OCR A Level Biology A (H420) Biology B (H422)

PAG 1: Microscopy
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme
Mark scheme

 
Question Answer/Indicative content Marks Guidance
1 D 1

Total 1
Examiner’s Comments

1 Most candidates were able to correctly

2 C✓
(AO2.4) calculate the real length of the
tardigrade and there was often
evidence of working shown.

Total 1
Examiner’s Comments
Most candidates could accurately
3 A ✔ 1 calculate the diameter of the cell and
select the correct answer written in
standard form.

Total 1
4 C 1

Total 1
5 i 1.7 mm (1) 1
ALLOW 1 mark for correct working
ii × 50 (1)(1) 2 e.g. 80 / 1.6
ALLOW answer in the range of 48–51

Total 3
6 14 000 / 120 = 117 μm; 2 length of line A-B = 14mm / 14000 μm

Correct answer = 2 marks.

Allow one mark if correct working
shown including units for cm & mm
e.g. 1.4 cm / 120
14 mm / 120
14000 / 120

If answer = 125 μm allow one mark

for correct working but incorrect
measurement (15mm instead of 14)

Allow one mark if not rounded to

nearest micrometre

Examiner's Comments
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 OCR A Level Biology A (H420) Biology B (H422)
PAG 1: Microscopy
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

As ever, many candidates proved

incapable of performing a relatively
simple calculation. Better candidates
did well and gave the correct
response or at least showed they
knew how to carry out the calculation.
However, too many candidates
appeared to have little idea of what to
do. Commonly the magnification was
left out of the calculation and
candidates simply converted mm to
µm. Another common error was to
convert mm to µm by dividing by 1000
rather than multiplying. This is an area
in which centres need to improve in
light of the increased maths
requirements of the new
specifications.

Total 2
7 2 Correct answer = 2 marks
(indicated by 2 ticks) even if no
working shown
11.91 µm ✔✔ ACCEPT 11.06 to 12.77 µm
ACCEPT 1.106 x 10-5 m to 1.277 x
10-5 m
 
[sig figs retained for
 
standard form]
Otherwise, Award ONE mark for:

correct final answer without (correct)

unit

OR

correct final answer to wrong number

of dp
                                        
OR
incorrectly rounded

OR

seeing (one graticule division =) 20 ÷

2.35 = 8.51

OR

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 OCR A Level Biology A (H420) Biology B (H422)
PAG 1: Microscopy
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme
seeing (measurement of nucleus = )
1.3 to 1.5 (graticule / eye piece) units /
divisions

or

1.3 to 1.5 cm

or

13 to 15 (graticule / eye piece) units /

division

or

13 to 15 mm

OR

diameter = 110.63 to 127.65 µm

Examiner’s Comments

A common error was misusing the

formula linking magnification with
image size and actual size, so wrongly
dividing 2.35 by 20. The correct units
were usually used. Students should be
encouraged to think about what their
answers actually mean - answers of
hundreds of mm or cm for a cell
nucleus are clearly wrong.

Total 2
ALLOW for two marks
3157 μm3 / 3.157 × 103   μm3 correctly calculated value not given to
4SF
OR e.g. 3156.55 μm3
 
3155 μm3 / 3.155 × 103   μm3(3.14 3157.82 μm3 (22/7used)
 
used for value of π) 3154.95 μm3 (3.14 used)

8 OR 3 OR
correctly calculated value without
3158 μm3 / 3.158 × 103   μm3(22/7 units
used for value of π) e.g. 3157 / 3.157
OR
correctly calculated value with
inappropriate units

e.g. 3.157 × 10-6 mm3

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 OCR A Level Biology A (H420) Biology B (H422)
PAG 1: Microscopy
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme
 
  3.157 × 10-9 cm3
If two or three marks were not
awarded for the correct answer or
calculated value:
for one mark look for evidence of use
of the formula:

(4/3) × π × r3

Examiner’s Comments
The necessity to use π in the equation
for Q17(b)(i) generated three different
versions of the correct answer in order
to encompass all the various values of
π e.g. 3.14 or 22/7. Candidates could
OR gain credit for a variety of responses
and many variations that included
3.157 / 3.155 / 3.158, ×10-15m3(answer errors could still gain one or two marks
using SI units) if Examiners could clearly see how
candidates had arrived at their
  response e.g. one mark was awarded
  ✔✔✔ for candidates that had used the
correct equation for calculating the
volume of a sphere. The most
common error was using the wrong
value for the radius, having confused it
with the diameter or simply not
knowing the formula for a sphere. The
equation for calculating area of a circle
rather than volume of a sphere was
another common error. Some
candidates mistakenly squared the
value of the radius or mis-keyed the
correct values into the formula and it is
recommended that centres encourage
candidates to repeat calculations to
check for such errors, provided time
allows.

Total 3
9 i missing stage Max 2 Effect must be linked to correct
use of spreader ✓ missing stage
effect
idea that blood cells could not be seen
clearly because the film would be too
thick ✓

OR
missing stage
add , methanol / fixative
effect

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 OCR A Level Biology A (H420) Biology B (H422)
PAG 1: Microscopy
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme
idea that cells would be washed off
the slide ✓

stains some structures darker /

provides contrast ✓
allows the shape of the nucleus to be
ii 2 max
seen ✓
allows the type of cell to be identified
✓

Total 4

sputum is spread thinly on a ALLOW e.g. use another slide to

scrape across to produce, smear / thin
microscope slide ✓
layer
2 max
10 i ALLOW named fixative e.g. methanol
use of fixative ✓ AO2.7
ALLOW e.g. fungal cells being visible
use of (differential) stain to distinguish
in the sputum by staining technique /
fungal cells ✓ AW
If answer incorrect accept the
following for 1 mark:
ii x 200 ✓ ✓ 2 AO2.8

OR OR

Total 4

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