I have been doing some past papers and have noticed that I do not cover all of the relevant points outlined in the mark scheme. I'm able to get about 70% of the content, but I do keep on missing some "relevant information" that I have just not considered. Have you got any advice on how I can avoid this and pick up all the points necessary?
This is a difficult question: and I'm uncertain whether it is answerable ! Have you completed the Acted assignments? This paper is about communication; and answering the question that has been set for the intended audience. It could be worth asking other people to read your answers and give their view as to how well you answered the question... You are doing well if you are capturing 70% of the content imo. The mark scheme may contain more than 100 marks worth of points. My one comment (given how well you appear to be doing) is caution: writing more sometimes can reduce the clarity of the key messages and the overall quality of the script. Perhaps others may have views too.
There is no quick answer to this question! In the ActEd Course Notes we describe a process called 'Storyboarding' which provides a framework for selecting and sequencing the 'technical content' for inclusion in a communication. Storyboarding builds on a clear identification of the characteristics of the recipient(s) ('The Who') and the objectives in communicating ('The Why') - both of which influence the choice of content. The solutions to our Assignments and Mock Exams show how this process can be applied in practice to exam-style questions. We also work through this process in our tutorials and Online Classroom.
I'm not sure whether this is mentioned anywhere before, but are marks only awarded for the contents outlined in the marking scheme? Or any relevant points are accepted as well? Because I noticed that some of ASET specimen solution did not follow exactly the contents laid out in marking scheme, but uses other relevant points which they think is suitable.
Our understanding is that markers are not normally given any flexibility when awarding content marks, i.e. only the content noted in the marking schedule will be credited. There have been a couple of recent examples where two alternative approaches were credited in the exam. In these instances, the two alternatives as to content were noted in the marking schedule, with no other flexibility afforded to markers. When we write our ASET solutions we do so without first looking at the examiners' solution. What we are looking to produce is an answer which realistically might be produced under exam conditions, and which will be a strong pass (i.e. scoring >> 60% but <100%). We are therefore demonstrating how it is possible to pass the exam without simply reproducing the examiners' answer. In ASET we explain how we derived our answer by describing 'The Who', 'The Why' and outlining a storyboard. Given the above, it is inevitable that the content of our solution does not exactly match that in the marking schedule. In adopting this approach for ASET we are looking to help candidates prepare for the exam, and add value over and above that provided by the examiners reports.
