“I wrote everything I know, but I got 2 out of 4.” This usually means the answer contains true facts without the chain that links the cause to the result.
This page is part of the SPM Biology help pages. It shows one common reason for lost marks and how to fix it yourself.
Why does a long answer still lose marks?
Mark schemes reward specific points, such as “water moves out of the cell by osmosis”. A paragraph that defines terms and lists related facts may never state the point the question asks for.
Some students learn a topic as one block of text. When a question comes, they write out the block, and the answer is full but aimed at a slightly different question.
One example, answered two ways
An original question: explain why a plant cell placed in a concentrated salt solution becomes limp.
Long answer: a definition of osmosis, a list of cell parts, a note that the solution is concentrated, and a closing line that the cell becomes limp.
Mechanism answer: the concentration of salt solution outside the cell is higher than inside. Water moves out of the cell by osmosis. The vacuole shrinks and the cytoplasm pulls away from the cell wall, so the cell loses its firmness and becomes limp.
The long answer names terms. The mechanism answer says what moves, which way, and what that does to the cell. That is what earns the marks. That is what earns the marks.
What can I check on my own?
Use these four checks on your own answers.
- Circle each “because” and “so”. If there are none, rewrite with cause then effect.
- State the direction of movement: from where, to where.
- Match points to marks. A four-mark question needs four separate steps.
- Cross out any sentence that would be true for a different question.
Try them on an old answer. Half of it may be cut, and the missing step can go in its place.
When might one-to-one tuition help?
If you cannot find the missing link even after the checks, it helps to have someone listen. A one-to-one teacher can ask “what happens next?” after each sentence until the gap shows.
This site covers the method for free. A teacher adds live feedback on your own answers, and choosing a useful lesson focus explains how to decide what to work on. See online one-to-one Biology tuition for how starting works.
What to read next
If your problem is turning terms into explanations, read memorising terms without being able to explain a process. If your answers are too broad, see writing precise Biology answers without adding everything. The biological data interpretation trainer gives more practice.