Understanding how to approach exam questions helps to boost exam performance. Question types will include multiple choice, structured, mathematical and practical questions.
Maths questions often start with the command words 'calculate' or 'determine'. They will then have a blank space for you to show your working. It is important that you show your working; don't just write the answer down. You might earn marks for your working even if you get the answer incorrect.
In some maths questions you will be required to give the units. This may earn you an additional mark. Don't forget to check whether you need to do this.
Maths questions might include graphs and tables as well as calculations. Don't forget to take a ruler and calculator.
If drawing graphs, make sure you:
put the independent variable on the x-axis and the dependant variable on the y-axis
construct regular scales for the axes
label the axes appropriately
plot each point accurately
decide whether the origin should be used as a data point
draw a straight or curved line of best fit
If you are asked to calculate an answer and it has lots of decimal places, don't forget to use the same number of significant figures as the data in the question. For example, if two significant figures are used in the question, then usually your answer would also be to two significant figures. Don't forget to check your rounding.
These questions have been written by Bitesize consultants as suggestions to the types of questions that may appear in an exam paper.
Sample question 1 - Foundation
Question
A student observed a cell with a microscope.
The magnification of the eyepiece was ×10.
The magnification of the objective was ×20.
a) What magnification was the student using? [1 mark]
The student measured a cell they were looking at as 0.5 mm.
b) Convert this into micrometres. [1 mark]
a) ×200 [1]
b) 500 μm [1]
(1 millimetre = 1000 μm)
Sample question 2 - Foundation
Question
How many orders of magnitude exist between an ant which is 3mm long and a human hair which has a diameter of 100 μm? [2 marks]
Ant = 3 mm which is 0.003 m or 10−3 m
Human hair = 100 μm which is 0.0001 or 10−4 m
[1]
So there is one order of difference. [1]
Sample question 3 - Higher
Question
A student is calibrating an eyepiece graticule.
The student finds that 47 divisions on the eyepiece graticule correspond with 100 μm on the stage micrometer.
Calculate what one division of the eyepiece graticule at this magnification represents. Write your answer to two significant figures. [2 marks]
2.1 μm [1]
47 divisions on the eyepiece graticule are equivalent to 100 μm on the stage micrometer.
1 division on the eyepiece graticule is equivalent to \(\frac{100}{47}\) μm on the stage micrometer. [1]
