MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
FIJI SEVENTH FORM EXAMINATION 2006
EXAMINER’S REPORT
BIOLOGY
As in previous years, care was taken in preparing the examination paper to ensure that
(i) all the four sections of the syllabus are covered (ii) the questions set tested different abilities
(iii) marks awarded were related to the teaching time required for that section
Some candidates’ performance was outstanding, its was a pleasure to read and mark their work. At the other extreme were candidates who handed in scripts with many blank spaces.
The overall performance generally was disappointing. Most students knew a lot but because they did not read the questions carefully, they wrote incorrect answers. The space given for writing should guide the students in how much to write. They are not to waste time and space rewriting the question in their answer.
As the marking scheme is sent with this report, the comments here are largely directed at the weaknesses identified from the candidate’s performance.
Paper 1 100 marks
Marks awarded for this paper ranged from 10 to 89 with a mean of 40.4
Section A 20 marks
100 scripts formed the sample used in analyzing the performance of candidates in this section.
The table that follows shows the percentage of candidates choosing each of the four options of the twenty questions. Teachers could go over these questions ensuring that the students understand why three of the options are wrong and one is
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Multiple Choice Responses in Percentages
A B C D A B C D
1 20 22 43* 15 11 6 11 52 31*
2 3 3 75* 19 12 15 4 24 57*
3 13 39* 28 22 13 15 48* 12 25
4 47* 2 18 8 14 17 10 70* 3
5 77* 8 6 9 15 37 6 42* 15
6 14 7 31 48* 16 43* 21 19 17
7 63 15* 3 19 17 15 20 17 48*
8 3 67 13 17* 18 3 9 65* 23
9 52* 26 20 2 19 11 44* 23 22
10 60* 15 7 18 20 15 23 32 30*
An asterisk,*, indicates the correct option.
The need for students to carefully read the question and understand it before answering is again stressed.
SECTION B 60 marks
The comments that follow are based on the analysis of 150 scripts. Marks ranged from 6 to 56 with a mean of 21. It would be time well spent if teachers discussed with students a sample of questions identifying for each
- the key words
- what the question requires
- the numbers of parts that students need to respond to.
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QUESTION 1 10 marks
Marks ranged from 0 to 9½ with a mean of 3
(a) Many - stated wrongly that animals made their own amino acids
- did not see that part (ii) questioned how a protein can be denatured - were unaware of the importance of the different types of bonds that produce the three – dimensional shape of proteins
(b) Basic facts as questioned in parts (i) – (iv) not well understood promotor gene does not bind to another gene. m RNA synthesis is questioned here not
protein synthesis.
(c) Very poorly answered. The terms transgenic organism and vector were not clearly understood.
QUESTION 2 10 marks
Marks awarded ranged from 0 to 8½ with a mean of 2½.
(a) (i) & (ii) Calculations done well by some.
(iii) – (iv) A number of students answered these well, the rest could not think their way through.
(b) Many had confused ideas of what a plasmid is stating that it replicates itself before entering
a bacterium.
(iii) – (iv) Teachers need to discuss with students that antibiotics - are chemical compounds
- do not develop resistance - do not multiply inside cells
(v) The term biological concept needs to be clearly explained with examples to illustrate it.
QUESTION 3 10 marks
Marks given ranged from 1 to 10 with a mean of 3.5
(a) (i) & (ii) Answered well
(iii) A large number of wrong answers given
(iv) Question on plant tissues – more work needs to be done here. (v) Generally answered well ; for II, “water” was not accepted.
(b) (i) & (ii) Answered well
(iii) & (iv) Many could not answer these correctly. Students need to learn how to answer
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(c) (i) Generally answered well except for those writing on reproduction (ii) Answered well
(iii) Many wrote brown alga for red ; some obviously did not know and wrote names of
bacteria and or protests.
QUESTION 4 10 marks
Marks gained ranged from 0 to 9½ with a mean of 3.
(a) (i) Very few gained a mark here. Some wrote on the movement of earthworm in the soil and many stated that the earthworm does not need a mate.
(ii) Most defined cephalisation but offered little on its contribution to the successful life of a shark.
(b) (i) Answer could not be worked out by many.
(ii) A large number of candidates do not know the meaning of the term echinoderm.
(iii) Few candidates mentioned ‘gas exchange’ and serving as sensory organs’ as roles of tube feet. A large number of candidates wrote on the water vascular system and on how the tube feet work both not asked for.
(c) Answered well.
(d) (ii) Not accepted were answers as two (three) body parts ; two (three) parts to the body and two (three) cell layers. Humans are triploblastic and have definitely more than three layers of cells in our body plan.
QUESTION 5 10 marks
Marks awarded range from 0 to 9½ with a mean of 5.
(a) (i) Type of attitude is questioned – many did not answer this. A number thought the quote was on evolution of trees, some others re-wrote the quote as their answer. Very few wrote a well thought – out answer.
(ii) Again many re-wrote the quote as their answer ; very few were able to give valid reasons as required.
(b) Generally answered well.
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QUESTION 6 10 marks
Score ranged from 0 to 9 with mean of 4.
(a) (i) & (ii) Answered well.
(iii) Needs to be discussed.
(b) (i) Answered very well.
(ii) Needs to be discussed.
(c) (i) and (ii) I answered well. Part II was poorly done as most candidates wrote on
advantages gained by other species, not the advantages gained by the balolo worms and so did not gain a mark.
(d) Answered well by many.
SECTION C
Candidates must identify by words to refer to and to keep them on the right track.
QUESTION 1 SHORT ESSAY (5 marks)
This essay is marked on content only unless the expression is very poor.
Overall the standard was disappointing because of incorrect facts, insufficient facts and writing
on thing’s not asked for.
Topic (a)
Marks awarded ranged from 0 to 4 with a mean of 2. About 49% of the candidates wrote on this topic. Weaknesses include:
- writing on prokaryotes
- giving eucaryote cells features of prokaryotes - limiting eukaryotes to algae only
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Topic (b) 5 marks
The choice of 5% of candidates, marks ranged from 0 to 2 with a mean of 0.5 The essays were evidence of lack of knowledge of cell types in cnidarians and their respective roles.
Many wrote on polymorphism while others wrote on cell types in sponges. Much work needs to be
done on this.
Topic (c) 5 marks
23% of candidates chose this topic and their marks ranged from 0 to 3½ with a mean of 1. Insufficient facts was the weakness of those who kept to the topic. With the rest, many wrote on acoelomates and pseudocoelomates and the others offered vague statements like “coelom is important in the activities of the animal etc. without explaining what a coelom is. Faulty understanding of the coelom and its value is clearly evident.
Topic (d) 5 marks
This topic was chosen also by 23% of the candidates whose marks ranged from 0 to 5 with a mean of 1½. There were a couple of very good essays but about 1/5 of the essays gained no mark at all.
Major weaknesses include
- writing on parts of the sporohyte instead of just the gametophytes - describing pine trees and mosses as angiosperms
- incorrect statements like:
- gametophytes – of angiosperms can reproduce - is a group of plants like ferns
- pollen travels to the ovary.
QUESTION 2 Long Essays 15 marks
Each of the topics given had more than two parts that needed to be discussed. Failure to write on one of these parts meant losing out the marks allowed for that part.
Topic (a) 15 marks
This was chosen by 9% of the candidates whose marks ranged from 1½ to 7½ with a mean of 5. The essays were disappointing. The major weaknesses were :
- discussing roots, leaves and flowers instead of just the stems - lack of knowledge of stems of conifers and ferns
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6% of the essays were on this topic with marks ranging from 1½ to 12½ and a mean of 7.
Major weaknesses include:
- writing on birds (which was not required)
- not writing on the limitations imposed or advantages gained
- writing on another system – gas exchange, skeletal, digestive instead of just the circulatory system.
- Incorrect facts eg - blood is mixed in the heart of a fish - amphibians have two verticles
- in the fish blood travels to the gills then to the heart then to the body
Topic (d)
The popular choice with 73% of the candidates writing on it. Marks ranged from 1½ to 13 with a mean of 7.
Many wrongly defined greenhouse effect and very few candidates knew that
greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon that was affecting the earth well before the age of industrialization.
Very few mentioned methane as an important greenhouse gas.
Most used time and space to write about ozone depletion and acid rain which were not really necessary. Part (iv) of the topic was not done well in many essays.
Teachers need to guide their students in their thinking and not to accept work which is evidence of ‘lazy’ thinking.
Paper 2 40 marks
Total marks awarded in this paper ranged from 2 to 31 with a mean of 15½. The standard of work seen indicate that in some schools, the practical investigations lack the serious consideration that they need as an integral part of the Biology syllabus.
Question 1 Many students – thought the term karyotype referred to human chromosomes only - wrongly identified the telomeres as chromatids
Question 2 (a) (iii) and (b) were the areas of weak performance
Question 3 Many had no idea of the names of the parts lettered in (i)
- thought the single flagellum of a collar cell is used for filtering.
Question 4 (iii) Not many could name the stain
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Question 6 (c) (ii) The question was on a moss leaf, not moss leaves nor the moss plant.
Question 7 Almost 20% of the candidates got zero for this question. Some candidates stated that flame cells carried out digestion!
Question 8 (a) (i) Very few candidates scored 2 or 2½ because of - the wrong sequence in the procedure
- the wrong animal surface to dissect from - the inappropriate equipment or chemical used
- the vague directions given given eg. “cut from dorsal surface then to ventral surface …,” “cut the edges of the toad,” “plastic covering the organs of the toad remove…”
A large numbers of candidates stated “pin the skin and the organs are exposed. The internal organs of the toad are not located just beneath the skin.
(b) The spiracle and trachea of insects are not used for feeding nor for circulation of blood as a large number of candidates stated.
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Question 8 (b)
(i) the ciliated plate filters dust or particles (ii) the valve controls size of opening into trachea
