A report by Edexcel's Chair of Examiners for GCE Maths, Trevor Easingwood
Edexcel and the examination system were ridiculed in the media earlier this year for setting an "unanswerable" question on its AS Decision Maths Paper 6689. For Edexcel's staff and examiners alike, it was an uncomfortable time.
Now Edexcel's examiners have marked the paper and evaluated the evidence. They have found some startling results - not least that the "unanswerable" AS Maths question number six was very answerable; in fact, it was answered better than any other question on the paper by the majority of students.
There were seven questions on the paper. The problem arose with question 6 where, because of a proofing error, two of the values in the question paper and the answer book were different.
All 2,575 candidates attempted question 6 and most solved the whole question; nearly 50 % (49.8%) gained 13 of the maximum 14 marks available for the question. Only 10% failed to achieve more than half marks for the question.
About two thirds of students worked with the numbers printed on the answer booklet and one third worked with those in the exam paper.
Students normally attempt questions in order. The overwhelming impression is that many students appear not to have been affected by the difficulties they may have encountered with question 6. 99% went on to answer question 7 - the majority (69.98%) gaining more than half of the 17 marks for the question with 20.5% gaining either 16 or 17 marks. 83% gained at least six of the marks on offer for the first part of that particular question. After question 6, students' best results were, in order, questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and then 5.
There was no evidence to suggest that students ran out of time and failed to finish the paper by attempting to answer question 6. Overall, the average mark for this paper was higher than for the other three AS level mathematics units taken in January - that is, students did better in this exam paper than in the other AS maths exam papers. Of the 2,575 entries for this paper, 22.7% achieved an 'A' grade, 14.7 % a 'B', and 14.7 % a 'C' grade, 13.1% a 'D' and 9.8% an 'E' grade.
Students have proved themselves to be resilient and have worked through a tricky problem with considerable success.
They and their teachers, who have prepared them well, in order that they can approach a problem logically and calmly, are to be congratulated.
