Science

Year 9
Transition

Teachers
guide

Introduction
This test has been designed to help teachers make professional judgements about their students
readiness for GCSE. It assesses the working scientifically strands of the NC2014; specifically Scientific
attitudes, Experimental skills and investigations and Analysis and evaluation. There are mark boxes on
the front cover to record a pupils scores in these three strands.
The questions in this test have been selected based on their suitability to assess aspects of working
scientifically as mentioned above. They are previous KS3 science national curriculum test questions that
have been agreed as suitable by test development and assessment experts at AQA.

Support Materials
To accompany the PDF of the test and teachers guide, which contains mark schemes/commentaries,
there is a spreadsheet to enter marks that will enable evaluation of performance and allow comparisons
across the school.
A summary of the focus of each question is available, along with commentaries on common
misconceptions and implications for teaching and learning as part of the teachers guide. Exemplar
material will also be available in due course, along with resources to help build students understanding in
areas where they need further support.

Administering the test

There are no formal time limits, but an hour is recommended to allow the vast majority of pupils to show
what they can do.
Less able pupils may find the final three questions very challenging so you may wish to consider giving
those pupils only the first nine questions.

Coming soon
For 2017, The Assessment Research Community - ARCommunity intends to develop newlycommissioned tests written specifically for the NC2014. This work will be done in partnership with AQAs
Centre for Education Research and Practice, Doublestruck (the creators of Testbase and Exampro) and
practising teachers. If you are interested in taking part in this work please follow this link.

Question 1

Rucksack materials

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about
their understanding, and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

The original lower attaining Year 9 cohort who answered

this question found it of intermediate difficulty overall.

exploring questions that can lead to a scientific enquiry

identifying and controlling variables for a fair test
selecting appropriate equipment in order to carry it out
interpreting data presented in tables and presenting
explanations of the data

Some students, in particular, struggle with providing full

reasons and explanations, and controlling variables for
fair testing.
What you could do next:

Looking ahead to GCSE:

At GCSE these Working Scientifically skills are all
essential, where students will be looking at more
complex situations, tables with more data and further
consideration of the control of variables.

Ask students to generate as many questions as

possible (How does X affect Y?) in various situations
and then decide whether they might be explored
scientifically, and if so how can we control and
measure the variables? (All the questions generated
do not have to be actually carried out in class.)
Ask students to identify, and put into words to explain,
why some methods involve a fair test and others do
not. Do not allow pupils to loosely refer to fair testing,
without also explaining what it means in that specific
situation i.e. what is being varied, what is being
controlled and what is being measured.
Show a range of common lab equipment to clarify
their proper names, discuss the precision possible
and what is required by the enquiry question (e.g.
measuring cylinder or beaker? clock or stopwatch/
timer? ruler or tape measure?)
Using tables with rows and columns labelled and
data provided, ask students to draw conclusions by
extracting data form the table, giving reasons.

Mark point

Mark

(a) 1
WSB4

Answer

Accept

Zoe

Additional Guidance
if more than one box is ticked, award
no mark

Any one from

best needs to be defined
(a) 2
WSC13

best needs to be described

you do not know what best means

best is not observable or

measurable
best is subjective

it is not doable; best is an opinion

or judgement; best is not clear

Any one from

use the same area of material
each time
use the same volume of water
(b) (i)
WSB6

do not accept do it more than once

measuring beaker, clock or timer

or watch

do not accept cylinder or measuring

tube or measuring jug

Any one from

(b) (ii)
WSB7

(c) 1
WSC12

(c) 2
WSC13

same amount of material

same size of rucksack
same amount of water
same liquid
same timing
allow the water to drip through the
material for the same length of time
keep the temperature the same

measuring cylinder
stopclock or stopwatch
B
the smallest volume of water
passes through the material

if more than one box is ticked, award

no mark
only 5 cm3 passed through
less water passed through
not as much water gets through

answers must include or imply a

comparison:
5 cm3 passed through is insufficient;
not much water gets through is
insufficient
TOTAL MARKS 6

Question 2

Shoe on ramp

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended
to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about their understanding,
and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

The original lower attaining Year 9 cohort who answered this question found it
of intermediate difficulty overall, although part (b) slightly harder.

developing a line of enquiry from

a question of the students choice
identifying and controlling
variables for a fair test
selecting appropriate equipment
in order to carry it out
Looking ahead to GCSE:
While this situation is a simple one
and requires no predictions of results,
at GCSE these Working Scientifically
skills are all essential for more
complex situations, and predictions/
hypotheses might also be expected.

Some lower attaining students, in particular, struggle with generating

questions, identifying independent and dependent variables, and controlling
variables for fair testing.
What you could do next:
Clarify the meaning of the terms independent and dependent with
reference to variables. Use the words factor and variable - both are
required at KS3 and GCSE.
Use the words prediction and hypothesis- both are required at KS3
and GCSE.
Ask students to generate as many questions as possible (How does
X affect Y?) in various situations and then decide how they might be
explored scientifically, with the variables identified as independent/
dependent, and then controlled and measured. Ask for simple predictions
of how X might affect Y, and ask for reasons. (All the questions generated
do not have to be actually carried out in class.)
Show a range of common lab equipment to clarify their proper names,
discuss the precision possible and what
is required by the enquiry question (e.g. measuring cylinder or beaker?
clock or stopwatch/timer? ruler or tape measure?)

Mark point
(a)
WSB4
WSB6

Mark

Answer

Accept

any suitable independent variable

such as

specific variations in objects, such

as weight or mass or surface area
or type of trainer sole or type
of shoe

the surface
the angle of the slope
the kind of object
the size of the push

any suitable dependent variable

such as
(b) 1
WSB4
WSB6

(b) 2
WSB4
WSB7
WSB8

the distance travelled

the time to move down the ramp
the force needed to start the
object moving
the angle of the ramp at which the
object starts moving
any appropriate equipment to
measure the dependent variable
such as

angle or height of ramp

speed

tape measure
clock

a dependent variable (DV) without

an independent variable (IV) can
gain credit

do not accept a measurement

strategy if a DV is not given or
is incorrect

ruler or metre rule

stopwatch or timer or light gates
newton meter
protractor

any appropriate control variable

such as
(c)
WSB4
WSB6

the time to reach a given point

Additional Guidance

distance travelled

the object used

the angle of the slope
the surface used
the height of the ramp
the length of the ramp

only give credit for a control variable

which does not conflict with the
suggested investigation

TOTAL MARKS 4

Question 3

Swing in park

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about
their understanding, and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

Of the original Year 9 cohort who answered this question,

lower attaining students found it more difficult than higher
attaining ones, and many of these did not even attempt to
answer some parts of it.

interpreting data from tables to identify patterns

in results to draw conclusions
evaluating data to decide whether or not it
supports conclusions
making predictions about further results
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically skills are all
essential, where students will be looking at more
complex situations, tables with more data and further
consideration of the control of variables.

Students may struggle with the large amount of

information in the introduction to the tables of results, and
with drawing conclusions.
What you could do next:
Using various described situations where variables
are changed, ask students to sketch out a plan of their
own results tables. (What would you have as columns
and rows?)
Using various sketched out tables with rows and
columns labelled but minimum details of the situation,
ask students to describe what is being changed
and measured.
Using tables with rows and columns labelled and data
provided, ask students to agree/disagree/not sure with
a number of suggested conclusions, giving reasons.
Encourage students to describe results in the form
The er the X, the er the Y, or similar.

Mark point
(a)
WSC12

Mark

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance
both answers are required for
the mark

A and B
1

answers may be in any order

Any one from

(b) (i)
WSC12

the longer the string, the longer it

takes

accept the converse

the longer the string the more time

it takes
A and C and D

(b) (ii)
WSC12
WSC14

(c)
WSB5

references to both length and time

are required for the mark
B and C and D if part (a) is correct

answers may be in any order

all three answers are required for
the mark

E: 10.0
F: from 18 to 25

10

both answers are required for

the mark
TOTAL MARKS 4

Question 4

Mirror

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about
their understanding, and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

The original Year 9 cohort who answered this question

found it relatively easy overall, although lower attaining
students struggled more with part (b) where they were
asked to read a value from a graph (unusually, from the
Y axis to the X axis).

interpreting data presented in tables and graphs

evaluating data in terms of possible errors
Light waves
using ray models for reflection and refraction
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically skills are all
essential, where there are higher expectations around
identifying issues of accuracy, and drawing and
reading graphs.
An understanding of ray models is not required in all
GCSE specifications.

What you could do next:

Using tables with data provided (contrived, if
necessary), ask students to identify unusual data
that do not fit with general patterns, and encourage
sophisticated answers (rather than simplistic ones e.g.
it looks wrong/doesnt fit the pattern)
Ask students to read data from a range of different
graphs where the point does falls between easilyidentifiable lines. Do this in both directions i.e. from X
axis to Y axis, and vice versa.

Mark point

(a)
WSC12
WSC14

(b)
WSC11
PC4.38

Mark

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance

65

number 4 or the fourth

it is different from the angle of

incidence

it is not 60 or it should be 60

both the answer and the correct

explanation are required for the mark

or all the others are the same

the angle of reflection and the angle

of incidence should be the same
it is 5 out; they are not the same

award a mark for 60 if the

explanation is correct
they go up in tens is insufficient
it does not fit the pattern
is insufficient

a number from 30 to 32

TOTAL MARKS 2

Question 5

Ruler reaction times

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended
to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about their understanding,
and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

The original Year 9 cohort who answered this question found it of

intermediate difficulty overall, although both lower and higher attaining
students struggled more with parts (b) and (e), about accuracy and reliability.

identifying and controlling

variables for a fair test
planning for accuracy, and
considering reliability of methods
and results
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically
skills are all essential, where there
are higher expectations around
identifying issues of accuracy and
reliability of results after observations.

Some students are not specific about ways to improve accuracy and reliability
and need to give detail about exactly why a change will make method better.
What you could do next:
Clarify the meaning of the terms independent and dependent with
reference to variables. Use the words factor and variable - both are used
at KS3 and GCSE.
Ask students to generate as many questions as possible (How does
X affect Y?) in various situations and then decide how they might be
explored scientifically, with the variables identified as independent/
dependent, and then controlled and measured. (All the questions
generated do not have to be actually carried out in class.)
Clarify the meaning of the terms accuracy, precision, repeatability and
reproducibility all are required KS3 and GCSE.
Using the questions and methods identified above, ask students to explain
in each case how the method could be made as (1) accurate and (2)
precise as possible, and what you could do to see if the results are (1)
repeatable and (2) reproducible.

10

Mark point

Mark

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance

the distance the ruler dropped

how far until they caught it

length or measurement on the ruler

ruler is insufficient
length of ruler is insufficient

where the hand grabbed the ruler

where she caught it

mm or cm

Any one from

(a)
WSB6
WSB8

Any one from

(b)
WSA01
WSC14

(c)
WSB6

to avoid the effect of her own

reaction time

she might stop the watch before or

after he reacted

the time keeper would not have been

as accurate is insufficient

the time is too short to measure

with a stopwatch

you cannot stop a stopwatch

straightaway
it might be too fast for the stopwatch

you can time incorrectly

is insufficient
the ruler is more precise
is insufficient

pupils

pupil or friend or person

or human

Any two from

(d)
WSB6

the position of the ruler above

the hand

height of ruler
the height it is dropped from

the way the ruler is released

handedness; the same person

dropping it

the ruler
distance between finger
and thumb

position of hand or position of ruler

the conditions in the room

accept examples of
possible distractions

measure to same finger of catcher

(e)
WSA01
WSB8

where she put her hand on the ruler

is insufficient

repeat the investigation or it

if more than one box is ticked, award

no mark
do more than one test with
each person

do not accept use more people

TOTAL MARKS 6

11

Question 6

Washing powder

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended
to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about their understanding,
and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

The original Year 9 cohort who answered this question found it of

intermediate difficulty overall, although lower attaining students struggled
more with part (c), about understanding what they would need to observe
when carrying out the method.

evaluating an investigative method

which has already been carried
out, and suggesting improvements
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically
skills are all essential, where there
are higher expectations around also
suggesting further investigations as
well as evaluating the current one.

Some students think that fair tests are about keeping everything the same,
rather than changing one variable while controlling others.
When suggesting improvements, greater efforts to control variables are
common, but fewer suggest repeating results.
What you could do next:
Ask students to identify, and put into words to explain, why some methods
involve a fair test and others do not. Do not allow pupils to loosely refer
to fair testing, without also explaining what it means in that specific
situation i.e. what is being varied, what is being controlled and what is
being measured.
When completing investigative work, extend discussion about how to
improve the present investigation (by, say, repeating results, or gathering
more data) into any further investigations that could follow on; and the
variables and methods that would be involved
Using tables with rows and columns labelled and data provided,
ask students to draw conclusions by extracting data form the table,
giving reasons.

12

Mark point

Mark

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance

Any one from

(a)
WSB8

they left the cloth in water for

30 minutes
they soaked the cloth for the
same time

cloth in both bowls was egg-stained

ways of improving the investigation may be any two from

(i) a control

same cloth(s) in each bowl

same size fabric
same level of staining on cloth

same amount of egg or same

size stain

same amount of each powder

(b)
WSB8

same volume of water added

same temperature of water added
same pH of solutions

use egg-stained cloth in water

repeat the test

(ii) improved reliability

stir or agitate the cloth

(iii) improved procedure

measure the water

measure the powder

(iv) extend the
independent variable

vary the amount of powder

time how long it takes for the
stain to go

accept longer time

vary the amount of egg stain

do it at different temperatures
use different washing powders

do not accept use different stains

whether the cloths are stained

or not

how much egg is left on cloths

the cloth or the stain are insufficient

level of staining or time taken to

remove stain

which cloth was the cleaner

or cleanest

do not accept cylinder or measuring

tube or measuring jug

Any one from

(c)
WSB8

TOTAL MARKS 4

13

Question 7

Food amounts

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended
to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about their understanding,
and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

The original Year 9 cohort who answered this question found it quite difficult
overall, and especially parts (ai) and (di) which requires extracting information
form tables. Lower attaining students also struggled more with part (dii),
about estimating the dietary needs of the mother for a baby.

interpreting data presented in

tables to draw conclusions
applying mathematics and
calculating results
Nutrition and digestion
content of a healthy human diet
consequences of imbalances in
the diet
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically
skills are all essential, where there
are higher expectations around
greater use of calculations and
converting units of measurement.
An understanding of diet and
imbalanced diets are also further
developed at GCSE.

The question relies to a great extent on the students ability to interpret

complex tables, and to read the column headings carefully, while also taking
account of the units in each case. They may struggle to know how to go
about estimating values.
What you could do next:
Present students with multi-column/multi-row tables such as this (e.g. food
labelling, data about countries, the properties of elements etc.). Explain
how some columns are subdivided, as in this case. Look at the units and
convert between units and milli/kilo versions of
these units.
Set tasks to get practice at extracting data from a table e.g. What is the
value of column Y for row X? Which row has the greatest value for a
given column? etc.
Explain estimation as a rough calculation, or a good/educated guess.
Ask students to estimate number of pupils using a corridor in a day, beans
in a jar etc. stressing that the idea is to get near to the value, rather than
worrying about the exact answer. Move on to estimating missing data in
tables, or on graphs, where there are patterns.

14

Mark point

Mark

(a)(i)
WSC12

(a)(ii)
WSC12

(a)(iii)
BA3.10

(b)
WSC10
WSC12

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance

fat
carbohydrate
protein
if more than one box is ticked, award
no mark

200 g 4

Any one from

vitamins
(c)
BA3.10

(d) (i)
WSC10

a named vitamin

water
fibre

roughage; minerals or a
named mineral

1100

accept a number from 1000 to 1300

do not accept calcium

Any one from

to make milk
milk contains calcium
(d) (ii)
BA3.12

breast-fed baby needs calcium for

growth or for bones or teeth

the baby needs calcium

she has to have enough calcium

for herself and the baby

to feed herself and the baby

the baby needs 600 and she
needs 500
this is recommended for mother
and baby

to feed the baby is insufficient

TOTAL MARKS 7

15

Question 8

Changes of state stearic acid

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended
to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about their understanding,
and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

Higher attaining students in the original Year 9 cohort who answered this question
found it relatively straightforward overall, whereas lower attaining students struggled.
Both groups found (ai) (reading the graph in terms of changes of state) and (b) (types
of thermal energy transfer) the hardest. In (aii) some were not accurate in reading the
graph and rounded the answer to 54 C or 56 C.

reading graphs, and interpreting

graphical data to draw conclusions
Energetics

Energy changes and transfers

The question relies on the students ability to interpret a potentially unfamiliar

practical set-up, with an unfamiliar substance, and apply what they know about
melting and boiling to it. Students may struggle with large amounts of information
provided in one go, and with interpreting graphs with changes of gradient.

energy transfers caused by

temperature differences

What you could do next:

energy changes involved with

changes of state

Looking ahead to GCSE:

At GCSE these Working Scientifically
skills are all essential, where the
interpretation of graphs is more likely
to involve line graphs with changes of
gradient.
An understanding of energy and
changes of state is also further
developed at GCSE; as well as
temperature differences leading
to energy transfer, and the use of
insulators.

Having taught a topic, immediately provide situations where they have to apply
knowledge in unfamiliar situations. Draw out the similarities and differences with
what they already know.
Provide various line graphs with changing slopes, and ask students to tell the
story of the line as they see it (e.g. first it goes up gradually, then it levels out,
then it goes up more steeply etc.). Then ask them to put values on the places
where the story changes.
Ask students to read data from a range of different graphs where the point does
falls between easily-identifiable lines. Do this in both directions i.e. from X axis to
Y axis, and vice versa.
The processes of conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation are distinct,
but the words may be confusing. Break the words down into components; and
ask students to generate their own ways (such as rhymes, acronyms etc.) to
remember the differences.
When teaching changes of state, do not focus on water only. Using melting and
boiling point data, ask students to tell you the state of different substances at
given temperatures.

16

Mark point

Mark

(a)(i)
WSC12
CE20

(a)(ii)
WSC12

(a)(iii)
WSC12
CE20

(b)
PA2.7

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance

55

accept answers from 54 to 56

point A: solid
point D: liquid
if more than one box is ticked, award
no mark

conduction 4
Any one from
the boiling point of water is less
than that of stearic acid

(c)
PA2.7

the water is not hot enough

water could not transfer

enough energy
the maximum temperature of
water is 100C
it cannot get hot enough

stearic acid has a very high

boiling point
TOTAL MARKS 6

17

Question 9

Housefly life cycle

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended
to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about their understanding,
and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

Higher attaining students in the original Year 9 cohort who answered this
question found it of intermediate difficulty overall.

the way theories develop in light

of new evidence
interpreting observations to
draw conclusions
presenting explanations of
observations
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically
skills are all essential, where drawing
conclusions and explaining scientific
observations clearly are both needed
in situations where new information
is presented.

The question does not depend heavily on any detailed understanding of life
cycles, houseflies or meat preservation students can work out much of it if
they can read and hold in their minds a lot the information provided, and think
of it in terms of what has been controlled.
What you could do next:
Stress that science is not just a collection of things to know you can treat
things scientifically in any situation, so it is always worth having a go even
if you think you dont know all the facts.
Use the word control with students. When discussion any experiments
from which we have learned something ask: what was varied here? what
was controlled here?
Present students with situations where they have to take in more than one
piece of information at a time, so that they get practice in drawing together
evidence from more than one place (e.g. in this case, from all
three containers).
When they are suggesting reasons for anything, encourage fuller
explanations by asking and why might that be? or and that is
becausewhy?, or similar, so that they are as specific as they can be.
Reward these specific explanations, rather than shallow ones in both
discussion and in writing.

18

Mark point

Mark

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance

Award a mark for an answer that shows that maggots will only be found in meat that flies have had contact with, for example:

Any one from

there were no maggots in container 2

(a) (i)
WSA2
WSC12

there were no maggots in container 3

there were only maggots on the meat

in container 1 or in the container that
was open
the meat the flies could not reach had
no maggots on

when the meat is sealed there are

no maggots

there are maggots on the mesh but

not on the meat

there are maggots on the mesh

is insufficient

Award a mark for an answer that shows that contact with air is not sufficient for maggots to develop, for example:

Any one from

(a) (ii)
WSA2
WSC12

there were maggots in container 1 but

no maggots in container 2 or 3
air could get into container 3
there is air in container 2

(b)
WSC13

there were no maggots in

container 2 or 3
there would have been maggots in all
of them

Any one from

1

they had no food

they starved or died

1
maggots could not get to the food
maggots could not eat the meat

Any two from

maggots could not get to the meat

is insufficient

flies or insects cannot reach the meat

(c)
WSC13

too cold for bacteria or fungi to

multiply or bacteria multiply
more slowly

microbes grow more slowly

do not accept it kills bacteria or stops

the growth of bacteria
do not accept it is too cold or too cool
without qualification

prevents meat rotting

keeps the meat or food fresh or so it

does not go off or too cold for enzymes
to work eggs or maggots grow
more slowly

do not accept maggots are killed by

the cold

19

TOTAL MARKS 5

Question 10

Wilting roses

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended
to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about their understanding,
and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

Higher attaining students in the original Year 9 cohort who answered this
question found it of intermediate difficulty overall. Students struggled with
even attempting to provide a dependent variable as well as the independent
one, or were not specific enough in saying what they would actually observe/
measure about the flowers. Many students noticed the prompt for the
timescales and were able to include this.

taking an objective approach when

planning to investigate a claim
identifying and controlling
variables for a fair test
selecting appropriate methods
in order to carry it out
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically
skills are all essential, where students
may be asked to plan to use scientific
approaches to investigate claims.

This requires an extended answer that includes the prompts in the question,
and does not depend at all on any detailed understanding of flowers or
genetic modification. Students need to be able to identify variables and plan
what to measure.
What you could do next:
Clarify the meaning of the terms independent and dependent with
reference to variables. Use the words factor and variable - both are
required at KS3 and GCSE.
Ask students to identify, and put into words to explain, why some methods
involve a fair test and others do not. Do not allow pupils to loosely refer to
fair testing, without also explaining what it means in that specific situation
i.e. what is being varied, what is being controlled and what is being
measured.
Provide students with opportunities to plan extended answers from scratch
in cases where a fair test is required. Start with providing the prompts I
can change, I can measure, I can control, with each prompt
leading to its own sentence or paragraph. Most importantly, move on and
make change-measure-control a mantra for fair testing situations so they
dont need the prompt.

20

Mark point

Mark

WSA01 | WSB6 | WSB7

1

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance

Markers should read through the whole answer before marking this question
modified and unmodified plants

type of plant

the number of days or weeks or

months the flowers stayed fresh

how long they stayed fresh

(flowers from) different plants

is insufficient

Any one from

modified and unmodified plants
should be the same variety
3

conditions under which flowers

are kept should be the same

amount of sunlight should be

the same
amount of water should be the same
nutrients added should be the same

modified and unmodified plants

should be the same starting age
4

A suitable time span (which will allow

comparison) for example until they
have all wilted or until all ordinary
plants have wilted

award a mark for answers of 2 weeks

or more

TOTAL MARKS 4

21

Question 11

Solar panels

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended
to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about their understanding,
and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

Higher attaining students in the original Year 9 cohort who answered this
question found it relatively straightforward overall, except for (bi) which
awards two marks some students did not consider the change in start/end
of day as well as lower energy output overall.

using line graphs and interpreting

data presented in them, in order to
draw conclusions
working out what to calculate, and
then carrying out calculations
Energy
comparing amounts of energy
Space physics
day lengths at different times
of year
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically
skills are all essential - where the
interpretation of graphs is more likely
to involve line graphs with changes of
gradient; and where calculations from
data provided are more common.
An understanding of quantifying
energy transferred (and power) is
also further developed at GCSE;
although understanding differences
in day length with the seasons is not
required in all GCSE specifications.

This question requires students to apply previous knowledge to sketch graph

shapes, and calculate answers from data in the question.
What you could do next:
Provide various line graphs with changing slopes, and ask students to tell
the story of the line as they see it (e.g. first it goes up, reaches a peak,
then it goes down etc.). Then ask them to put values on the places where
the story changes.
Before carrying out investigations or formally plotting graphs, encourage
the use of sketch graphs to predict or show the general behaviour of
one factor (Y axis) as another is varied (X axis). Ask questions about
steepness, changes in slope, what might happens at the extremes,
whether it can go through the origin or crosses axes elsewhere. At this
stage, ask them to draw as only rough sketches, so they think about
trends not details.
Ask students to read data from a range of different graphs where the point
does falls between easily-identifiable lines. Do this in both directions i.e.
from X axis to Y axis, and vice versa.

22

Mark point

Mark

Answer

Accept

Additional Guidance

Any one from

(a)(i)
WSC12
PA1.3

(a)(ii)
WSC10
WSC12

(b)(i) 1
PF.61

(b)(i) 2
PF.61
(b)(ii)
WSC10
WSD17

the Earth rotates

the Sun appears to move across the

sky; the Sun is in a different position
at different times of day

the amount of sunlight varies

different cloud cover

the angle of the Sun varies

in the middle of the day the energy

received is greatest

6.0

any number from 5.8 to 6.2

do not accept in the middle of the

day the Sun is hottest or brightest

a graph starting after 6 am and

ending before 6 pm
a line below the existing line and flat

or reaching a maximum between 12

noon and 1 pm
15

180
12
TOTAL MARKS 5

23

Question 12

Heart disease

Implications for teaching and learning

Assessment of learning
What this question is intended to assess

Assessment for learning

What your students responses could be revealing about
their understanding, and what you could do next

This KS3 question is about:

Student responses:

Working scientifically

Higher attaining students in the original Year 9

cohort who answered this question found it relatively
straightforward overall, although some students struggled
more with interpreting the claims in parts (b) and (c).

taking an objective approach when considering a

claim, and evaluating the reliability of data
interpreting observations to draw conclusions
presenting reasoned explanations of ideas
Looking ahead to GCSE:
At GCSE these Working Scientifically skills are all
essential, where students may be asked to interpret and
evaluate scientific claims, and consider the implications
of the claim in the real world.

24

This question requires students to question whether data

might be representative of a population, use the idea of
reliability, and give full explanations.
What you could do next:
Clarify the meaning of the term reliable with reference
to data; and evidence and justify with reference to
scientific claims.
Present students with newspaper or other reports of
studies that use sampling, and ask whether or not
there is enough information presented to know if the
sample is representative of the population.
When they are suggesting reasons for anything,
encourage fuller explanations by asking and why
might that be? or and that is becausewhy?,
or similar, so that they are as specific as they can
be. Reward these specific explanations, rather than
shallow ones in both discussion and in writing.

Mark point
(a)
WSC12
WSC14

(b)
WSA01
WSC13
WSC14

Mark

Answer

Accept

they have only investigated

British women

it is only one country; diet

differences elsewhere stress may
be different elsewhere; different
lifestyles elsewhere

Additional Guidance

they have only investigated women

in the 60 to 79 age group
they used a large sample

they used 4286 women

1
Any one from

(c)1
WSC12
WSC13

no - data refers only to

older women
no - if you include all women the
rate could be up or down
Any one from

(c)2
WSC12
WSC13
(c)3
WSC12
WSC13

no - no evidence of the impact of

treatment

no mention of treatment

no - previous research could have

underestimated the proportion

it does not tell you

yes - data suggests only 1 in 5

showed signs of heart disease so
4 out of 5 are unlikely to suffer

data shows 1 in 5 had signs of

heart disease
TOTAL MARKS 5

25

Mark point lookup table

Code
WSA

Description
Scientific attitudes

WSA1

pay attention to objectivity and concern for accuracy, precision, repeatability

and reproducibility

WSA2

understand that scientific methods and theories develop as earlier explanations are
modified to take account of new evidence and ideas, together with the importance of
publishing results and peer review

WSA3

evaluate risks

WSB

Experimental skills and investigations

WSB4

ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on observations of the real world,
alongside prior knowledge and experience

WSB5

make predictions using scientific knowledge and understanding

WSB6

select, plan and carry out the most appropriate types of scientific enquiries to test
predictions, including identifying independent, dependent and control variables,
where appropriate

WSB7

use appropriate techniques, apparatus, and materials during fieldwork and laboratory
work, paying attention to health and safety

WSB8

make and record observations and measurements using a range of methods for
different investigations; and evaluate the reliability of methods and suggest
possible improvements

WSB9

apply sampling techniques

WSC

Analysis and evaluation

WSC10

apply mathematical concepts and calculate results

WSC11

present observations and data using appropriate methods, including tables

and graphs

WSC12

interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations,
measurements and data to draw conclusions

WSC13

present reasoned explanations, including explaining data in relation to predictions

and hypotheses

WSC14

evaluate data, showing awareness of potential sources of random and

systematic error

WSC15

identify further questions arising from their results

WSD

Measurement

WSD16

understand and use SI units and IUPAC (International Union of Pure and
Applied Chemistry) chemical nomenclature

WSD17

use and derive simple equations and carry out appropriate calculations

WSD18

undertake basic data analysis including simple statistical techniques

GCSE

Assessment Objectives

AO1

Knowledge with understanding

AO2

Application, analysis, evaluation and problem solving

AO3

Experimental skills and methods amenable to indirect assessment

26

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