EXAM TIME

During the Exam





Taking the exam:

• Once you have taken all the materials you need out of your bag, you have received your exam paper, put your name on it, read over it quickly and planned your time (as explained on the previous page), you are ready to start!


• Pick up your pen and jump ahead to all the questions that you know the answers to right away - the ones you find easy and the ones you can answer quickly. If you hesitate on a question, skip ahead to find another one you can answer quickly. Then when all the easy questions are answered, go back and try to answer the ones you hesitated on.


• If you are answering on a separate sheet, be sure to mark the number of the question clearly on your answer sheet.



• Read the questions carefully.  Only answer what the question is asking for.  Do not waste your time writing superfluous information.


• Make sure you answer all the parts of all the questions.  Some questions will have several sub-questions in them.


• Be sure to write your text in ink but any drawing, tables or graphs must be done in pencil.

Behavior during the exam:

• No talking. You may not ask any questions, you may not talk to your classmates or to the teacher at any time once the exam begins.  Do not even ask what time it is (that's why you are supposed to bring a watch!)  There is no communication of any kind during the exam. The only things you can raise your hand for are 1) to ask for more paper or 2) to go to the toilet (but this is only granted exceptionally).


• No passing papers, pencils, erasers, calculators or anything between students.  You must come prepared.  If you forgot something, you may not have people passing things to you during the exam.  The only time you may borrow something is before the exam begins.  Whatever you borrowed, give it back only at the end when you are being dismissed.



• Keep your eyes on your own paper. Even if you are not cheating but simply "checking" what your neighbor is doing, your paper can be confiscated.  If there is reason to believe that you were getting answers from your neighbor, the maximum sanction is a zero for the exam and an avertissement for cheating.

Q:  Who is at fault in this picture?
A:  Both students are doing something wrong:  he's looking at
her paper and she's not hiding her answers.



Completing and handing in the exam:

• When you are done, proof read your exam.  Take the time to read over what you have written.  Try to imagine that you are the teacher reading it.  Is it easy to read?  Do the sentences and paragraphs make sense?  Are all the questions answered completely?  If you planned your time correctly, you should have time to do this at the end.  It should not take any more than 5 or 7 minutes.


• Before you hand in your paper, make sure your name is on it.  If there are several pages, number them and put your name on all of them just in case they get separated.


• Good students walk a way with a pretty good impression of how they did.  You should know your limits, your strong points and the things you need to work on.  When you get the grade back, it should not be a big surprise.

This student did not know
his strengths and weaknesses.
To summarize: come prepared (mentally, physically and material-wise), plan your time, take good care of your body and your brain, express yourself clearly, work independently, proof read your work and, in general, do the best you can!  Good luck! If you put your mind to it, you can do it!

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The last few minutes before you enter

In the Last Few Minutes Before the Exam:



When you sit down for the exam:

• Being good at taking an exam is a real art. You have to master your knowledge of the subject, your ability to express yourself clearly and your mental anxiety all in the restricted time frame you are given. It is something which takes practice.


• Before you receive the exam paper, sit down and take out anything you might need for the exam. It will be difficult to convince the teacher later that you need to open your bag in the middle of the exam to get your ruler or calculator or pencil.



• Put your bag at the front of the room.  You will not have access to it during the exam.

When you receive the exam paper:

• Put your name on it but then put down your pen for the first 5 minutes.


• Carefully read the instructions for each part of the exam.


• Quickly read over the entire exam from start to finish so you have an idea of what the questions are asking and you know what to expect.

Plan your time. Look at the parts of the exam which you will probably spend the most time on (essays or maps or graphs) and figure out how many minutes you will spend making an outline or rough draft and then how much time you will spend actually doing the final copy.

 

The day before each exam

Several weeks before the exams...

Don't relax and bury your head under a pile of sand thinking that its still in the distant future; this is the time to start getting organised!



Get organized:

 

1. Organize your TIME - look at your weekly time table.  Planning your time now will reduce stress in the future.  Look at the number of hours of homework you do each day (6 days a week - leave one day to relax!).  Make a new schedule just for revision.
   
   
   
   • To start with, add 1 hour per evening just for exam revision.  This hour is in addition to the normal homework you do.  Pick a subject which you will study for that hour that day.  For example Monday - Math, Tuesday - History, etc.
   
   
   • A week or two before the exam, increase it to 2 hours of revision each day.
   
   
   • DO NOT plan to study all weekend or during vacation time.  Neurobiological experiments show that the human brain does not work like that.  The brain works better (and you feel less stressed) if you study information a little bit at a time over several weeks rather than asking your brain to 'cram' information in during marathon study sessions a few days before the exam.  It's like not eating anything for 3 weeks and then suddenly eating 30 kilos of food in one day!   Your stomach, like your brain, likes things in reasonable quantities.
   
   
   • Where will you find the time?  The revision hours will probably have to come out of hours you spend playing video games, watching TV, talking on the phone or going to the movies.  This having been said, though, planning your time means that you plan not only the time to work but also the time to have fun.  And when you are having fun you can really enjoy yourself knowing that you did the studying you said you would do and you don't have to worry about it!
   
   
   • Why not make up your schedule with a friend?  Pick the same hours and the same subjects for each night.  That will not only push you do stick to the schedule, it will also mean that if you have a question about history, you can call your friend knowing that s/he is studying the same thing.  Also plan to go out and have fun on the same night with that friend.  That way, one of you won't say "Let's go to the movies tonight!" while the other one says "Oh, sorry, I planned to study French tonight."
   
   
   
   


2. Organize your PAPERS - get your folders and notebooks in order.  Make sure they are complete.  Put the homework assignments, tests and quizzes, worksheets and notes together by chapter or topic.  If you realize the day before the exam that you missed a chapter of notes or you do not have a copy of your last homework to study from, it will be too late to ask the teacher or go find it in your locker.  Start now to avoid problems later.  When you are leaving school, look at the revision schedule you made to see which books or folders you need for that night's revision.

What to study:

Ask each of your teachers what you should study and write down what they say. Start asking several weeks in advance so that if you find something which you do not understand, you have time to ask the teacher about it.

Some teachers just say "study everything since the beginning of the year" or later in the year they might say "everything since the last exam."  If that is the case, make a list by yourself and show the teacher what he or she thinks.  There might be some things on the list the teacher will say, "spend more time on this part here" or "don't worry about this section - that's not important."  Or you could show the teacher your folder, notebook or textbook and flip through the pages asking which things had more importance.  Other things which could give you hints about what is important is to look back at the homework or quizzes and tests.  Were there certain themes which came up frequently?  Can you see a pattern?



How to study:

First of all, studying is a solitary act.  You must choose a place where you can concentrate and where you will not be interrupted by family, friends or pets.  There is no such thing as 'studying' with a friend.  Yes, you can work with a friend helping each other to explain things or you can quiz each other but revision or learning is not something you can do with someone else.

Only you have access to your brain, no one else can do the learning  for you.

What about techniques for learning?  There is no one method which is 'right' or 'wrong' because each person's brain works a little differently.  Some people are visual and need to see a diagram or a graph to understand ideas.  Other people are more number-oriented and things need to be logical in order to be clear.  Other people are better at remembering things which they hear rather than see.  Some people need to write something down before it really sinks into their memory.  Knowing which method is best for you means trying different techniques and seeing which one works best.

You need to find what works for you.  Here are some ideas:

• Flashcards help to remember both by writing and by seeing.  Just making them helps to get ideas into your brain.  Using them frequently helps you to remember.


• Outlines ("des fiches") - are a good way to summarize what you have been learning and helps you concentrate on only the most important bits of information.  Making them takes a long time but in the process of writing and thinking about what is important to write helps you to remember.


• Audio recordings - read your notes or chapters aloud into an audio recorder and then put on your headphones and listen.  This is a good way to study while walking to school, waiting for a bus or just giving your eyes a rest during those study sessions.  Don't spend all your time making the recordings and when you listen, really listen - don't daydream!


• Mnemonics - little "tricks" to help you remember things.  For example, in biology, "KingPhilip Came Over For Good Soup" is one way to remember the classification system ofKingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and species. You can invent your own. For example, to remember numbers, you could associate each number with a letter A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.  Sometimes there are little rhymes to help you remember a date:  "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue."  Doctors often say that mnemonics were the only way to remember the hundreds of names of muscles, nerves and bones in anatomy class at medical school!

Whichever method you use, make sure that you stick to your list of what to study.  As you progress, check off what you have done and make sure you have planned enough hours to be able to study everything for that subject.

To find out if your studying is productive and useful, test yourself.  Cover up words and dates and names and see if you know them without looking.  Use flashcards to see if you know the information without turning each one over.  Ask a friend or family member to give you a quiz.  Make it fun.  Keep score for yourself.  When you get tired and nothing makes sense, take a 10 minute break - have a glass of milk - open the window and get some fresh air.  Look at your favorite cartoon book and have a good laugh - then get back to the studying.  All the hard work will pay off and you'll feel better about yourself.  Exam week will be over soon and you'll be able to relax again!

Don't Stress Out!

Exam time is often thought of as stress time.  The definition of stress is asking your body to do things above and beyond its normal capacities.  Stress can be good - pushing you to perform better and increasing your abilities.  Like the muscles in your body, sometimes your brain has to hurt a little to grow and become more powerful.  But stress can be managed.  The best way to manage stress is to get organized (that's why I put it first in this section).  Prepare your time so that you don't run into endless hours of worry and panic.  Plan your weeks so that you know when you will be studying hard and when you will be rollerblading or going to the movies. Another way to reduce stress is to make sure that your body is operating at 100% potential:

• Did you ever wonder why your parents made you eat your vegetables?  One reason is that they help reduce stress by helping your body to operate at optimum levels.  Take a look at the table below showing different ways of eating and of spending your time.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  	Tired / stressed-out / poor results	Energetic / optimum performance
  Snacks	junk food: potato chips, chocolate bars	real food:  bananas, apples, carrots
  Free Time Activities	time wasters:  watching TV, surfing the web	energy-boosters:  rollerblading, walking the dog, laughing with a friend
  Habits	bad habits: smoking, alcohol, all-nighters (staying up all night)	good habits:  reasonable sleep patterns,  read the newspaper, drink lots of water

  
  


• It should be clear that if you want your brain to do its best, you have to treat it well.  Taking care of your body, too, means that the brain will focus better.


• Just as a mobile phone won't work unless you recharge the battery, you need to recharge your body by eating well, sleeping well and getting some exercise.  Stay away from the things that drain your batteries.


• Screen time (time in front of a TV, a video game or Internet) is fine for a little while - helping you to escape and relax after a busy day.  After more than about half an hour, though, these activities numb you into a state of total breakdown of creativity and interaction.  You become a zombie drained of motivation and inspiration.   Turn it off, get up, go for a walk, get some air.  Get your blood flowing and wake up your brain.  (Well, finish reading this page, first, then get up).


• Do you smoke?  Smoking introduces carbon monoxide into your blood.  This molecule takes the place of oxygen in your body.  As a result, your cells (including the ones which make your brain work) are literally gasping for air - they are suffocating.  Brain cells which are not getting enough oxygen cannot process information correctly.  Also, if all you can think about during the exam is when you are going to get out of there and be able to light up a cigarette, it is clear that your brain is wasting a lot of neurons on that thought rather than on thinking about the exam.  Personally, I never understood why people say "Cigarettes help me to relax," because the main active ingredient in them is nicotine, which is a stimulant, a type of drug which actually makes you more stressed-out and nervous.

Life is kind of like an exam.  Every day.  Those who have developed strong positive habits have rewarding, successful lives.  They never seem to run out of energy because they are constantly recharging their batteries.  And then there are those who always waited until the last minute to study.  They may still have those bad habits today in their adult lives - paying their bills after the deadlines - always running late - always stressed out.  Look around.  Do you know anyone in each of these categories?  Among your friends?  Your family?  Your teachers?

 

IB Science - Free response question strategies

Quality points are awarded for

Clarity of expression:

clearly written responses- the examiner can read the answer once and get the meaning.  It is not the handwriting that counts, it is the clarity of your answer and ideas.  Be sure to write a logical progression of ideas by  planning your answers so that you write in a clear logical order in each section.  Avoid jumping back and forth in sequences.  Drawings should not have label lines that cross, tables of comparison should be constructed with comparative feature is shown with each item to be compared.

full and complete attempts- all three sections are addressed and clearly indicated ie. 4a, 4b, 4c.  DO NOT MIX SECTIONS FROM DIFFERENT QUESTIONS!

Structure of answer:

logical linking of ideas within at least 2 sections of the question- this is usually seen in the higher point value sections, not in drawings or lists.  These links should be clear ideas, using additional material supporting your explanations or  discussions so you really need to know the meaty details of the syllabus.

 

IB Science - Multiple choice questions

Multiple choice questions come up on practically every Group 4 IB subject - be it physics, chemistry, biology, ecosystems, sports sciences and so on....... Hence thats a lot of marks given as a gift - if you know the right techniques ;)!

Firstly, get familiar with the several types of questions:

Sequence type questions

Sequences are best addressed by reading down the first item in the sequence to eliminate the choices and then proceeding across the sequences until you have only one choice remaining.

For example:

What is the correct order of taxonomic categories from largest to smallest?

1. kingdom--> order--> class--> phylum --> species


2. species--> order--> phylum--> kingdom--> class


3. kingdom--> phylum--> class--> order--> species


4. species--> order--> class--> phylum--> kingdom

Now you have only to choose between the two.  Next look down the second item of the sequence to eliminate the false choice.

1. kingdom--> order--> class--> phylum --> species


2. 
   


3. kingdom--> phylum--> class--> order--> species


4. 
   

Finally you have the answer!

1. 
   


2. kingdom--> phylum--> class--> order--> species


3. 
   

Table type questions

Frequently, it is easier to read down one of the columns and eliminate the items that are not correct.

The questions usually are comparative of structures or functions.

Which of the following shows the correct features of arteries and veins?

artery vein a thick elastic wall thin inelastic wall b thin elastic wall thick inelastic wall c thin inelastic wall thick elastic wall d thick inelastic wall thin elastic wall
so if you read down you can eliminate: artery vein a thick elastic wall thin inelastic wall b thin elastic wall thick inelastic wall c
d and finally:
artery vein
a thick elastic wall thin inelastic wall

Genetics questions

Various type of genetic crosses, pedigrees will be shown here.  How to identify genotypes and inheritance patterns will be illustrated.

• Crosses


• Monohybrid ( single trait)


• Dihybrid (two traits)


• Non-Mendelian crosses


• Sex-linked


• blood types


• codominant- dihybrid


• Polygenic ( multiple genes)

Data based question strategies

See the more detailed post on data response questions.

Graphical presentation questions

See the more detailed post on how to interpret graphs.

I, II, III- type

These questions give you  a combination of three or four options.  The best way to attack is to eliminate the options (I, II, III, IV) you know (feel) are incorrect and then eliminate any answers with those options.  Be ready to accept all the options!

Which of the following are required for proper blood clotting?
I.       Release of thrombokinase from platelets and damaged tissues
II.     Damage to leucocytes
III.   Prothrombin in the plasma
IV.    Fibrinogen in the plasma
A. I only
B. III and IV only
C. I, III and IVonly
D. I, II, III and IV

Since leucocytes are not involved in blood clotting, this option is not required so any answer choice with II is wrong- eliminate D.

Since thrombokinase, prothrombin and fibrinogen are all needed, then C is correct answer.

Image interpretation

The IB will present diagrams, drawings and electronmicrographs in questions.  You will be asked to interpret the image for knowledge about specific details:

-- structure and function of organelles

-mitochondria

-- structure and function of  cells- acini, epithelial (microvilli)

-- prokaryotic vs eukaryotic cells

-- plant vs animal cells

You should be able to accurately measure and calculate the magnification or actual size given relevant information.

Other images to interpret:

-- organs or systems- structure and function

-- food chains, pyramids, cycles

-- metabolic pathways and processes

-- DNA profiles, karyotypes, pedigrees

 

IB Biology - Quick Study Tips

A brief glossary to trigger your memory

-A-

-ASE = enzymes (lactase acts on lactose, lipase acts on lipids)

Axons carry impulse Away from the cell body.

Arteries carry blood Away from the heart.

Active TransPort needs ATP,

Active transport goes  Against the grAdient

Alpha cells in pancreas produce glucAgon to increAse blood sugar levels

"Animals are made of cells" said T Schwann (swans are animals)

Anion is A Negative Ion

-B-

B lymphocytes clone to make plasma cells which make antiBodies against specific antigens


-C-

Cations - Ca is a + ion

Constriction by Circular muscles Contracting - in the arteries when in the Cold, in the iris when in the dark

C and G always have 3 (cytosine and guanine pair up with 3 H bonds in DNA and RNA)

-D-

Diffusion is always Down a concentration graDient

-G-

GA for Gene HbA, GAG in DNA sense strand, GAG in mRNA,  Glutamic Acid in Haemoglobin - for Sickle Cell anaemia.  (see STUV)

-Gen = creation of  (glycogen, fibrinongen, oestrogen)

GlucagON turns sugar ON (increase blood sugar levels by breaking down glycogen to glucose)

-H-

sHort day plants are inHibited by active Pfar-red


-I-



I D-  Insulin Dependent is Diabetes type I

I I- Insulin Immune causes Diabetes type II


-In = proteins (insulin, haemoglobin, pepsin)


INsulin makes glucose go IN to cells (liver and muscles to be stored as glycogen or to be used in respiration)-

Insulin made by Beta cells- (think IB!)

 

-L-

Ligaments hold bones to bones in joints- think about knee injuries

Lagging strand has 3 G's, is 3 prime to 5 prime strand,  has 3 DNA enzymes (DNA polymerase I and  III,  DNA ligase + RNA primase) and replicates DNA in fragments

-M-

Matrix in the Mitochondrion- (see S for stroma)

-O-

-ONE = steroid hormones (progesterone, oestrogen, testosterone)

-OSE = sugars (glucose, sucrose, amylose or starch, cellulose)

Oval window in ear is shaped like a stirrup

Oxygen is made early in phOtosynthesis- photolysis of water in early in LDR and is used late in respiratiOn- electron acceptor at end of electron transport chain

-P-

Photosynthate in the Phloem

Photosynthesis uses NADP/ NAPH+H         (not NAD / NADH+H)

Progesterone : Pro = in favour of , gester = pregnancy, -one = steroid hormone

-R-

Ringer - characteristics of living things (Reproduction, Irritibilty, Nutrition, Growth, Excretion, Respiration)

BohR shift- low pH curves shifts to the Right

-S-

SenSe strand is like the meSSage used to make the  the rubber stamp which is like the antisense strand that is replicated to make the SenSe strand which is the meSSage used to make the rubber stamp to make the meSSage......

STUV- for Sickle Cell anaemia

Gene Hb S, GTG in DNA sense strand, GUG in mRNA, Valine in         Haemoglobin S  (seeGA)

STroma in a chloroplaST- (see M for matrix)

-T-

Tendons hold muscles to bone- think Achilles tendon in ankle.

Transcripition of the anTisense strand of DNA

anTicodon is on t- RNA- same order as anTisense strand of DNA

-V-

Veins have Valves

-W-

WXYZ-

Water in the XYlem (sounds like Zylem)

-Y-

thYmine and cYtosine are pYrimidines (so is uracil)

-2-

2  genetically identical cells made by Mitosis (mi two  sis)  

-3-

3 H bonds between cytosine and guanine (3 rhymes with C and G)

3 g's in LAGGING strand, 3 DNA enzymes work on the 3 prime to 5 prime of lagging strand in  DNA replication making Okazaki fragments

-5-

5 prime to 3 prime direction for replication of new DNA strand and transcription of RNA andtranslation of mRNA to polypeptide.  This is because the 5 prime carbon ( 5 like fingers on your hand) of nucleotides has  phosphates  which bond to the 3 prime carbon of next nucleotide (3 like the 3 bumps on your elbow)

-23-

23 is haploid number of HUMAN gametes (sperm and ovum have one set of chromosomes)


-46-

46 is diploid number of HUMAN cells (somatic cells have two sets of chromsomes)- other organisms have different numbers of chromosomes

IB Biology - Data based question strategies

Data-based questions come up on Paper 2 and 3 all the time. Make sure you study the graph or information given at the start of the question.

Interpretation of graphs & Relationships

Being able to interpret graphs is a skill that you will need for the exams.

The first step is to identify the scales and axes, looking at the units.  Are the scales linear or log scales?    You must show the units in your answers.

After this, pay attention to the lines and relationship of the data:

Are the lines linear (straight?) what is the slope (gradient)?  Positive or negative?  Do the lines cross?  At what point?

Are the lines non-linear?  What is the relationship-  exponential, plateau, inverse, S cureve, hyperbolic, root function?

If you're finding difficulties in doing this, check out how to establish a relationship from a graph.

Sometimes the data does not show a simple relationship.  For example, here are a collection of past paper data base questions.

Calculations

Be sure to give the units in your answers as shown in the graphs and tables.  This may seem complicated but just copy everything after the "/" on the axes or in the heading of tables.  You will lose 1 mark for omitting the units! No reason to throw away a mark when PhewStressit is given to you!

Group 4 Project

Regarding some questions about how the Group 4 Project is assessed, here are some details about what teachers/ supervisors are looking for, and a copy of the assessment criteria.

Assessment.

The Group 4 Project assesses the 'Personal Skills' criterion only. You cannot use it for any other assessment. 6 marks are available in total as shown in the table.

• You and your teams will be observed throughout the project by at least one member of staff.


• They will be making notes about how well you apply the three aspects below.


• You will be interviewed at some point during the project about how you have addressed each aspect, be prepared.


• They will expect to see evidence of these aspects being covered in the exposition.


• Every member of the team will be expected to contribute to the exposition's preparation and delivery.

Your Group 4 Project team will be watched by a supervisor throughout the project who makes judgments about your personal skills (great..). You will all be formally interviewed as a team at some point during the two days. Be prepared for this. They expect to see real evidence of the following things:

• Approaches the project with self-motivation and follows it through to completion.


• Collaborates and communicates in a group situation and integrates the views of others.


• Shows a thorough awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses and gives thoughtful consideration to their learning experience.

A typical Group 4 Assessment Sheet is attached here. Note that the focus of the Group 4 Projects may vary from school to school, but the project fundamentally aims to just 'grade' you on how well you work in a team and tackle a problem independently.
These marks will be determined by the teacher and added to your IA marks for your group 4 subject.

Levels/marks	Aspect 1	Aspect 2	Aspect 3
	Self-motivation and perseverance	Working within a team	Self-reflection
Complete/2	Approaches the project with self-motivation and follows it through to completion.	Collaborates and communicates in a group situation and integrates the views of others.	Shows a thorough awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses and gives thoughtful consideration to their learning experience.
Partial/1	Completes the project but sometimes lacks self-motivation.	Exchanges some views but requires guidance to collaborate with others.	Shows limited awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses and gives some consideration to their learning experience.
Not at all/0	Lacks perseverance and motivation.	Makes little or no attempt to collaborate in a group situation.	Shows no awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses and gives no consideration to their learning experience.