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Completely FAILED Biology exam :(

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large_ghostman

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I had my first Biology exam today, Biology is my strongest subject by far! And yet with 6 mins to go I realized I have answered every single question WRONG!! :(.
Utter stupidity, I have spoken with my teacher and she will see what can be done, its likely I might be granted a resit, they are hopefully going to realize what I did wrong when they mark it but then again they are often really strict! I knew every question and I am pretty sure had I not messed up I am confident I would have answered all but one correctly, the other i am not sure if I am right or wrong.

So how did I mess up?

The paper had the question space above the number, all the other papers so far had the space below. The first two questions were short answers and the spaces small, so it wasnt until I got to the final question and realized there was no space to answer! I went back to the start and realized I have put my answers in the space for question below the one I was answering!!

For example the first question was really easy, Which part of RNA is the sugar (paraphrased) the answer is Ribose as anything with ose on the end is generally a sugar, like sucrose,glucose etc.
But I put the answer in the space for the question below, that question was how many oxygen molecules in DNA, so my answer reads Ribose!! instead of 2

And so on.................... This might be the first ever biology paper that contains 100% correct answers but gets a 0% score!

I know its my fault but normally you get a box or some kind of indication where the answer goes, i didnt notice until I got to the last question and suddenly no space to put the answer!! it was two hour exam and I had 6 mins left, I took my time and made my answers clear.

My teacher was gobsmacked when I told her. She is going to call the uni and explain whats happened as biology is one of the subjects I need A* in to keep my place offer. My best hope is they except the mistake and if I am allowed a resit it wont count against me. I can not explain how upset and angry with myself I am, my best subject!!

I have Maths second paper tomorrow but my head isnt in the right place to revise for it.

Feel free to beret me and call me stupid! I also freely admit I was a total baby and cried when I found out what I had done (manly tears though ;) a bit like hey fever ones lol)

I got Bio Chem on friday but cant sit it because of a hospital appointment, so I have to sit it in isolation (no idea what that entails!!) Unless I am allowed to do it Friday afternoon in a room on my own, all my exams are morning ones so far. yeah I am waffling now I know, trying to type my frustration out!

Watching a film later at home with a certain female ;), she is actually pretty smart! she dosnt do Biology but knows alot about plants, she is also really good at maths so is going to help me get my maths upto par.
Meeting her mum and dad at the weekend, apparently her dad hates the English! this might get awkward lol. her mum is ok apparently and a solicitor (not sure if thats good or bad??)
 
Hanging out with long legged women for a few days and you botched an exam .... not too good.

Time to get your head in the game.... :)

As long as they see your mistake ... you could be OK, unless there were specific directions identifying the different format.

Her father might not like anyone dating his daughter.


Then again ... you're ...

 
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They would have to be pretty perverse adjudicators to mark you down for that.

Also, in view of the unusual location of the answer box, I bet many other students made the same mistake. What half wit put the answer above the question- I could imagine. :eek:

spec
 
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So this 'biology exam fail' didn't really happen in the haystack out in the ol' barn with the new girl did it? o_O
 
I hope you would do well in an exam that basically stated:

1. Read all the questions before answering.
Last question: Now that you have read all of the questions. put your name on the paper and sit quietly and don't answer any.

I think there was stuff like:
x: raise your right hand.

So, you can tell who messed up.
 
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I hope you would do well in an exam that basically stated:

1. Read all the questions before answering.
Last question: Now that you have read all of the questions. put your name on the paper and sit quietly and don't answer any.

I think there was stuff like:
x: raise your right hand.

So, you can tell who messed up.

I had a teacher do that to my class back when I was in Elementary school, I think.
 
When I sat a technical drawing examination at a different location to our school, the lady adjudicator would not let me put my quarter size drawing board on the table in case it got scratched. Instead, I had to put the board on two chairs and do the exam kneeling. I'm afraid academia just not live in the real world. :eek:

spec
 
OOO looks like we might be on the news later! The whole class is to resit the exam Tomorrow, no apparently I wasnt the only one. It was a mess up in printing, I am told there was to be an extra question but it was withdrawn, to save paper they squashed the questions up a bit and when the extra question was removed the spaces were wrong.

Its going to cause some serious problems though, while they are saying sit again tomorrow no one has thought when tomorrow? I have other exams tomorrow. I think they are trying to avoid having to do another exam paper, but I cant see a way around it.

I did read the entire paper before answering any questions, normally you would get a BOX for an answer, but this didnt have any boxs just spaces, when your under pressure and nervous your not sitting there all relaxed and looking for mistakes made by the exam board!

I think by now in an advanced exam its not unreasonable to expect the exam board to actually get the layout and format of a paper correct, or are things now so bad in education that part of the exam is to correct the exam paper errors?

I will see what happens tomorrow but cant see how i am going to sit two exams at the same time.
 
OOO looks like we might be on the news later! The whole class is to resit the exam Tomorrow, no apparently I wasnt the only one. It was a mess up in printing, I am told there was to be an extra question but it was withdrawn, to save paper they squashed the questions up a bit and when the extra question was removed the spaces were wrong.

Its going to cause some serious problems though, while they are saying sit again tomorrow no one has thought when tomorrow? I have other exams tomorrow. I think they are trying to avoid having to do another exam paper, but I cant see a way around it.

I did read the entire paper before answering any questions, normally you would get a BOX for an answer, but this didnt have any boxs just spaces, when your under pressure and nervous your not sitting there all relaxed and looking for mistakes made by the exam board!

I think by now in an advanced exam its not unreasonable to expect the exam board to actually get the layout and format of a paper correct, or are things now so bad in education that part of the exam is to correct the exam paper errors?

I will see what happens tomorrow but cant see how i am going to sit two exams at the same time.

I thought so.

You can just imagine the people who set exam papers. They F up a complete examination and cost the country, all for one sheet of paper. Yet, I bet they would generate forests of management/admin/etc waffle. It is a good job they don't have anything slightly difficult to do where incompetence would have more serious consequences.

Some of the exam papers we sat were atrocious: inconsistent, vague, bad punctuation, and with errors, and that was just the English language papers. The examination rooms were also poorly lit and very noisy in some cases. In one exam we had a pneumatic drill digging up the drive just outside the window. On another occasion, the paper was so badly copied that it was illegible in places: rather awkward for a maths exam.

A bit more incompetence in Scotland: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-133234/Exam-fiasco-Scotland.html

spec
 
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LG. Just chalk this exam kerfuffle as another one of life's lessons (in this case, disturbingly pervasiveness incompetence within educational systems).

As for "meeting the parents", that is a HUGE step. This new lady in your life is really ramping up the game. Just sayin'...
 
Looks like you dodged a bullet there!
If it happens again, it would be best to write a note to the examiner somewhere near the front of the page to say the answers are offset to the questions. Or labeling each question in red "Answer for Q4.1" (which I had to resort to on my degree).
Usually for the sake of fairness, there is a local and external examiner that does the assessments.
I've done it myself with one of those electronically scanned multiple choice exams.. Machines don't read your pleas to them though haha. Didn't turn out too bad, the odds were 4/1 on each question.

I'll ask my housemate later, he marks exam papers for a living.. it would be interesting to see if this is a common thing.
 
I thought so.

You can just imagine the people who set exam papers. They F up a complete examination and cost the country, all for one sheet of paper. Yet, I bet they would generate forests of management/admin/etc waffle. It is a good job they don't have anything slightly difficult to do where incompetence would have more serious consequences.

Some of the exam papers we sat were atrocious: inconsistent, vague, bad punctuation, and with errors, and that was just the English language papers. The examination rooms were also poorly lit and very noisy in some cases. In one exam we had a pneumatic drill digging up the drive just outside the window. On another occasion, the paper was so badly copied that it was illegible in places: rather awkward for a maths exam.

A bit more incompetence in Scotland: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-133234/Exam-fiasco-Scotland.html

spec
We have a start of the art exam hall, air con, sound proof and comfortable. EXCEPT we cant use it! when they close the doors after an hour the CO2 alarm goes off as the room is too sealed
 
LG. Just chalk this exam kerfuffle as another one of life's lessons (in this case, disturbingly pervasiveness incompetence within educational systems).

As for "meeting the parents", that is a HUGE step. This new lady in your life is really ramping up the game. Just sayin'...
I am having to skip the weekend with her, I have some work to do on a project. I have been waiting for a part to turn up and its here now, so she will have to wait for a week.
 
Looks like you dodged a bullet there!
If it happens again, it would be best to write a note to the examiner somewhere near the front of the page to say the answers are offset to the questions. Or labeling each question in red "Answer for Q4.1" (which I had to resort to on my degree).
Usually for the sake of fairness, there is a local and external examiner that does the assessments.
I've done it myself with one of those electronically scanned multiple choice exams.. Machines don't read your pleas to them though haha. Didn't turn out too bad, the odds were 4/1 on each question.

I'll ask my housemate later, he marks exam papers for a living.. it would be interesting to see if this is a common thing.
Would be interesting to know, what annoys me is they pay an external company to set the exam! not getting there monies worth are they
 
Not good LG. If you agreed to meet the parents and she had already made plans with her folks to meet you.... Go. Otherwise, her dad will just consider your absence as more evidence in his dislike for your kind.


on edit ... clarifying the ending ...


As the saying goes "Don't give the prick the satisfaction", in this instance, of prejudging you.
 
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Might have to be a short visit, i get what your saying but I have a deal and the deal comes first. Work before play kind of thing, but I will show up for a bit
 
You can always exit gracefully telling them why you've cut the visit short ... especially if it's for work. He will see you are a determined young man ... and his daughter picked a winner.
 
You can always exit gracefully telling them why you've cut the visit short ... especially if it's for work. He will see you are a determined young man ... and his daughter picked a winner.
seems like the best option, i am working on something and dont want to let the person down, i am a bit behind as it is with progress.............I need to get better at estimating how much time I get! there always seems to be something cropping up that takes my time up
 
seems like the best option, i am working on something and dont want to let the person down, i am a bit behind as it is with progress.............I need to get better at estimating how much time I get! there always seems to be something cropping up that takes my time up

That being said, don't look like you're in a rush while you're there. Take the time and enjoy their company, and get to know them. You don't have to stay all that long, but if you look rushed (like you're eager to leave) it'll tell them that you aren't that interested in spending time with them. It's a delicate balance.
 
That being said, don't look like you're in a rush while you're there. Take the time and enjoy their company, and get to know them. You don't have to stay all that long, but if you look rushed (like you're eager to leave) it'll tell them that you aren't that interested in spending time with them. It's a delicate balance.
Lindsey is aware of what i am working on and she also knows i am behind on a promise I made, spoke with her tonight and the plan is I go get a beating from her dad for an hour or so then she is coming back to help me get the next bit of the project done.

I have also spoke with the Admin here and its likely a good portion of this project minus the commercial info will be detailed here. I am working on the next stage now but its been agreed I get the exams out the way first.
You are all going to love this one :D, I have some pics to post of the proof of concept stuff I was doing but it looks like I have the go ahead to build a prototype. Is a really cool project with loads of bits to it and a slightly different to the norm.
Although its a commercial project as long as i dont say too much about what its actually going to be used for there shouldnt be an issue! I am keen to start on the ground bit this weekend, so if all goes well lindsey is going to help. For job for the ETO gurus is help on lay out of controls, because these may change as things go along the plan is to use cardboard to mock the layouts up first, then when its sorted the metal panel etc can be made.

Its very much like the quad project but different in many ways, also this one I can document from the start :D. I have a specification or list of things it has to do and a list of restrictions of what I can and cant use and restrictions on size etc, these are mainly legal stuff so there is a few challenges. But its the kind of thing we used to do on here and hopefully it should spark some interest. as a teaser it will be using 2 possibly 3 of these
engine12.JPG

This will be the biggest, if three are used then the other 2 are smaller than this one
 
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