In terms of overall difficulty...

[Panicmode]

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.

[datfatcat]

@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+?

[Panicmode]

@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.

[datfatcat]

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.

[Panicmode]

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.

[Edward21]

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?

[alphamale]

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).

[Edward21]

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.

[melissaparks]

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.

[Edward21]

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.