External Evaluation of the European Baccalaureate (Annexes)

In the recall questions, candidates are expected to make diagrams to show certain aspects of biology which they
have obviously learnt.
Some questions, notably those in Section A, are more demanding than others.
No mark scheme was provided so it was impossible to determine the standard of responses expected. I suspect that
the level is high.
Candidates are not required to write discursive essays.
There is no mention of marks for quality of written communication in the papers.
Question analysis.
I used the CRAS analysis developed by UCLES in 1999 to analyse the question papers. The results are on the
accompanying spread sheet. Entries in red identify the recall questions. Other questions require application of
knowledge and/or responses to stimulus material. Details of the CRAS system are supplied.
This revealed the Abitur questions to be of a much higher demand. For example there are far more CRAS scores of
4 in my analysis of the Abitur papers. There are far more questions on the EB paper with scores of 1 and 2. This
applies to all four criteria of the CRAS analysis:
Complexity
Resources
Abstractness
Strategy
There were three questions where identical or very similar topic areas were tested.
1. The light dependent stage of photosynthesis.
EB – P2 (c)(i)
Give the location in the cell of the reaction of the light dependent stage of photosynthesis, and describe the reactions
of this stage. [6]
Abitur – B1 2,2
Illustrate in a simplified labelled diagram the light dependent reactions in higher plants. [6]
These two questions ask for recall of some complex biochemistry for this level. However, the questions suggest that
both groups of candidates would have learnt a standard diagram that shows the light dependent stage of
photosynthesis. The EB candidates have to do more than just reproduce a learnt diagram, so the level of demand is
slightly higher for them.
2. Pedigree analysis.
EB – G1
(a) The candidates are provided with information about total colour blindness and given a pedigree.
They are expected to determine the mode of transmission by identifying it as a recessive disorder. They could also
be expected to deduce that it is an autosomal condition, but the mark scheme does not require that.
Abitur – A1 1.1
The candidates are provided with information about Wilson’s disease and are given a pedigree to analyse. This is
also an autosomal recessive disorder. Without a mark scheme I cannot tell what the candidates are expected to
deduce. It may also be the case that they are expected only to state that it is recessive.
These questions are identical in demand, although without a mark scheme for the Abitur paper I cannot be sure
whether the autosomal inheritance is expected in the answers or not. If so, then the demand is higher.
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