Six-mark questions

Six-mark questions will only appear in the Depth paper. There will be two six-mark questions in the Depth paper.

Six-mark questions are extended free-response questions, requiring the longest answers. It is wise to plan your answer rather than rushing straight into it. Without a plan it is easy to stray away from the key point and lose marks, get steps in a process in the wrong order or forget key bits of information.

To gain six marks, you will need to:

use appropriate scientific words and terms
write your answer in full sentences, not bullet points
write clearly, linking ideas in a logical way
maintain a sustained line of reasoning, rather than a random list of statements and sentences
support explanations using scientific knowledge and understanding

Six-mark questions are marked using a levels-based mark scheme. An answer that is not clear and logically sequenced, and which does not give a coherent argument supported by evidence, will be limited to the lower levels. Similarly, if the question asks you to discuss both sides of an argument, or explain two observations, you will be limited to the lowest level if your answer only considers one of them (no matter how brilliantly written or comprehensively explained that one is!).