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Six-mark questions are extended open response questions. These require longer answers than the structured questions with fewer marks. It is wise to plan your answer rather than rushing straight into it, otherwise you may stray away from the key points.

Six-mark questions are marked using a levels-based mark scheme because they are open ended. To gain full marks, you need to:

• support explanations using scientific knowledge and understanding
• use appropriate scientific words and terms
• write clearly and link ideas in a logical way
• maintain a sustained line of reasoning, rather than getting lost or bogged down

You are likely to see command words such as:

• describe - you need to give an account but no reason
• explain - you must give reasons or explanations
• devise - you must plan or invent a procedure using your scientific knowledge and understanding
• evaluate - you must review information, including identifying strengths and weaknesses, and make a supported conclusion

Six-mark questions may be synoptic questions. This means they bring together ideas from two or more topics. For example, a question about fertilisers could include ideas about covalent substances, acids and alkalis, chemical calculations, and effects on the environment.

Remember that the topics covered in the first paper are assumed knowledge for the second paper, so questions in the second paper may need knowledge and understanding of those topics too.

The answers shown here give marking points as bullet points. You do not usually need to include all of them to gain six marks, but you do need to write in full sentences, linking them logically and clearly.

Writing six-mark answers with Dr Alex Lathbridge

Listen to the full series on ����tv Sounds.

Sample question 1 - Foundation