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How was Biology Paper 42 MAY/JUNE 2017?

How tough was biology paper 42 may/june 2017?

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M

Metallic9896

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Very scary looking, unsettling, unnverving paper. Considering 42 for March, May/June, and October/November last year (2016):

A at 62 in March, 2016
A at 64 in May/June, 2016
A at 64 in October/November, 2016

This paper being quite hard compared to the others and our unanimous agreement about its difficulty (nobody from my school/centre found it easy either, in fact, I happened to be among those who didn't screw up the most), I'm sure it should be lower than 64, maybe even go down to 60.

As far as the entire syllabus grade thresholds are concerned:

March, 2016 -

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 33, 42, 52 (the only combination in that session)
A* at 188
A at 172
B at 156

May/June, 2016 -

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 33, 42, 52
A* at 190
A at 174
B at 158

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 34, 42, 52
A* at 189
A at 172
B at 155

October/November, 2016 -

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 33, 42, 52
A* at 194
A at 175
B at 156

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 34, 42, 52
A* at 192
A at 173
B at 154

Thoughts anyone who is vela enough to think about these matters (not a bad thing, I'm one of those people)? Personally I've seen the A* threshold go up to 200, 205, 210 max. I feared that something like that may happen this time, but considering that it's been difficult so far and that Paper 4 has the most importance, it'll either probably remain around 192 or fall down. Even if CIE for any godforsaken reason feel that papers this year were easier, I'm sure they wouldn't bump it up to more than 200.

Let's hope for the best and once this 24 hour window is completed we'll discuss our answers.
 
D

darks

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Metallic9896 said:
Very scary looking, unsettling, unnverving paper. Considering 42 for March, May/June, and October/November last year (2016):

A at 62 in March, 2016
A at 64 in May/June, 2016
A at 64 in October/November, 2016

This paper being quite hard compared to the others and our unanimous agreement about its difficulty (nobody from my school/centre found it easy either, in fact, I happened to be among those who didn't screw up the most), I'm sure it should be lower than 64, maybe even go down to 60.

As far as the entire syllabus grade thresholds are concerned:

March, 2016 -

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 33, 42, 52 (the only combination in that session)
A* at 188
A at 172
B at 156

May/June, 2016 -

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 33, 42, 52
A* at 190
A at 174
B at 158

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 34, 42, 52
A* at 189
A at 172
B at 155

October/November, 2016 -

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 33, 42, 52
A* at 194
A at 175
B at 156

Combination of Components: 12, 22, 34, 42, 52
A* at 192
A at 173
B at 154

Thoughts anyone who is vela enough to think about these matters (not a bad thing, I'm one of those people)? Personally I've seen the A* threshold go up to 200, 205, 210 max. I feared that something like that may happen this time, but considering that it's been difficult so far and that Paper 4 has the most importance, it'll either probably remain around 192 or fall down. Even if CIE for any godforsaken reason feel that papers this year were easier, I'm sure they wouldn't bump it up to more than 200.

Let's hope for the best and once this 24 hour window is completed we'll discuss our answers.
Click to expand...
2016 papers can not be compared to this one. This one should be compared to m/j 14, 13 where gts were 56/100 with an easier paper. Last year a similar thing of sudden jump in difficulty happened in chemistry and it's gt had a big fall. Hope for the best. My guess is a gt in 55-60 range. I think when 100s of students in our centers in total are saying that the paper was tough, we can expect the gt to fall below 60. I had a great prep according to me and was confident that i will be able to score an A*, after doing great in p2 and p5 and left nothing from the syllabus but time management and some questions led to just an average attempt worth around 70/100 marks. :(
 
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Metallic9896

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darks said:
2016 papers can not be compared to this one. This one should be compared to m/j 14, 13 where gts were 56/100 with an easier paper. Last year a similar thing of sudden jump in difficulty happened in chemistry and it's gt had a big fall. Hope for the best. My guess is a gt in 55-60 range. I think when 100s of students in our centers in total are saying that the paper was tough, we can expect the gt to fall below 60. I had a great prep according to me and was confident that i will be able to score an A*, after doing great in p2 and p5 and left nothing from the syllabus but time management and some questions led to just an average attempt worth around 70/100 marks. :(
Click to expand...

Yes I agree this can't be compared to them. My only reason for quoting them was CIE's typical statement, "To fulfil that aim we have to lower the thresholds from one examination to another if we find that the questions in a paper have been more difficult than last time (or raise the thresholds if we find the questions have been easier). This is to be fair to candidates from one series to another." The "last time" they mention makes me think that their primary basis for comparison will be the latest paper, but I'm sure in practice as you've said they would refer to papers of earlier years as well.

And yes, I had a good preparation too. My P5 didn't go well so I reaallyy worked hard here and my didn't go that bad, I'm thinking 80 ish (and hopefully compensate for the bad p5), but it was hard nonetheless. Time management was a huge issue. My heart dropped when one hour passed and I realized I've only attempted 50 marks. Marks attempted were directly proportional to the time consumed. :3
 
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darks

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Metallic9896 said:
Yes I agree this can't be compared to them. My only reason for quoting them was CIE's typical statement, "To fulfil that aim we have to lower the thresholds from one examination to another if we find that the questions in a paper have been more difficult than last time (or raise the thresholds if we find the questions have been easier). This is to be fair to candidates from one series to another." The "last time" they mention makes me think that their primary basis for comparison will be the latest paper, but I'm sure in practice as you've said they would refer to papers of earlier years as well.

And yes, I had a good preparation too. My P5 didn't go well so I reaallyy worked hard here and my didn't go that bad, I'm thinking 80 ish (and hopefully compensate for the bad p5), but it was hard nonetheless. Time management was a huge issue. My heart dropped when one hour passed and I realized I've only attempted 50 marks. Marks attempted were directly proportional to the time consumed. :3
Click to expand...
Oh nice i think you are safe with the score in 80s. I just hope the examiner doesn't find more marks to cut in my paper. And i don't find more mistakes after this 24hr window :p all we can do now is focus on the papers that are yet to come.
 
Y

Yo-BKC

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Metallic9896 said:
Yes I agree this can't be compared to them. My only reason for quoting them was CIE's typical statement, "To fulfil that aim we have to lower the thresholds from one examination to another if we find that the questions in a paper have been more difficult than last time (or raise the thresholds if we find the questions have been easier). This is to be fair to candidates from one series to another." The "last time" they mention makes me think that their primary basis for comparison will be the latest paper, but I'm sure in practice as you've said they would refer to papers of earlier years as well.

And yes, I had a good preparation too. My P5 didn't go well so I reaallyy worked hard here and my didn't go that bad, I'm thinking 80 ish (and hopefully compensate for the bad p5), but it was hard nonetheless. Time management was a huge issue. My heart dropped when one hour passed and I realized I've only attempted 50 marks. Marks attempted were directly proportional to the time consumed. :3
Click to expand...
meesna na ban, 80-ish is great
 
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Metallic9896

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Yo-BKC said:
meesna na ban, 80-ish is great
Click to expand...

Hahah P5 acha houta tou good houta but p5 bura hua hai (kafi bura, 15 se zyada nai aane) isliye 80ish is barely enough to compensate for it (aagay P3 mai bhi concerns hain). Waese bhi ye mera estimate hai kal discuss karengay khulkar tou kai ghaltiyan nikal aani hain. Made some very bogus mistakes.

Yo-BKC said:
Pyruvate doesn't directlycombine with Co-enzyme A, it is first converted to Acetate.
Click to expand...

You're right but due to the way the diagram was strutured as mentioned by Sufia_at I wrote pyruvate too. Look up "Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex" on Wikipedia and scroll down towards the diagram under the heading "Reaction". It might provide some insight. Perhaps you're right and perhaps not. Anyway now it's done. Let's just hope for the best.
 
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A

alian321

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AnonymousX9 said:
Man wtf was that paper. I cried after coming back home, literally. Even the questions that I knew, I ended messing them up. Sigh, so demotivated and disheartened. :( I have a 102 in AS and was really hoping for an A*, worked hard the entire year but I don't think it will happen..
Click to expand...
Gone is gone, relax
 
samanja

samanja

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about teh runners blood ph..they asked for waste productS...
i answered both CO2 and lactate.. CO2 form carbonic acid when mixed with blood plasma and it fixed by haemoglobin which acts as a buffer..
 
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Yo-BKC

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Metallic9896 said:
Hahah P5 acha houta tou good houta but p5 bura hua hai (kafi bura, 15 se zyada nai aane) isliye 80ish is barely enough to compensate for it (aagay P3 mai bhi concerns hain). Waese bhi ye mera estimate hai kal discuss karengay khulkar tou kai ghaltiyan nikal aani hain. Made some very bogus mistakes.



You're right but due to the way the diagram was strutured as mentioned by Sufia_at I wrote pyruvate too. Look up "Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex" on Wikipedia and scroll down towards the diagram under the heading "Reaction". It might provide some insight. Perhaps you're right and perhaps not. Anyway now it's done. Let's just hope for the best.
Click to expand...
Han phir concern banta hai thora lekin gt will be rlly low so i still maintain you're set.
About the coenzyme thing, i googled what you said and yeah mene bhi pyruvate hi likha thaa pehle, but acetate direct react karta hai here's the source (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetyl—CoA_synthetase). I guess dono sahi hain
 
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