Cambridge Pre-U Syllabus - Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge Pre-U Syllabus
Sub-skill
Making conclusions drawing on theoretical knowledge and understanding
Candidates should be able to:
• draw conclusions from an investigation or from interpretations of observations, data and calculated
values, providing a detailed description of the key features of the observations, data and analyses, and
considering whether experimental data support a given hypothesis or not;
• make detailed scientific explanations of the data and of their conclusions, drawing on the skills,
knowledge and understanding that they have gained from their studies of the Pre-U syllabus;
• make further predictions and ask informed and relevant questions.
Key points of the raw data, graphical representations of it and statistical test results should be given,
including quoting of relevant figures, leading to a clear indication of the strength or weakness of any support
for or against the hypothesis, or indeed, its proof or refutation. Conclusions may be expressed in terms of
support for, or refutation of, hypotheses, or in terms of the straightforward deductions or inductions that,
logically, can be made from the data, observations or results of calculations. Detailed scientific explanations
form a part of such conclusions and therefore form a part of this higher-order practical skill assessment, in
which the candidates will be expected to refer to knowledge and understanding gained in the theoretical part
of the course in order to provide explanations of their practical conclusions, for example making detailed
reference to changes in protein structure when interpreting the effect of pH on enzyme activity.
53