Your assignment has two stages: research & report.

 

1. Research Stage

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In this assignment, you have to investigate a topic in Biology & create an aim relevant to Higher Biology level  

 

e.g. Substrate concentration IS OK on enzyme activity NOT pH/temperature as this is National 5 level.

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Here is a list of potential assignments given by the SQA.

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 Your research involves gathering data (graph/table/pictogram) using an internet/literature source and carrying out your own experiment in class for comparison using the SAME aim.

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2.  Report Stage

You have 1.5 hours to produce a report on your investigation under open book test conditions. The breakdown of the 20 marks is as follows.  

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What am I allowed to take into the report stage?​

What you are and are not permitted to take into the report stage is detailed in the table below. 

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You are allowed your candidate guide, extracts of books or information from the internet to help you write your underlying Biology as well as the raw data of your experiment and your second source a well as its URL.

Here is a copy of the candidate guide if you need it.

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No

You cannot take a draft of the report or even just the underlying Biology into the report stage.   Your own experimental data should be in rough notes and not in a table. Lastly you cannot take working of calculations for the analysis e.g percentage increase etc.

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​Weighting of Assignment

 

The assignment is worth 20 marks which is then scaled up to 30 marks by the SQA by multiplying your score out of 20 by 1.5.  Your score out of 30 for the assignment is then added to your exam paper score which is out of 120 marks giving a combined score of 150. The assignment contributes 20% to the overall marks for the course assessment.  Your teacher or lecturer will not mark your report. It is sent to SQA for marking.

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the SQA has published 2 sample assignments with comments on where marks were awarded and lost.