VCE Biology Question Thread

[cosine]

Image attached:

I said that species X would belong to the group of trees that do not shed leaves, because the amount of pigments carotene and the other one remain the same throughout the three months, hence the leaves have just decreased the production of chlorophyll a and b.

However, the examiners report say that the tree belongs to the group that do shed... Anyone?
Such a stupid question in my opinion.. xD

[Sine]

Image attached:

I said that species X would belong to the group of trees that do not shed leaves, because the amount of pigments carotene and the other one remain the same throughout the three months, hence the leaves have just decreased the production of chlorophyll a and b.

However, the examiners report say that the tree belongs to the group that do shed... Anyone?
Such a stupid question in my opinion.. xD

Not really sure behind your reasoning. It decreases the production of chlorophyll a and b because it is preparing to drop the leaves. Usually VCAA questions are pretty good.
Have you started doing VCAA practice exams?

[cosine]

Not really sure behind your reasoning. It decreases the production of chlorophyll a and b because it is preparing to drop the leaves. Usually VCAA questions are pretty good.
Have you started doing VCAA practice exams?

This is from VCAA..

What do you mean it decreases the production of chlorophyll, why does it not decrease the production of the other pigments?

[Reus]

Image attached:

I said that species X would belong to the group of trees that do not shed leaves, because the amount of pigments carotene and the other one remain the same throughout the three months, hence the leaves have just decreased the production of chlorophyll a and b.

However, the examiners report say that the tree belongs to the group that do shed... Anyone?
Such a stupid question in my opinion.. xD

If chlorophyll a and b levels have dropped this means shedding has occurred, since they're abundant in leaves.

[vox nihili]

Image attached:

I said that species X would belong to the group of trees that do not shed leaves, because the amount of pigments carotene and the other one remain the same throughout the three months, hence the leaves have just decreased the production of chlorophyll a and b.

However, the examiners report say that the tree belongs to the group that do shed... Anyone?
Such a stupid question in my opinion.. xD

Infamous this question. Every year it pops up on this!

[Sine]

This is from VCAA..

What do you mean it decreases the production of chlorophyll, why does it not decrease the production of the other pigments?

I meant have you started doing VCAA practice exams as a whole, not just some selected questions. 
I believe that the diagram is just trying to show that the overall amount of pigment has decreased in the months approaching winter.

[cosine]

If chlorophyll a and b levels have dropped this means shedding has occurred, since they're abundant in leaves.

But although these pigments are dropped, the other two pigments have remained the same. Are you saying that the other pigments are not located on leaves? If so, how are we meant to know this? Shouldn't this be in the given info they supply us with? Thanks Reus xD

Infamous this question. Every year it pops up on this!

Just proves it's a weird question and it probably doesn't make sense or we don't get enough info to acknowledge the fact that the other two pigments are not located on leaves Only 6% got 2 marks for it

I meant have you started doing VCAA practice exams as a whole, not just some selected questions. 
I believe that the diagram is just trying to show that the overall amount of pigment has decreased in the months approaching winter.

Apologies, yes I have started. I've done 2006-2009 Unit 3 ones so far, probably averaging ~65/75 (losing an astounding amount of marks due to really stupid errors, like forgetting to put 'specific' in the definition, or misreading the arrow and interpreting the process as exocytosis, but actually the arrow indicated inside the cell..)

I have also done a few commercial ones, I think so far the hardest one would be Chemology. How about you?

[Sine]

Apologies, yes I have started. I've done 2006-2009 Unit 3 ones so far, probably averaging ~65/75 (losing an astounding amount of marks due to really stupid errors, like forgetting to put 'specific' in the definition, or misreading the arrow and interpreting the process as exocytosis, but actually the arrow indicated inside the cell..)

I have also done a few commercial ones, I think so far the hardest one would be Chemology. How about you?

I've only done a few commercial papers, haven't touched any VCAA exams. Getting around ~60/75 but improving each time. I really just want to be consistently getting good scores. Has your scores been significantly different between VCAA and other exams or not.

If you can improve slightly on U3 exams and do the same for U4 your study score is going to be extremely high. 

[cosine]

I've only done a few commercial papers, haven't touched any VCAA exams. Getting around ~60/75 but improving each time. I really just want to be consistently getting good scores. Has your scores been significantly different between VCAA and other exams or not.

If you can improve slightly on U3 exams and do the same for U4 your study score is going to be extremely high. 

To be honest, the commercial ones are more specific in their questions - they get into much detail, but if you know that detail, then it's just a matter of putting it down on paper. Whereas VCAA sometimes are too vague I believe.. I don't know, but I think commercial ones are just a bit easier than VCAA (my opinion, please don't be disheartened). On my first VCAA one 2006 for U3 I got 60/75 which actually got me pretty depressed.. But hopefully through time we can improve. But keep in mind doing the old exams prior to 2013 are the old study design........ xD

Which commercial ones have you done so far?

[heids]

To be honest, the commercial ones are more specific in their questions - they get into much detail, but if you know that detail, then it's just a matter of putting it down on paper. Whereas VCAA sometimes are too vague I believe.. I don't know, but I think commercial ones are just a bit easier than VCAA (my opinion, please don't be disheartened). On my first VCAA one 2006 for U3 I got 60/75 which actually got me pretty depressed.. But hopefully through time we can improve. But keep in mind doing the old exams prior to 2013 are the old study design........ xD

Which commercial ones have you done so far?

Remember that you're targeting towards VCAA at the end, so it's your be-all and end-all not commercial exams.  VCAA does NOT expect you to know all the detail other ones do, because they're beyond the scope of the course.  Of course, VCAA throws in those few random tricky ones to catch out the lazy peeps like me   I always took commercial exams with a tablespoonful of salt, though - I didn't love them because their answers weren't always great, and the most important thing to me was how VCAA expressed stuff.  Plus if they felt a bit beyond the course, I'd just ignore the question

I honestly attribute my lower stress levels during year 12 to the fact that I really focused on picking out the minimum to learn and learnt that, while everyone else got caught up in the unnecessary details.  OK, really bad way to look at education, but honestly it works.  I have limited brain space ==> I fill it efficiently.

Anyway, head up, you WILL improve as long as you keep noting down all the things you're doing wrong or the info you're missing, and focus on learning that and fixing that up next time.  That's the whole reason you're doing it after all.

[Sine]

To be honest, the commercial ones are more specific in their questions - they get into much detail, but if you know that detail, then it's just a matter of putting it down on paper. Whereas VCAA sometimes are too vague I believe.. I don't know, but I think commercial ones are just a bit easier than VCAA (my opinion, please don't be disheartened). On my first VCAA one 2006 for U3 I got 60/75 which actually got me pretty depressed.. But hopefully through time we can improve. But keep in mind doing the old exams prior to 2013 are the old study design........ xD

Which commercial ones have you done so far?

Can't really remember which years they were from but they were all pre 2013, Neap, STAV & Insight.

[Maca 13]

Hey everyone!
I was wondering the level of detail needed in each stage of photosynthesis and cellular respiration? For example, do we need to know that RuBP reacts with CO2 to form 3-phosphoglycerate? Or the specific wavelength each Photosystem absorbs in photosynthesis?
Thanks! 

[Jay.C]

Hey guys, so i've seen a lot of questions asking if we need to know this or do we need to know that, how much detail is required for this ect.. Now ive just come across the FAQ document that VCAA's chief assessor wrote about some common questions relating to the knowledge required for many of the major topics we cover in 3/4 bio. In the document he also debunks some myths and gives heaps of in depth information that many of us don't even realize (or at least I didn't), e.g. we don't need to know homeostasis and feedback mechanisms!! This came as a big surprise to me as many of the things he mentions we do not have to know, are things that we covered in class. Some of you may already be aware of this document but I know I wasn't so there must be others! Any way here is the link: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/documents/vce/biology/biology-faqs.doc.

I hope this helps you in your bio study!! 

[Maca 13]

Hey guys, so i've seen a lot of questions asking if we need to know this or do we need to know that ect.. Now ive just come across the FAQ document that VCAA's chief assessor wrote about some common questions relating to the knowledge required for many of the major topics we cover in 3/4 bio. In the document he also debunks some myths and gives heaps of in depth information that many of us don't even realize (or at least I didn't), e.g. we don't need to know homeostasis and feedback mechanisms!! This came as a big surprise to me as many of the things he mentions we do not have to know, are things that we covered in class. Some of you may already be aware of this document but I know I wasn't so there must be others! Any way here is the link: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/documents/vce/biology/biology-faqs.doc.

I hope this helps you in your bio study!! 

Hey, I didn't know about this document so thanks for letting me and others know about it. I'll definitely take a look at it now. Thank you so much!

[Maca 13]

Hey, looking through this document has clarified some concerns but unfortunately, my previous question wasn't addressed? Would anyone please be able to answer the previous question? Thanks!