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, needing 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 points 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
- use and maintain a 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 an 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.
The answers shown here give marking points as bullet points. You do not usually need to include all of them to gain six marks, but you do need to write in full sentences, linking them logically and clearly.
These questions have been written by Bitesize consultants as suggestions to the types of questions that may appear in an exam paper.
Writing six-mark answers with Dr Alex Lathbridge
Listen to the full series on BBC Sounds.
How to write six-mark answers in your science GCSE exams.
Sample question 1 - Foundation
Question
Aysha is planning to buy a new car. She wants to help to reduce air pollution. Would you recommend that she buys an electric car? Justify your recommendation. [6 marks]
To get the top marks, your answer needs to include:
- descriptions of the effect on air pollution from both sides
- where the electric car is used instead of a petrol or diesel car
- and emissions of air pollutants from a power station where the electricity is generated
- use this information as evidence for your recommendations
- justify your final decision clearly
[6]
Sample question 2 - Foundation
Question
Scientists measure the concentration of particulates in the air in a town centre. They do this on several days. They also count the number of people seeking medical attention for asthma on the same days. They plot their results on a scatter graph.
A journalist talks to the scientists about the data before it is published. The journalist writes a newspaper article using the scientists' data. The article makes this claim.
'Asthma is caused by particulates in the air'.
How much confidence can be placed in this claim? [6 marks]
To get the top marks your answer needs to include:
- arguments for and against confidence in the claim, but the overall balance must be for low confidence in the claim
- suggestions that will have an effect upon the confidence in the claim, and you must link each suggestion to the level of confidence
- information that is relevant and uses the data as evidence
Specific comments that could be included are listed below.
Confidence is low because:
- correlation does not mean cause
- there could be other causes
- no peer review
- opinions of other scientists have not been given
- explanation of why peer review is important
- no reproducibility of data so this set of results may be a 'one off'
- journalist is not a scientist
- journalist could be biased so may have his/her own interpretation of data
- data not repeated so may not be reproducible
- only one town has been investigated
- data from other towns may disagree with this data
- more evidence is needed
Claim may be correct because:
- there is a clear correlation so asthma could be caused by particulates
- points are all close to straight line
- there are no anomalies/outliers
- so conclusions from data will have some validity
[6]
