The higher paper is made up of both KU and PS questions, just like the standard grade. If you don’t believe it have a look in a marking scheme.

The image above is taken from the arrangements document, it gives you a list of keywords you can use to identify KU & PS questions. Remember that it is important to answer all questions in the context they were given. So for a question about “surequickfit”, you should mention “surequickfit” in your answer as well as relate to their problem. The breakdown of the assessment is below.

External Assessment

A written examination of 2½ hours will sample each of the Units. The exam is out of 140.

• Section I contains a total of 30 marks drawn from the two Core Units. These are short response questions, with a bias towards Knowledge & Understanding.
• Section II contains a total of 60 marks drawn from the two Core Units. These are extended response questions, with a bias towards Problem Solving. These question are more challenging and aim to stretch candidates.
• Section III contains 50 marks drawn from each of the three Optional Units. These are extended response questions, with a bias towards Problem Solving. These questions will include some integration with the Core Units.
• Questions in Sections II and III may also address the unifying themes from the Aims.
• Other than selecting the correct Optional topic, there is no element of choice in the exam.
• A Coursework task, worth 60 marks, is attempted during class time. The Coursework will cover practical problem solving tasks based upon the two Core units. The Coursework is externally moderated.
• The mark for the Coursework is added to the exam mark to yield a mark out of 200. This is used to generate an award for a candidate.