Examiners know the importance of problem-solving skills and do what they can to promote them, most obviously by setting questions in which ideas have to be drawn from across the specification rather than being solely about one topic area. Such questions are sometimes set in an unfamiliar context and require you to relate the context to something that you have seen before, often by focusing on key details.They may also require a mix of numerical work and written explanation in order to get to the end of the question.
The new range of A-level qualifications includes questions of this sort. A prime example comes from one of the AQA specimen papers, AQA-74082-SQP (Question 01). The context is an industrial process for separating out different minerals from an ore. A successful student will have demonstrated a sound grasp of electrostatics and the mechanics of freefall in a gravitational field, as well as the ability to explain interlinked ideas in a lucid manner.
Your organisation does not have access to this article.
Sign up today to give your students the edge they need to achieve their best grades with subject expertise
Subscribe
