What do examiners mean by "Levels of response" ?
GCSE sometimes presents difficulties to able candidates because the questions seem deceptively easy. This is because they are supposed to be accessible to candidates of a wide range of ability. Unlike the allegedly elitist examinations that preceded it, GCSE is an examination that can be attempted by the majority of your age group.
This means that some questions can be understood on more than one level. In other words no-one should emerge from the examination room feeling that the questions were impossible and that they have completely messed up. Everyone is able to write down at least some simple generality in answer to each question. This simple generality is the lowest level of response that the examiners expect from a literate candidate.
If we are talking about a two mark, one line answer, then it may be all that is required from you too. You should know the total number of marks available for the paper and the total number of minutes in which to obtain them. If you need 80 marks in 90 minutes it makes no sense to write half a page in pursuit of a couple of marks.
High mark value questions
But what if there are eight lines allotted for the answer, and six or eight marks for it, but the simple generality will fit on the first line? If you content yourself with the simple generality, leave seven blank lines in the answer book and go on to the next question after 30 seconds, you will lose most of these marks. The able candidate has to understand what more complex ideas are underlying the question and construct the higher level components for himself or herself.
It works like this. Suppose I ask you a very easy question:
What colour is grass?
Oh dear. This is ridiculous. It is an insult to my intelligence. I really can't be bothered with rubbish like this. I am a seriously smart person. (But not smart enough to realise that the examiners don't know how smart I am unless I actually show them?)
Level one response
The worst thing you can do is write this simple answer and then move on to the next question wondering why they gave you so many unnecessary extra lines of space in the answer booklet. |
Level two response
You identify the relevant area of specialist knowledge, analytical tool, technical term or whatever from the course and trot it out. This gets you into the C/B range. |
Level three response
Not being a biologist, this is the point at which I'm running out of knowledge and understanding. So are most of your competitors. This gets you an A. |
Level Four response
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Remember, this isn't an essay. It's just three or four sentences, each of which moves another step up the ladder. "Grass is (usually) green, (Level one) though sometimes it is naturally variegated and sometimes its colour fades with environmental conditions (Level two). The green colour results from the process of (insert technical term here - ed.) (Good level two) This means that (insert explanation here - ed .) - (Level three.) The nutrients and fibre contents of grass species may vary with greenness and thus affect agricultural economics. Sheep need less lush pasture than cows. (Level Four.) Not too hard eh? Just a little thought required. That's the whole point. |
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1. The lowest level is what I call the "grass is green" answer. Virtually everyone knows it. It is never worth more than a third of the available marks in a multi-mark question. 
2. The next level is when you prove to the examiner that you did actually study the subject and therefore have more knowledge of it than your average tabloid reader. 
3. You explain how this specialist knowledge enables you to explain why "grass is green." 
4. You give a practical example of the "greenness of grass." This is more than just saying "e.g. for grazing." You need an explanation of the value of the example, such as "The nutrients and fibre contents of grass species may vary with greenness. Sheep need less lush pasture than cows." This proves that you can apply this knowledge as well as recite it. This gets you the A* This page is: Edinburgh Academy / curriculum / gcse_levels.htm
