Mock Exam 2005 Paper 2.
Name
|
Mark 1 |
Mark 2 |
Sum |
Grade |
|
Average |
11,1875 |
9,0625 |
20,25 |
4,875 |
|
Median |
12,5 |
9 |
24,5 |
6 |
|
Grades: |
Amount of students |
Grade meaning |
% |
|
|
0 |
1 |
Nothing |
6% |
|
|
1 |
0 |
Very poor |
0% |
|
|
2 |
2 |
Poor |
13% |
|
|
3 |
2 |
Mediocre |
13% |
31% |
|
4 |
1 |
Satisfactory |
6% |
|
|
5 |
1 |
Good |
6% |
|
|
6 |
4 |
Very good |
25% |
|
|
7 |
5 |
Excellent |
31% |
69% |
Mini exam May 2004
|
Name |
Marks Q1 |
Marks Q2 |
Mark Sum |
Grade |
|
Average |
8,875 |
7,75 |
16,625 |
3,875 |
|
Median |
8 |
7,5 |
16 |
3,5 |
|
Grades: |
Amount of students |
Grade meaning |
% |
|
|
0 |
1 |
Nothing |
6% |
|
|
1 |
0 |
Very poor |
0% |
|
|
2 |
2 |
Poor |
13% |
|
|
3 |
5 |
Mediocre |
31% |
50% |
|
4 |
3 |
Satisfactory |
19% |
|
|
5 |
1 |
Good |
6% |
|
|
6 |
2 |
Very good |
13% |
|
|
7 |
2 |
Excellent |
13% |
50% |
What I noted correcting the different
questions:
· The difference between a 6-7 and 3-4:
o
6-7 structure the answer around the factors
asked in the question.
o
6-7 use correct details at a good level.
o
3-4 give end on descriptions telling everything
you know concerning the area asked about.
o
3-4 don’t know enough details.
· Your answer is a description of your knowledge!
o
The examiner wants to read and see that you
have enough knowledge on area you are asked about.
o
Your answer should be like a good road
description:
§
You should only include facts and details that
brings you the end of the trip.
§
The examiner wants a clear line of arguments,
ideas, that clearly shows that you have understood the question and that you
know the answer.
§
The examiner is NOT interested in reading
everything you know about Hitler etc.
§
The examiner will NEVER award higher marks to
students showing that they don’t know the basic facts on the different areas
asked.
§
The examiner thinks that you have a wide
variety of questions that you should be able to answer and has no pardon for
those of you who obviously picked the wrong question.
· How to pick a good question!
o
Go directly to Topic 3, 5 and 1. IN THAT ORDER.
o
Try to locate any questions that you KNOW THE
ANSWER TO!
o
If you find more than one question within a
topic that you know the answer to, pick the easiest one.
§
An easy question is specific on an area you
really know.
§
OR general on factors that you really know.
o
Once you have pick from one topic, move to the
next and do the same process over again.
o
Once you have picked the questions your
questions you stick with that plan.
o
This should take no more than 5 minutes.
o
Answer the most complicated question first.
o
NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU
PICK A QUESTION OUT OF ANY OTHER REASON THAN KNOWLEDGE OF THE ANSWER!!!
§
It is 100% irrelevant if the question is
interesting or challenging.
§
Exams are not supposed to be fun or interesting
or any of that mumbo jumbo. Exams are dead boring and have the sole purpose of testing knowledge!
Thoughts on Paper 2:
Topic 1 Questions picked by you:
· Question Nr 1 “Compare and contrast the causes of First and Second
World Wars.”
o
Compare and contrast!
o
No end-on stories requested.
o
If you don’t know the causes of the wars by
heart, avoid this question.
· Question nr 5 “ ‘The Korean War was a limited war, a civil war, and
an episode in the Cold War’. To what extent do you agree with each part of this
assertion?”
o
The most successful question.
o
Weakness in definition of limited war:
§
Should include limitations in Geography,
casualties and use of methods.
o
A very easy and good question.
Topic 3 Questions:
·
Question nr 11 “Analyse conditions that led
to single-party states during the twentieth century.”
o
Strong answers focus on conditions and use
different countries as an example.
§
These conditions are failures of previous
regime, war, popular support, weakness in economy etc.
o
Weaker answers tend to tell everything you know
about two dictators and not analyzing the conditions.
o
Good dictators to use here are Hitler,
Mussolini and Lenin.
o
Bad dictator is Stalin since he took over a
single-party state.
o
This is a good pick since you should know this
by know.
·
Question nr 12 “Compare and contrast the
domestic policies of Hitler and Stalin.”
o
You must be 100% sure of what domestic policies
mean, otherwise avoid this question.
o
Use the framework of comparing and contrasting.
o
Avoid everything you know about the domestic
policies of Hitler and Stalin.
o
You could easily spot similarities but didn’t
notice the differences.
o
I think that this question is a bad pick, it is
too general and too difficult.
·
Question 13 “ In what ways and for what
reasons did two rulers of single-party states, each chosen from a different
region, fail to achieve their objectives?”
o
You need to think carefully about what you mean
by failure.
o
You are not asked to point out the “biggest
looser” of these two.
o
You are not asked to systemize the failure
saying that failure 1 was bigger than failure two.
o
Mao is a given pick, Stalin another.
o
You need to set out the objectives of each ruler and then show how they failed in achieving this.
o
You also have to point out why they failed.
o
I think this is a bad pick, it is too
difficult.
· Question 14 “ Explain and examine the methods used by one of the
following rulers of single-party states, to obtain and keep power: Lenin; Mao;
Perón.”
o
You have a tendency to do narrative answers.
o
You should focus on the methods used by either
Lenin or Mao.
o
Methods are legal and force.
o
In order to obtain power you have to analyse
the popular support the leader had.
o
In use of methods you have to show when and why
the different methods were used.
o
Don’t pick this question if you are not 100%
sure of the details.
o
Lenin is a better pick than Mao since he died
earlier and is quicker to examine.
o
This is a good pick, but it is more difficult
than Q 11 since you have to have specific knowledge of one dictator.
· Question 15 “Assess the treatment of women and religious groups in
two single party states.”
o
Hitler is a given pick here. Stalin is another.
§
Hitler due to his treatment of Jews, but also
his view on women. But also because his problems with the catholic church.
§
Stalin because he treats women differently from
Hitler and the USSR anti-religion.
o
This question was a disaster at the “real”
exam:
§
Religious groups in USSR under Stalin is not an
area you know good enough.
§
Hitler is not enough to use the Jews.
§
If you haven’t written an internal assessment
on this area, being experts on religion and women, avoid this question.
o
The details must be correct!
o
Students picking this question did poor.
Questions on topic 5:
·
Question 21 “ In what ways and for what
reasons, did superpower rivalry dominate international politics between 1945
and 1961?”
o
Use the limitation in time.
o
Good answers focused on rivalry between the
superpowers and showed how and why this dominated international politics 45
–61.
o
Bad answers didn’t address the question but
merely gave a list of events under this period.
o
This is a very bad pick!
§
You really have to be experts on very big chunk
of history.
§
You must pick areas to focus on; Germany,
Satelitte States, Areas of Interests etc. Then you have to show both how this
dominated international politics and how it was caused by rivalry.
§
Impossible is one word that comes to mind.
·
Question 22 “ Analyse the role of Germany in
the origin and development of the Cold War.”
o
The most successful question from Topic 5.
o
Strong Answers analysed the role of events in
Germany during the origin and start of the Cold War.
o
Weak answers told the history of Germany 45
–89.
o
You must answer the question in order that you
show HOW events in Germany led to changes in the Cold War policies of USSR and
USA.
o
This question is a good pick.
o
The word “development” caused some confusement,
the examiner states that 1961 would be a good point to stop.
· Question 23 “Explain and evaluate the impact of the Cold War had on
developing countries.”
o
This is the question with the worst result.
o