The ISA exam

The exam is in two parts.

Part 1

Questions about the experiment you did.

 

 Part 2

Questions which test your knowledge of How Science Works and your ability to make conclusions based on data. On the website there are a number of PowerPoints. Study them. They explain what you need to know for the exam.

 

For part 1 make sure you know the following:

   What was the purpose of the experiment?

   What were the independent and dependant variables?

   What variables did you control?        (Why is it important to control variables? - Don't just say to make it a fair test)

   Were these variables continuous, discrete or catagoric?

   What range and number of values did you choose for your independent variable?

   How precisely did you measure the dependant variable?

   How did you try to make your results reliable?

   What pattern can be seen in your results?

For part 2 you need to know the above and lots more. Study the PowerPoints carefully.

Here are just a few examples of the stuff you need to know:

   What is a sample?

   What does it mean to calibrate a measuring instrument?

   What are the two types of error?

   What should you do if you think a piece of data is anomalous?

   Any experiment doesn't prove anything. Why not?

Your teacher will also give you up to 5 marks based on how good they think your practical skills are. This is called the Practical Skills Assessment or PSA.