sense (like when they asked what you would to detain the people suspected of carrying yellow fever).
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: Edward21 on June 13, 2012, 09:37:46 pm: I actually agree with you, it was less of deciphering the information to find answers like every other practice exam but more apply your logic plus your knowledge of biology at the same time. I was so happy with the question about whooping cough because I had done a practice exam on the weekend with a whole section on this. But I feel disappointed in the general spread of the Unit 3 course, there was NOTHING on diffusion, osmosis or what happens to cells as a result of different concentrations, and nothing on real plant hormone action nor action potentials. There was so much on immunity!
The examination itself was straightforward but like you said "CRITCAL" in the wording.
Where you might've just got a mark for understanding a difficult concept last year, for easier ones this year the standard of your answers would have to be so specific to what they wanted. I also felt that with the questions, they seemed subjective in the lack of specificity in the questions. I hope there's more than one answer to some of those questions, I really do.
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: melissaparks on June 22, 2012, 10:43:51 pm: You guys had one of the easiest bio exams ever!!
So jealous
I did bio in 2010...and trust me that exam was the worst!

I reckon 60-61 for A+ cut off this year
All the best though..easy exams mean silly mistakes.
Title: Re: In terms of overall difficulty...
Post by: Edward21 on July 09, 2012, 09:23:17 pm: Quote from: melissaparks on June 22, 2012, 10:43:51 pm
You guys had one of the easiest bio exams ever!!

It sounds like a good thing but it's not, having a harder exam allows the people that worked harder to get the marks they deserve, it was easier for the whole state so it's harder to get that A+ because so many probably did better than what they would've on previous years.