Help! OCR GCSE Modular Unit A

Hi,
We are currently teaching the new OCR modular syllabus for GCSE to our current yr10. We plan to take Unit A on 17th January 2011, and we have access to the OCR produced specimen and additional specimen papers online.
However, did anyone enter pupils in the November 2010 sitting of Unit A? It would be really beneficial to see an actual past paper and we weren't quite quick enough to think about this and enter a student such that the school would then have a copy.
Having spoken to OCR today, they inform me that they will not be releasing the November 2010 paper until results are published on 13th January, which realistically is of little use given our yr10 sit unit A on 17th Jan.
Was really hoping that someone has pupils who sat this exam and could give me some feedback or email me a copy of this paper . Also if anyone else is studying this course, any ideas of how you are preparing your students, as I am concerned of the 'functional' investigational style potential questions.

Thanks in advance,
Stacey (email candy_dancing_angel@hotmail.com)

 

Hi,
We are currently teaching the new OCR modular syllabus for GCSE to our current yr10. We plan to take Unit A on 17th January 2011, and we have access to the OCR produced specimen and additional specimen papers online.
However, did anyone enter pupils in the November 2010 sitting of Unit A? It would be really beneficial to see an actual past paper and we weren't quite quick enough to think about this and enter a student such that the school would then have a copy.
Having spoken to OCR today, they inform me that they will not be releasing the November 2010 paper until results are published on 13th January, which realistically is of little use given our yr10 sit unit A on 17th Jan.
Was really hoping that someone has pupils who sat this exam and could give me some feedback or email me a copy of this paper . Also if anyone else is studying this course, any ideas of how you are preparing your students, as I am concerned of the 'functional' investigational style potential questions.

Thanks in advance,
Stacey (email candy_dancing_angel@hotmail.com)

 

The 501 is here http://community.ocr.org.uk/community/maths-gcse-ga/home on the OCR Communities site
If you are not a member, just register fro free and you can loads of good stuff there
Mark schemes will not be available until new year.

 

Just anyone have any idea of what the grade boundaries are likely to be? If you work out the percentages from OCR's specification, they seem high. We have just done the paper as a mock but are struggling to allocate grades. Thanks.

 

Please don't use the UMS in the specification as raw pass marks. Some further details here:
http://social.ocr.org.uk/groups/maths/conversations/unit-higher-and-foundation-tier-any-ideas-how-i-can-grade-these-papers
The details therein are all estimates and should be taken with unhealthy doses of salt but might give you something to go on in the meantime.
Kevin

 

I have copies of the Unit A Nov 2010 past papers (pdf files downloaded from the OCR interchange site). The mark schemes are not available until the results are out but I can email them to you if you want them.

 

Thank you for all ur replies. I have joined the OCR community/interchange and hve downloaded a copy of nov exam.
Stace x