Should students give more options/ideas/examples/*whatever the Q is asking for* than it demands?
E.g. If it asks for two, what happens if they give three?
I’ve covered elements of this before (e.g. the system of ‘positive marking’, how mark schemes were structured in this respect in previous exam marker video diaries) so I’m giving an alternative view on this by considering the possible >>‘opportunity cost’ in terms of time in the exam<<.
Or, more like, (the very common problem of) ‘running OUT of time’ in an exam ?
KEY TAKE AWAYS::
How students’ answers are marked if they give more points than required.
Sometimes (and this is what I see most often) mark schemes will use ‘positive marking’ meaning they’ll read all of the response and credit the best parts (e.g. if three points are given, when two are asked for, the best two will be marked).
Other times (usually when specific gaps/tables/spaces are provided to fill in, the first amount of required points given will be marked (e.g. in the example above, only the first two points will be marked, the third won’t even be read).
Why this can be a way to hedge bets (sometimes) BUT comes with another cost that isn’t directly linked to the mark scheme (but certainly IS linked to their result).
Obviously this can be beneficial if the mark scheme uses ‘positive marking’, however there is a cost; that being TIME. Time taken on writing more than was required. And that is taking time away from other Qs in the paper that it SHOULD be allocated to.
What exams are really testing as well as subject knowledge.
Nope, they’re not just a test of subject knowledge! There are SO many other skills they’re testing. Ability to decipher what the Q is really asking, how much detail is required, at what level, how to put it across succinctly, time management, QWC (quality of written communication), and the list goes on…!
There was a basic thing letting a lot of students down in two particular Qs I marked.
And I’ve seen it first hand with other students I’ve worked with too.
Watch this video to find out what it is and how it’s leaving some students lost as to what to write, or unable to make the best choices in exams.
KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
Having a good range and knowledge of vocabulary isn’t just for English subjects.
It can be necessary for:
* Understanding the wording of Qs.
* Deciding on the best option to select when there is a choice of topics or Qs within a section of an exam.
* Being clear on the description/feature/characteristic being analysed.
* As well as, of course, being able to produce a high QWC (Quality of Written Communication) and convey your answers clearly, succinctly and with sophistication.
CLICK HERE to see the exam Qs that I was marking and am discussing in this video diary.
Oh, and P.S. that word I couldn’t think of in the video that caught one of my Personal Coaching students out… it was ‘contestable’.
The Modern History Q was something like:
“Discuss how this source may be contestable”.
Which basically just means ‘evaluate the source’! Which they could definitely have done, had they known and understood that was what the wording of the Q meant :/
Is your teen totally confident in answering analysis Qs about text sources in exams?
Like when they get given an extract to read and then have to analyse some element of it?
Here’s how to know how much detail to give and HOW to do it:
There are two things they need to do, and I explain them both (with written examples below!) in this week’s blog 🙂
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
How do students show the required level of detail in a question that asks them to analyse a text or source for a particular feature? Two ways:
1 – By showing they understand the characteristic or feature being focused upon (in this example, how the text shows that a character is authoritative), by using other SYNONYMS for that word in their answer.
E.g. In line 6 it states that he ‘shouted orders at his assistant’. This shows that he is a dominant figure who makes demands of other people. Being dominant and demanding are traits of an authoritative person.
2 – By explaining HOW the reference(s) they’ve picked out show or relate to that characteristic/feature. These both mean that everything is clear to the examiner and they don’t have to ‘fill in any gaps’ in what the student is trying to put across. As always – these steps can be used for an analytical Q relating to a source or text!
E.g. In line 6 it states that he ‘shouted orders at his assistant’. This shows that he is a dominant figure who makes demands of other people. Being dominant and demanding are traits of an authoritative person.
I’m revealing what’s ACTUALLY in the marking guide I’ve marked to this year, and how this applies to ANY exam Q your teen might face.
The (4 hours of!) marker training for my (4!) allocated Qs revealed:
– What’s required in referencing from a text source
– A (big!) potential grade drop where there are two parts to a Q
– What happens if students give MORE examples or explanations than required in different types of Qs
If you find it as exciting as my face in the thumbnail 😉
(gotta love the thumbnails that the stills land on sometimes!) then feel free to share this with others who’ll find it useful and let me know your comments or Qs below!
This week I’ve been putting the finishing touches to the upcoming Exam Mastery Workshop (woohoo!) and one of the videos I always show students in the workshop is a famous ‘attention test’ with the two basketball teams and the gorilla.
Yeah, weird right!
In case you haven’t seen it, here’s how it goes:
There’s an official sounding man who tells you to count how many times the white team passes the basketball.
You then – if you’re anything like me and likes to pass any kind of quiz or test 😉 – diligently start watching this video footage of a team in white and a team in black each passing a basketball around.
The video ends and the official sounding man comes back on and tells you that if you got the answer 13 then you are right.
Again, if you’re like me, you set off a few mental party poppers and give yourself a good-old pat on the back…
But then he carries on to say ‘but did you spot the man dressed up in the gorilla outfit?’
“Whaaaat? I was watching so closely, concentrating so hard – of course I’d have seen that!” you think.
So then they replay the video and this time you see it.
There’s a fully grown person in a gorilla suit walking in,doing a bit of dancing amongst the basketballers and then walking back out again.
It’s kinda fun.
But more relevantly to us, it shows something REALLY important for students when it comes to exams.
Because so many students are focused on the subject content when it comes to study and exams.
However, what is just as important (you could even argue moreso if you really wanted to) is their knowledge and understanding of command words and the other 5 elements of exam technique.
Because spotting the command words, the cues and the ‘Sherlock Clues
(and just so you know – command words and cues are both technical terms. Sherlock clues is more of a ‘Katie term’! )
is something that students aren’t often taught or trained to do.
But these key words in any exam Q, or essay, or assignment, are precisely what tell them HOW they need to convey that subject knowledge, in the way the exam question demands and in the way that the mark scheme requires.
So once they know what they are looking for and how to spot these critical keys to successfully answering any exam or essay Q, they can’t HELP BUT see them!
(They are kinda like a dancing gorilla on the page – though admittedly probably not quite as fun – but definitely a whole lot more useful.) 🙂
But if your teen hasn’t been told what they are, had them explained with examples, and doesn’t know how to identify them, and understand them, and respond to them for themselves, then they’ll likely gloss over them, in favour of focusing only on the topic being asked about.
Eek.
If they’ve ever had the situation where they’ve written about the correct subject content, but gotten only a few of the marks available, then this will be why.
They’ve responded on topic, but not in the way or to the level that them command and mark scheme require.
Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen any more!
Katie
P.S. Scroll down and leave me a comment, let me know if you’ve ever seen that video and whether you did or didn’t see the gorilla the first time 🙂
QUOTE: ‘All results of official exams and assessments must be consistent, dependable and replicable.’
This basically means that ANY trained, official marker should come out with the same result for a given written answer, as every other trained marker.
There’s something that makes this happen, it’s available for all to see, and your teen can use it to their (huge!) advantage!
Alright-y! This is part 3 of what has kinda evolved into a 3 part mini series of blogs where I’m sharing the nitty-gritty of how exams, coursework and assessments are actually put together.
As QLD aligns with other states and joins the ATAR ranking system, I’m taking full advantage of the opportunity to get in on the training that the QCAA is making available to all registered teachers 🙂
I want to make sure that I’m across as much of Australia’s national assessment system as possible – so that not only can I be at the top of MY game when coaching students and updating and improving my programs and training, but also so that I can pass on all the up to date info to YOU; so that parents and students across the whole of Australia really understand what goes on behind the scenes of exams and coursework assessments.
#knowledgeispower in this case!
Before we dig in, let’s have a quick recap.
On the last 2 videos we covered the fact that there are three attributes of any formal assessment task.
Those three attributes are: VALIDITY, ACCESSIBILITY and RELIABILITY.
And by formal assessment we’re talking about any external or internal exam or coursework task that counts towards students’ final grades with the exam board.
If you missed the previous videos, you can go back to Part 1 (Validity) HERE,
and Part 2 (Accessibility) HERE 🙂
OK, let’s dig into ‘Reliability’…
This means that the results of an assessment must be consistent, dependable and replicable. Which means that the mark schemes and rubrics for assessments are rigorous and rigid. Which means that ANY official marker trained in a marking guide, would come out with the same result for a particular exam answer or completed assignment task as every other trained marker.
And that, my friend, is why I repeatedly talk about the importance of your teen getting to grips with mark schemes!
So that they understand how mark schemes are structured,
how marks are allocated and
how their work is judged.
These mark schemes often also have ‘Model Responses’ which are an absolute gold mine in terms of insight and building QWC skills! (BTW: QWC…that’s quality of written communication – one of the 6 elements of exam technique).
Because when students can see what a full-mark or A-grade answer really looks like, they can get clear on where, how and why their response did or didn’t get an A.
PLUS – extra little bonus tip here 😉
– these Mark Schemes are often accompanied by the Chief Examiner’s Retrospective; a report all about where students have done well, or less well in previous exam papers.
Again a huuuuuggge treasure trove of info and basically a massive opportunity for learning from other students’ mistakes!
What’s not to love about that?!
Again, these are all things that I go into detail on, with heaps of real life examples in my annual Exam Mastery Workshop(EMW for short!).
Giving students skills like:
dissecting and even predicting mark schemes (no mind-reader magic needed!)
analysing A grade answers and matching every criteria up to the mark scheme
and figuring out how to structure extended response and essay answers.
So go check out the EMW if your son or daughter isn’t already enrolled 🙂
So, to wrap up this little mini series:
We’ve covered the three attributes of any official assessment or external exam; the nitty-gritty insider info of assessments and exams, with my specific advice and actions for ways your teen can use this info to ensure they’re giving markers what they need to see and can achieve their best possible results (and do it all with a lot less stress and masses more confidence!).
Let me know your thoughts or questions in the comments below, and until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week!
Last week we covered the fact that there are three attributes of any formal assessment task:– VALIDITY, ACCESSIBILITY and RELIABILITY and how your teen can use this knowledge of each attribute to their benefit.
So, let’s get into Attribute Number Two … Accessibility AND how your teen can turn this into pro-active action to power-up their performance and results in all formal assessment.
Hey and welcome to Part Two of what has kinda turned into a 3-part mini series of blogs on the nitty-gritty of how exams, coursework and assessments are actually written by teachers and examiners.
Now a super brief recap of things:
There are three attributes – VALIDITY, ACCESSIBILITY and RELIABILITY of any formal assessment task.
By ‘formal assessment’ we’re talking about any exam set and marked by the state exam board, or any type of coursework assessment or in-school formal assessment that counts towards your teen’s final grade.
Well, if they know exactly what exam boards and curriculum authorities are assessing against or measuring up to, then students can make sure they are giving the markers everything they need to see, to be able to award marks and tick off the success criteria in the mark scheme!
So, let’s get into Attribute Number TWO – Accessibility
Accessibility means that the exam or assessment must be clear and user-friendly for every and any student.
It ensures that no student or group of students is disadvantaged in being able to access an assessment either in understanding the instructions or in being able to provide the required outcome.
What pro-active actions can students take based on this info?
Students MUST read every piece of information on a task sheet or exam paper.
Often students skim over a source or some introductory info, or the STEM of a question…(if your teen isn’t sure what we mean by STEM, then the parts and structure of exam Qs is something that I explain in detail in the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program AND in the Exam Mastery Workshop 🙂 )
…But the STEM is important – because often there will be info in there that’s designed to make the question or task accessible.
For example, this could be:
where a rule or formula is actually provided for students to use.
It could be a definition of an unusual word that is used. Or
a background to a method that needs to be used,
or some descriptive detail that accompanies a source or text extract.
EVERY word on EVERY page of an exam paper or assignment task sheet is there for a reason and has VERY carefully been considered and scrutinised (certainly by at least three exam board representatives for external exams).
If you think your son or daughter could benefit from attending my online Exam Mastery Workshop, then you can check it out HERE.
And look out for next week’s blog where I’ll share Attribute Number 3 along with advice and actions on how to make this info useful and actionable for your teen in their next exam or assessment.
So until then, let’s make this week a fantastic week!
Okay, now this week’s blog is slightly more nerdy than most ?
I’m going to be getting into the nitty-gritty of official assessment tasks and exams and take you behind-the-scenes of creating them.
So if you’ve ever wondered how exams, coursework and assessments are actually put together, then this week’s blog is for you 🙂
I’ve recently been through the Curriculum Authority Training course for Assessments and it was- well – pretty full on!
More detailed and more rigorous than I was expecting – which is definitely a GOOD thing, and meant it was suuuuuper-interesting … (to me at least, as someone who totally geeks out on all things exams and assessment!).
So I thought I’d share some of the key points with you.
(Don’t worry, I really will just keep it to the key points that are actually useful to know for you and your teen! No ‘point 5, subsection a-part-ii’ type of stuff, I promise!!) 😉
Now, I started off planning to go over this in just one video, but as I started to go through things, even with plenty of summarising and simplifying, it started to get stupidly long and maybe a bit tough to digest. So I’m breaking it down over 3 weeks as blogs, so look out for parts 2 and 3 to come!
Soooo… after many hours of study and discussion with other teachers, examiners and curriculum representatives, here’s what forms the foundation for EVERY formal assessment –in EVERY state in Australia – whether this is internal (e.g. an assignment or task set in school that counts towards the teacher assessment component), or external (e.g. the final exams set and marked by the exam board).
The foundation is the 3 attributes:
Validity,
Accessibility and
Reliability
These are what teachers, the writers of exam papers for exam boards and the assessment moderators and verifiers are all working to.
And this week I’ll explain the concept of VALIDITY.
A VALID task or exam Q means that it accurately measures what it is intended to measure or test in terms of subject content and the syllabus dot points.
So this is where subject knowledge and an excellent understanding of the concepts and case studies is required.
If you’ve heard me use the formula:
Knowledge + Application = Success
then you’ll see that this Validity attribute fits into the knowledge part.
(And if you haven’t heard me explain this formula before, then you definitely need to come along to a future webinar when I next run one!).
Therefore, here’s what I advise all students to do when studying and in particular, revising.
Don’t just go through the lesson notes.
Instead go to the official syllabus (if your teen is a member of the Grade Transformation Zone then they’ll have direct links in there to the syllabus documents for their particular state and exam board – yay!) and plan their notes and revision around *those* key content lists and dot points.
Because teachers or examiners can test students on ANYTHING from within the syllabus. And different schools and teachers may put different emphasis or spend different amounts of time on different aspects, depending on the structure of the lessons or time available to cover everything in the term.
For example, I remember years ago, on a GCSE Geography paper in the UK, there was a 3 mark Q early in the paper that really expanded on something that we’d teach as a simple introductory 2 minute kinda fact. Eek… Yep, it caught quite a few students out unfortunately 🙁
So, quick recap:
Validity is one of the 3 essential attributes of any formal internal or external assessment.
This means that it is clearly tied to the syllabus content and accurately measures that skills or knowledge.
Therefore my advice is for all students to use the official syllabus dot points not just their notes or a term handout planner for their study notes and revision.
Look out for part 2 of these attributes and what they mean for your teen’s exams and assessments next week, and until then, let’s make this a fantastic week!
Maths questions are sometimes super-straightforward, like ‘Solve this equation’.
But, they can also can be a lot more complex and tricky, with layers of info and worded requirements.
And it’s often these worded parts of maths exams that trip students up or catch them out. It’s also where there are usually some simple yet often overlooked extra steps or hints on getting full marks.
So, this week, as part of my 5 Exam Tips in 5 Days email series, I’m sharing the 4 most common ways students lose out on easy marks in Maths exams – and of course how to make sure your teen DOESN’T (lose easy marks in their next maths exam, that is) 🙂
By easy marks, I mean that they’ve done the hard work, they know the concept or method they need to use and have applied it correctly.
BUT where they could be getting full marks or an A grade for a particular question, they may be missing out and this is for a few simple possible reasons:
Common Maths Exam Mistake no. 1
Rounding too early.
If students round their answers at each stage of a multi-step calculation, there’s a fair chance that their final result will be too far from the ‘accepted range’ in the mark scheme for top marks or an A-grade in their final answer. So they need to get really good at using either the Memory buttons, ‘Previous Answer’ button or accurately inserting brackets on their calculator to avoid this.
Another error that’s often made DURING their calculations is:
Common Maths Exam Mistake no. 2
Not noticing different units WITHIN a question.
For any calculation of any kind, all figures or data being used must be in the same units. It’s easy to miss small but important details like this in a question when under exam pressure. For example, if a question has measurements of both km’s and metres, one or other needs to be converted so that they are all in metres or all in km’s. Or ideally (extra tip!) in the units required in the final answer. 🙂
And that brings us nicely to …..
Common Maths Exam Mistake No. 3
Not giving the final answer in the units required.
For example the question might state that students give their answer in cm squared but they’ve given it in mm squared.
Oooorrrrr they’ve given an answer in minutes, when it should be converted to hours.
This usually happens because they are so focused on GETTING the answer, that they then forget that final conversion when they get to that finish line.
And last but not least…
Common Maths Exam Mistake No. 4
Not giving the answer to the correct degree of precision.
Similar to mistake number three, in that it is also often forgotten in the final stage of the answer…
Unless otherwise stated, students should give an answer to 2 decimal places (or 3 significant figures for super-small numbers). However it’s quite common for the level of precision to be specifically stated, for example to the nearest tenth, or to the nearest thousand.
When students have gotten caught up in the process of working out especially in a multi-step problem, it’s easy to either gloss over or forget about an instruction beyond the calculation itself.
Conclusion:
Each of these common mistakes are often responsible for students dropping down a full mark or grade in a question. Over a whole exam that could be a number of marks.
And remember it only takes one mark to drop or climb up a full grade overall.
So have your teen check and double check in their next Maths or Numeracy Test:
That they’re keeping all figures in full throughout all steps of a calculation and only rounding at the end.
To be careful of units WITHIN a question and whether any conversions need to take place before the calculation is started.
And then at the very end, taking note of what units the answer should be given in and then being careful to round to the degree of precision required.
If you’d love your teen to have lots more simple tips like these as well as get coached in MUCH more detailed and sophisticated strategies and exam techniques in time for their end of year exams, then be sure to check out my Exam Mastery Workshop – especially right now while I have a very special earlybird offer on!
Here’s an email I got recently from a mum, after my previous blog video about when it is and isn’t a good idea for your teen to go over and above in their study.
“Hi Katie,
Your video about what to spend extra time and effort on – and what not to – was exactly what my son needed. He almost always runs out of time in exams and tests and it’s because he tries to put in so much information into all his answers. He’s always been a hard worker but I worry because he’s getting a bit disheartened with a couple of recent exam results that weren’t so good. He’s in Year 11 so I feel this is a fairly critical time”
And I totally understand and agree.
I’ve already replied in detail to Kirsten and I’ve done a lot of other blog videos around exam technique (just click the ‘Exams’ category on the right-hand-side menu on this blog!) so I want to expand a bit more on why there is never any point in going beyond the requirements of a question in a test or exam.
Because there are students out there who hear this and still ignore it.
Not in a rebellious sort of way! But just because they don’t quite believe it; they think that their exam is different (it’s not) or they still hold out hope that there are extra marks to be had (there aren’t).
#brutaltruth
Every question is written with a purpose.
That purpose is focused on the skill or knowledge it is testing AND what is required to prove that knowledge or skill.
And that proof is allocated specific marks for each element at the time the question is written.
Then, there will usually be a meeting of senior and chief examiners after an exam has been sat. They’ll take an extensive sample of student scripts (their completed exam papers) and see how their initial mark scheme works out in practice. Any adjustments are then made before full marker training and the official marking operation.
However, EXTRA marks are NEVER invented or added on.
It’s more just a case of making a final decision about scenarios they might not have predicted or foreseen in students’ responses.
This is why I never encourage students to go above and beyond in exams. In fact it’s quite the opposite, especially where time pressure is a factor.
There’s often that temptation for students to put in some extra info or knowledge that they’ve so carefully revised, either because they want to showcase their hard work OR because they hope it will make up for a lack of knowledge or a less detailed response in what was *actually* being asked.
Well, I’m here to confirm (or reveal!) that this just isn’t the way exams or tests work.
If your teen does have extra time left, they’ll be better off using it to improve their vocabulary or improve any existing information they’ve written to have it respond even more specifically or fully to the requirements of the question.
There are no discretionary ‘aww, bless, them , they’ve tried really hard’ marks.
Or, ‘gosh this person really knows their stuff – even though it isn’t the stuff we are asking for’ marks.
Not even, ‘oh, they’ve worked it all out correctly but for the wrong chemical’, sympathy marks.
(Oh and no extras for answering more questions than they needed to either).
As a marker I’ve seen all these scenarios and many more. Where I can see that a student deserves a great mark but I just can’t give it to them if what’s on the page doesn’t match the criteria. That’s as far as it goes.
So, rather than end this on what now feels like a bit of a depressing note!… I want this to be a positive take away 🙂
So that this as an insight into exam content and marking, so that your teen can put effort where it will more likely get rewarded and can spend every minute wisely in their tests and exams.
If you’ve gotten value from this video, then please feel free to share it with any other parents who might find it helpful too 🙂
Leave me a comment below – is this blog ‘confirmation’ or ‘revelation’ for you and your teen, that there are no hidden marks.
Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week!
