Marking your trial exams

[NE2000]

My confusion arose in the Calculator Syntax thread where it was suggested that a method mark may be awarded to syntax in the case of a difficult exam. I always thought that you have to meet each of those M1 things on the answer sheet for a trial exam to be awarded full marks for a question. So would that mean that if they did that then you would lose marks for not showing calculator syntax?

Or alternatively, do they just check whether you've got the correct answer and see whether you've "used calculus" (or anything else that the question has specified) and just award you full marks regardless of the rest of the working? In which case the M1 things only matter if you got something wrong.

Just hoping someone can clear up the confusion.

[NE2000]

Also 2003 assessment report Exam 1 says "Students need to be encouraged to indicate a method for any probability question. If they use their calculators they need to state the attributes they are using and in what capacity."

What does that mean?

[StringFever]

As far as I've been told, the VCAA have tightened up on what they call "acceptable" Method...in other words, they generally do not consider syntax to be working out anymore. Of course, you can put it down and pray for the best - but it would be better to just do your proper working out and use the calc to justify your answer!

[jimmy999]

And for certain probability questions, mainly normal distributions, the question may be to find the probability that it lies between 3 and 5. Sometimes these can be 2 mark questions so you're first bit would be to define the probability, then state "Using Calculator", and then put down your answer. They really should only be worth 1 mark but sometimes they appear as 2 so make sure to define it. Another thing you may have to do is define the normal distribution.
Eg.