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Can you get marked down for not answering questions with a particular answer? (1 Viewer)

dooshtoomun

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Hi
I recently had my Year 12 trials, and just got physics back. I done decently, but I was wondering with questions in which a broad range of answers can be given, can you get marks deducted for not having a specific thing? For example, a question asked for 2 ways transformers reduce heat within it. I answered: having a coolant oil being pumped through the transformer to the liquid carries away the heat, and making the casing for the transformer black, so it absorbs heat and lets it escape out.

I got a mark deducted for NOT saying that using a laminated soft iron core is used, because that's the main method.

Can I still get marks deducted for not saying a specific answer?
 

RishBonjour

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That happened to my in my biology half yearly. Yes, they can in sciences I believe. Some marking criteria, specify a certain answer AND one other. And laminated core was a main one for this.
 

dooshtoomun

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Alright fair enough. Kind of annoying, where you answer correctly, but you still lose because they expect something specific.
 

deswa1

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Alright fair enough. Kind of annoying, where you answer correctly, but you still lose because they expect something specific.
For the sciences- overanswer everything. Marking is very strict and often specific so make sure you cover EVERYTHING, but don't waffle either. Personally though, I can never fit a 6 mark answer on the lines they give and expect to get full marks.
 

Nooblet94

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I would say in this case, that's legit because if you used every other cooling technique but didn't laminate the core it'd still overheat. I'd disagree in other circumstances though.
 

someth1ng

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My school had an ex-Fort Street teacher and she said that the lines supplied are, more often than not, inefficient to score full marks in the more "meaty" questions (~4+ markers).

If the question asked "2 ways transformers reduce heat within it", I'd definitely say core lamination, my other reason would probably be the use of heat pipes containing a liquid that easily carries heat away from the transformer or air circulation by the use of fans to carry thermal energy away from the transformer.

The problem with how they marked for you is that, for an open question like this, the criteria is usually something like "Identifies two correct methods of heat reduction in transformers" for two marks. For one mark, it would normally be "Identifies only one correct method of heat reduction in transformers OR Identifies one correct and one incorrect method of heat reduction in transformers". BOS tend to have very general marking guidelines but it's in the bigger questions (5+ marks) that many students lose marks or answer small questions with incorrect information that loses marks since those are the ones that expect many aspects to a response.

I personally think that OP's answer deserved two marks but was definitely not the best choice for two methods.
 
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2xL

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Happens to me all the time and it pisses me off but at the end of the day, if the markers have a set criteria and mark stringently to the criteria such that its consistent across the board, it should be okay. But yes it happens, quite frequently in sciences. In this case, personally, i think laminated iron core was needed (it really is the most significant) for this question. I am not sure how stringent the markers over @ the marking centre would mark this though...
 

iSplicer

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Hi
I recently had my Year 12 trials, and just got physics back. I done decently, but I was wondering with questions in which a broad range of answers can be given, can you get marks deducted for not having a specific thing? For example, a question asked for 2 ways transformers reduce heat within it. I answered: having a coolant oil being pumped through the transformer to the liquid carries away the heat, and making the casing for the transformer black, so it absorbs heat and lets it escape out.

I got a mark deducted for NOT saying that using a laminated soft iron core is used, because that's the main method.

Can I still get marks deducted for not saying a specific answer?
That's not a function of the transformer itself (the question said 'within it').
 

iSplicer

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My school had an ex-Fort Street teacher and she said that the lines supplied are, more often than not, inefficient to score full marks in the more "meaty" questions (~4+ markers).

If the question asked "2 ways transformers reduce heat within it", I'd definitely say core lamination, my other reason would probably be the use of heat pipes containing a liquid that easily carries heat away from the transformer or air circulation by the use of fans to carry thermal energy away from the transformer.

The problem with how they marked for you is that, for an open question like this, the criteria is usually something like "Identifies two correct methods of heat reduction in transformers" for two marks. For one mark, it would normally be "Identifies only one correct method of heat reduction in transformers OR Identifies one correct and one incorrect method of heat reduction in transformers". BOS tend to have very general marking guidelines but it's in the bigger questions (5+ marks) that many students lose marks or answer small questions with incorrect information that loses marks since those are the ones that expect many aspects to a response.

I personally think that OP's answer deserved two marks but was definitely not the best choice for two methods.
+1
 

BrokenGlass

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Science is stupidly specific in their marking criteria at times. My chem teacher admitted that when she's marking hsc, there are sometimes questions where they have to remark and modify the criteria, because there are too many acceptable answers, so in the end you get screwed and no marks if you put one thing, and lucky if you put the other instead.
 

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