Typo in maths exam (1 Viewer)

[kpq_sniper017]

In a recent maths assessment, there was a typo that made the question misleading. The teacher didn't inform us of the mistake beforehand (however using common sense, many of the students were able to figure out what the quesrion was actually asking). But if that happens, is the onus on the students to ask or is it on the teachers to report it? If you lose marks, do you have the right to protest?
I figured out what the question was asking eventually.....but it took me a couple of minutes of pondering, but some other guys didn't answer it.

 

[Calculon]

Originally posted by pcx_demolition017
In a recent maths assessment, there was a typo that made the question misleading. The teacher didn't inform us of the mistake beforehand (however using common sense, many of the students were able to figure out what the quesrion was actually asking). But if that happens, is the onus on the students to ask or is it on the teachers to report it? If you lose marks, do you have the right to protest?
I figured out what the question was asking eventually.....but it took me a couple of minutes of pondering, but some other guys didn't answer it.

In that case everyone gets full marks for the question i think

 

[:: ck ::]

or it doesnt get counted...

 

[*girl04*]

^^^ if everyone gets full marks it doesnt count. same thing

 

[CrashOveride]

Speaking of maths tests and circumstances...

There is a person X who was absent from the half-yearlies. Person X was allowed to take the 3u half-yearly home later on and do it as an "assignment". X claims the test was done under "strict conditions, time limit" etc. and X's mark has been counted as X's half-yearly score, giving X a rank of 1.

Discuss.

 

[Xayma]

Did they notify the school first? If not it probably should have been given 0. In any circumstances they shouldnt have been able to do it at home.

 

[nike33]

haha what a cool school

 

[Estel]

That's beyond moronic.
No need to discuss.

 

[CM_Tutor]

Originally posted by Calculon
In that case everyone gets full marks for the question i think

Originally posted by :: ryan.cck ::
or it doesnt get counted...

Neither of these solutions is really 'fair', but they do tend to be the 'solutions' used - this issue came up for an HSC Maths exam in the last couple of years, but off hand I don't remember the details.

Another problem associated with a 'mistake' on an exam is when a typo causes a question to have a ridiculous answer - this came up on a 4u Science paper some years ago. A typo (which said kJ instead of J) caused a calculation to estimate the height of a big-top at a circus as more than a kilometre. Some students, upon getting such an answer and then, because it was unreasonable, either crossed it out or modified it. This effectively penalised students who realised that the answer was silly, but not those who didn't consider the matter.

 

[CM_Tutor]

Originally posted by CrashOveride
Speaking of maths tests and circumstances...

There is a person X who was absent from the half-yearlies. Person X was allowed to take the 3u half-yearly home later on and do it as an "assignment". X claims the test was done under "strict conditions, time limit" etc. and X's mark has been counted as X's half-yearly score, giving X a rank of 1.

Discuss.

Dodgy... Very Dodgy... INCREDIBLY Dodgy... Teacher who came up with that 'solution' should be made to write out "I will not do something so breathtakingly stupid and unfair ever again" 500 times.

 

[kpq_sniper017]

Originally posted by :: ryan.cck ::
or it doesnt get counted...

i can see that they may be the fairest 'solution', however it kind of disadvantages the people who did interpret the question through common sense or prior knowledge and spent 5 or so minutes answering it.
for me personally, it didn't really affect me apart from a couple of wasted minutes....but IMO, I think teachers should be a bit more careful when they create exams - their mistakes disadvantage everyone *although i do understand that teachers are busy etc, so they have to be cut some slack*

 

[kpq_sniper017]

Originally posted by CM_Tutor
Another problem associated with a 'mistake' on an exam is when a typo causes a question to have a ridiculous answer - this came up on a 4u Science paper some years ago. A typo (which said kJ instead of J) caused a calculation to estimate the height of a big-top at a circus as more than a kilometre. Some students, upon getting such an answer and then, because it was unreasonable, either crossed it out or modified it. This effectively penalised students who realised that the answer was silly, but not those who didn't consider the matter.

What was the outcome?
How do you rectify a problem such as that above?....it could have repurcussions for every HSC student, and not just for the students sitting the exam for the subject in which the mistake was made.

 

[George W. Bush]

Sounds to me like lazy-ass teacher, who is now demanding a pay rise.

 

[kochou]

dodgey

 

[gman03]

Originally posted by CM_Tutor
Another problem associated with a 'mistake' on an exam is when a typo causes a question to have a ridiculous answer - this came up on a 4u Science paper some years ago.

Another one was in a particular physics trial exam paper where the calculated speed of electron was faster than the speed of light significantly.


But most of this "typo" rarely comes up in 3 unit maths paper.... The only Qs that you would get would be those that you CAN'T do.. hehe