Å®ÉúСÊÓƵ

When I was recently doing past exam papers for revision for my GCSE
chemistry, I happened to put the correct answers down, but got two marked
wrong even though they were right.

First, a question asked how many allotropes there are of carbon. I answered
three but the answer according to the answer sheets was two.

Another question asked how many known elements exist. I wrote 209, but
the answer sheets said 203.

Also, various questions were badly worded and only certain correct answers
were allowed for some paper 3 questions. One of these was ‘A metal ore that
is an oxide’. Aluminium and iron were accepted but titanium wasn’t.

Finally, experience has shown me a difference between real chemistry
and GCSE chemistry. The examiners want GCSE chemistry. In other words, if
a question were to read ‘Iron is a noble gas’, then the question asked you
‘where in the periodic table does iron go?’ You would get it right by writing
down ‘the noble gases’, but get it wrong by writing ‘the transition metals’.

There is such a thing as being too clever – and losing marks by putting
the right answer down.

N. Senator Fareham, Hampshire