PERFORMANCE OF CANDIDATES

IN SECTIONS A & C

QUESTION 1A

Nearly one-third of the candidates scored full marks

Despite the fact that the question had highlighted
Candidates should read the question carefully and
think about the requirements

QUESTION 1A

Simple and clear answers

Key points are there, but did

the candidates address the Q?

Candidate deduced the

mechanism rather than
using the mechanism to
explain the data

Or explain why this

mechanism is used

Totally ignored the mechansisms, explanation

based on a need to basis

Wrongly thought that its the location that leads

to the difference, totally ignore the highlight
about mechanisms

Some gave unnecessary information

Contradictions if same mechanisms, why there

is a difference?

Kept repeating the data in the table, did not

know the concepts of filtered and reabsorbed

Nearly one-third of the candidates were able to

give a clear and step-by-step description about
how the absorption of the substances would lead
to the absorption of most of the water
About one-third of the candidates scored zero
marks because they gave a detailed description
about the hormonal control of water reabsorption

Clear and logical presentation of the sequence and events

taking place

No reference to the data shown in table, just recite

Did not cite the correct information from the table

1.
2.
3.

Irrelevant
No reference to amount
Inaccurate use of terms

No concrete answer given

Well answered. More than half of the candidates

were able to state the hormone and its action.
e.g.

Some candidates failed to state clearly how the

hormone worked. They simply stated that it
regulated or controlled the reabsorption of water
without mentioning it worked by increasing the
permeability of the collecting duct to water.
e.g.

QUESTION 1B

About half of the candidates failed to point out the correct heart
chamber.
Despite quite a number of candidates still used both the left
and right ventricles as their answer.

Some wrongly answered the left atrium

Spelling mistakes were common

Did not fully understand the definition of venous

return. They mixed up the effect on heart beat
with venous return
Tended to describe how the contractions of the
heart resulted in pumping of blood to the aorta
Did not mention the effect of the strength of
contractions, i.e. the magnitude of the
contractions, on the volume of blood pumped out

Clear understanding was demonstrated

Failed to give clear indication of the roles of

venous return and strength of muscle
contraction

Merely a
description of
how blood is
pumped out
to the aorta

Ignored the information given in the question,

simply linked everything to rate

When they read about doing exercises in the

question, many candidates gave a lengthy
description of the effect of exercise on the heart
rate or the need for the heart to pump more blood
out to supply oxygen
Only a few candidates were aware that the
venous return referred to the volume of blood
entering the right atrium.

Able to link the increase in contraction of skeletal

muscle with the increase of venous return

Only focused on the increase in heart rate and forgot

the blood pressure drops after passing through the
capillary network, and hence the blood flow in veins
are maintained by contraction of skeletal muscles and
breathing actions

Some mentioned about the significance of

increase blood flow to the muscle contractions,
which is totally irrelevant

Not aware that a high running speed relied more

on the supply of energy from anaerobic
respiration while a low running speed relied
more on aerobic respiration
Wrongly thought it was the heart muscle that
would undergo anaerobic respiration when
running at high speed
Misconception: the muscle needed extra energy
and then switched to anaerobic respiration. In
fact, it is the insufficient supply of oxygen for
complete oxidation of glucose that leads to the
conversion of pyruvate to lactic acid.

Failed to point out that sustaining a continuous muscle

contractions throughout the course is important to marathon
running
Failed to point out why there will be anaerobic respiration if run
at high speed

Irrelevant

Similar response

Irrelevant

Another similar response

Irrelevant

Over-simplified heat stroke / heart attack?

Candidates might
have related those
news articles about
sudden death
during running
without knowing
that their heart are
often defective or
the weather is very
hot in those
incidences

Where comes the energy?

QUESTION 3A

Many candidates thought that E. coli was a

pathogen and its presence in water would cause
diseases directly
They did not know E. coli could be found in the
faeces of vertebrates

X
X

Candidates generally knew that the larger the

number of E. coli in water, the more polluted the
water

Failed to elaborate on water quality

Most candidates did not know the limitations of

using organisms as a pollution indicator.
Only a few candidates correctly stated two
limitations.

Less than one-third of the candidates correctly stated

the importance of using aseptic techniques.
Many candidates failed to give the correct method.
Even if they did, they were not aware that an autoclave
could kill the spores as well.

Correct method but missed the key point about

killing spores

spores?

Similar response in C scripts

Many candidates gave other aseptic techniques

not related to preparation of culture media

QUESTION 3B

Only some more able candidates correlated the

environmental conditions with the growth of
different microbes.
Some candidates used the optimum temperature
of enzymes to explain the production of different
metabolites.

Should link
with
temperature
or humidity

Should mention
the entry of
microbes to the
milk

Use the approach of optimum temp. to explain the

different metabolites produced but failed to
mention the entry of microbes into the milk

Answer that repeats information from question

Candidates knew the method of pasteurization but only some of them

related it to the importance of killing pre-existing microbes, which
may affect the final taste of the cheese. Only a few of them
pinpointed the purpose of adding certain microbes to produce the
desired taste.

Appearance of small amount of fungus

Appearance of large amount of spores

How punching of holes resulted in the change

from a small amount of fungus to a large amount
of spores?

Many candidates pointed out that the punching of holes would

facilitate fermentation.
Only some of them related it to the aerobic nature of the fungus.
Only a few candidates related the blue colour of the cheese to the
presence of a large amount of spores.