Exam Tips - Data Response
How to Tackle Data Response Questions
We have a wide range of students taking ESS and many have chosen the course as their "Science" in the hope of perhaps avoiding having to deal with data. With the interdisciplinary nature of the course, there is a large emphasis on data interpretation and this is examined in Paper 1 and Paper 2 Part A.
In this short video I provide a walk through in how to tackle a data question with some general introductory tips for test taking in ESS.
Here is a copy of the notes from the video.
General Tips include:
Pay attention to the command terms. See The Command Terms
Pay attention to the number of marks available per part of the question
In these short answers you don't need to answer in full sentences and please don't repeat the question. Maximise your thinking time.
Underline key words in the question.
Write key words near the graph to help you think.
Data Response Tips:
Use data in your response if there is data in a chart.
Draw on the graph and use a ruler to mark maximums (peaks) and minimums (troughs)
Refer to the numbers
Are there simple calculations you can do, e.g. can you say the number has double or it has halved?
Make sure you are reading the correct axes. In tricky questions there may be multiple (more than two) axes.
Use the units provided in the data.