1. A quick guide to success
AQA ISA
A quick guide to success

2. Sections – click to jump straight there
Paper 1
Paper 2
Keywords

3. Paper 1
Always questions
Sometimes questions

4. Always in paper 1 Identify 2 sources that you used for your research.
You need to write urls for web-based resources of book title + author for paper based.
You must have this information written on your candidate sheet 1 mark gained

5. Always in paper 1 Compare the usefulness of the two sources
You need to write about both sources. Which was the best? Why?
You must have planned your answer – you know that this question is coming!
2 marks gained

6. Always in paper 1
From the research that you have done, describe in detail how you are going to do your investigation.
This section is worth 9 marks! You must practise your answer! Make sure that you have enough notes on your candidate sheet to answer it fully.
Write it in the sections described in the question. Give each section a subheading.
More on the next 5 slides

7. Always in paper 1 The equipment that you plan to use
No reason to struggle here – should all be on your planning sheet. Check that you have not missed anything out.
A bullet pointed list is fine
More on the next 4 slides

8. Always in paper 1 How you will use the equipment
This means a method of how you will carry out your practical, not a list of what each piece of equipment is for.
You should have enough information on your student planning sheet to be able to write a step by step method
More on the next 3 slides

9. Always in paper 1 The measurements that you are going to make
What are you going to record in your results table? These will include the measurements that you are making in your experiment – be clear on what you are doing. E.g. in my experiment I am changing… (independent variable) and will record …. (dependent variable)
You should have this information on your student planning sheet!
More on the next 2 slides

10. Always in paper 1 How you will make the investigation a fair test
What are you going to keep the same in your experiment (control variables) ?
I will make my experiment a fair test by…
You should have this information on your student planning sheet!
More on the next slide

11. Always in paper 1 A risk assessment
How are you going to make the experiment as safe as possible?
What are the hazards in the experiment? E.g. Bunsen flame
What are the risks caused by the hazards? E.g. burns
What are you going to do to minimise risk? E.g. tie hair up
You should have this information on your student planning sheet!
Watch your spelling and grammar 9 marks gained

12. Always in paper 1 Make sure that you hand in a blank table of results
You must have clear headings
You must have your independent and dependent variable
You must include units (e.g. temperature would be in 0C, time might be in seconds)
This is done before the exam – no excuses not to get it right
2 marks gained

13. Always in paper 1
14 marks!!!!!
You can do really well in paper 1 if you get prepared. Make sure that you can score as many marks as possible in the questions that are on every ISA.
14 marks on the whole paper would put you on target for a B grade

14. Sometimes in paper 1 – they seem to be on a rotation!
Which measurement will be the most difficult to measure in your experiment and why?
What will be difficult to measure accurately? Why might you not be able to do this as well as you would like?
Think about this as part of your method planning. We often have limitations because of the equipment we use.
2 marks gained – more on next slide!

15. Sometimes in paper 1 – they seem to be on a rotation!
Suggest what you could do to reduce the effect of any errors in this experiment?
This means how could you measure it more accurately? This does not mean “I could be more careful” – it is about changing your experiment somehow.
You could suggest using equipment even if the college doesn’t have it! E.g. I could record the bounce of a ball with a video camera, so I could use the slo-mo to judge height better.
1 mark gained

16. Paper 2
Always questions
Sometimes questions

17. Always in paper 2
Hand in your charts or graphs. You will be awarded up to 4 marks for your chart or graph.
A graph of your results:
Clearly labelled axis
Suitable scale
Plotted correctly
Line of best fit
You should get full marks on this. Draw a practice graph first, before completing your real graph under high control.
4 marks gained

18. Always in paper 2 What were the variables in the experiment you did?
Independent variable – what did you change?
Dependent variable – what did you measure?
Control variable – what did you keep the same?
You should get full marks on this. Make sure you know the answers for your experiment!
3 marks gained

19. Always in paper 2
Do your results support the hypothesis that you investigated? You should use any pattern that you see in your results to support your answer. You should include examples from your results.
Start with “The results did/did not support the hypothesis”
Because the trend of the graph is… or there is no pattern in the results
Quote some of your data – e.g. at 20oC… but at 60oC…
You must include all 3 points to get full marks
3 marks gained

20. Always in paper 2 Draw a sketch graph of the results from Case study 1
Label the axis
Draw the shape of the graph
just the shape – no numbers needed – does it go up or down? Straight line (linear) or a curve (non-linear)?
You will get nothing if you don’t label the axis!
2 marks gained

21. Always in paper 2 Draw a sketch graph of the results from Case study 1
Try these for practice
Light intensity (lumens)
Amount Oxygen produced by plant per hour (ml)
100 10
200 18
300 25
400 28
500 29
Mass added (g)
Extension of spring (cm)
100 2
200 4
300
6.5
400 8
500 10

22. Always in paper 2 Draw a sketch graph of the results from Case study 1
Try these for practice
Temperature (oC)
Time taken for reaction (s) 20
120 40 80 60 50
100 45
Number of people in house
Time a toilet roll lasts (days) 1 10 2 8 3 6 4 5

23. Always in paper 2
Explain whether or not the results in Case studies 1, 2 and 3 support the hypothesis. To gain full marks, your explanation should include appropriate examples from the results in Case studies 1, 2 and 3.
Write about each case study separately. Include example data to support your ideas. E.g. case study 1 supports the hypothesis because the higher the temperature, the higher the bounce. It bounced 50cm at 60oC, but only 20 at 25oC.
Look carefully at the results – mention any anomalous results! Check that the experiment is valid – i.e. are they changing the right variable?
Have they calculated the mean correctly – discard anomalous results and record the mean to the same level of accuracy as the results
Linear or non-linear?
You won’t know what the Case studies are, but you should make sure that you know what to do!
3 marks gained

24. Always in paper 2
Hypothesis: Paint dries faster at higher temperatures
Try these for practice
Case study A
Temperature (oC)
Drying time (min) 20
120 40
100 60 58 80
Case study B
Temp. (oC)
Drying time (hours)
mean 10 9 8 20 7
7.3 30 6 4 5 40 3
3.3 50 2 1
1.6
Case study C
Paint
Drying time (min) A
220 B
180 C
160 D 18 E 64

25. Always in paper 2 A question about case study 4.
You are given a statement.
You need to use the data for case study 4 to answer the question.
Check – does the data support the statement? Or not? Explain your answer carefully, quoting data to support your argument.
You won’t know what the statement or data will be, but apply your skills and don’t panic!
3 marks gained

26. Always in paper 2
How could the results from your investigation be useful in the context you have researched? (use your candidate research notes)
What was your context?
How could you apply what you have found out to this situation?
Include enough detail!
Prepare your answer – you know this question is coming!
3 marks gained

27. Always in paper 2 Up to 26 marks!!!!!
You can do really well in paper 2 if you get prepared. Make sure that you can score as many marks as possible in the questions that are on every ISA.
26 marks on the whole paper would put you on target for an A* grade

28. Sometimes in paper 2
Most investigations contain uncertainties. Suggest one cause of uncertainty in your experiment. How could you reduce the size of this uncertainty if you were to repeat the experiment?
Think about what you couldn’t control fully or measure carefully enough
How could you improve the method next time?
Plan for this question!
3 marks gained

29. Sometimes in paper 2
Did you repeat any of the trials in your experiment. Explain why you did or did not repeat your trials. Include examples from your results.
If yes – to check repeatability, show with examples how repeatable experiment was
If no, then say why e.g. lack of time or all points close to line of best fit
Plan for this question!
3 marks gained

30. Sometimes in paper 2
Explain how you would use repeated readings to get more accurate results
Calculate the mean
By discarding anomalous results
Add together repeated readings and divide by number of results
Last bullet point often gets missed
3 marks gained

31. Sometimes in paper 2
You have been given results from other people. Do these other results show the investigation to be reproducible?
Show that you know what reproducable means!
Yes – similar trend in results or no, different trend
Quote data from their results and yours
Prepare for this question! Do you have an answer? marks gained

32. Sometimes in paper 2
You have been given results from other people. Do these other results show the investigation to be reproducible?
Show that you know what reproducable means!
Yes – similar trend in results or no, different trend
Quote data from their results and yours
Prepare for this question! Do you have an answer? marks gained

33. Sometimes in paper 2 Did you get any anomalous results?
Show that you know what anomalous means!
Yes – not close to line of best fit or a very different repeated value
No – all repeats similar or close to line of best fit
Prepare for this question! Do you have an answer? marks gained

34. Sometimes in paper 2
What was the range of the independent variable? Was this a suitable range?
From… to…
Yes – obvious difference between lowest and highest values or no, difference too small
Quote from your data!
Prepare for this question! Do you have an answer? marks gained

35. Sometimes in paper 2
Other people trying to repeat your investigation might get results that are different to yours. Suggest one reason and explain why they would get different results.
What might they have done that was different?
How would their results be different as a result
Prepare for this question! Do you have an answer? marks gained

36. Sometimes in paper 2
If you were to repeat your investigation would you make any changes to your method?
No – results had clear trend, data repeatable, test was fair.
Yes – how would you improve it? E.g. repeat data, larger range, change to practical
Prepare for this question! Do you have an answer? marks gained

37. Sometimes in paper 2
What was the resolution of one piece of equipment that you used to make a measurement in your experiment? Do you think that this resolution was appropriate?
Resolution : measured to the nearest…
No – results not clearly different, may overlap
Yes – clear trend in results, don’t overlap
Prepare for this question! Do you have an answer? marks gained

38. Keywords Key word What does it mean? Hypothesis Accurate Precise
Hypothesis
A statement that can be tested
Accurate
The more accurate a result is, the closer to the correct answer it is
Precise
When you get almost the same answer again and again. The answer may be accurate or not
Repeatable
When you do an experiment again and get similar results
Reproducible
When the experiment is done again using different equipment or methods, or done by another person and you get similar results

39. Keywords Key word What does it mean? Objectivity Variable
Objectivity
A experiment is objective when the people doing it are not trying to get a certain result
Variable
Things that can change in an experiment
Independent variable
The thing that you change in an experiment
Dependent variable
The result that you measure in an experiment
Control variable
Something that you keep the same to make sure that your experiment is fair

40. Keywords Key word What does it mean? Categoric variables
These kinds of variables are best described by labels, e.g. eye colour, where each eye colour is one category
Continuous variables
These kinds of variables are best described using numbers, e.g. number of pupils in each classroom.
Resolution
How accurate you can measure with a piece of equipment
i.e. Measuring to the nearest…
Range
The highest and lowest values you test
Values
What actual measurements you test
e.g. 10oC, 20oC etc.