* Ag Science Predictions / discussion / aftermath * (One thread please)

CokeyBear wrote: »

You're supposed to know all 54, but if you cover the 16 in that link you'll more than likely get 2 that you know.

Great thanks very much:D

Well there's no way to predict what'll come up in that section, and that's a section I absolutely need to get full marks in as I need an A in Ag and won't be learning anything about Pigs and don't know a hugh amount about animal science in general.
So I sat down and learned them all for the mocks, only took a few hours..

Hope this years paper isn't too bad...last year was awkward

CokeyBear wrote: »

Last years paper was fúcking horrible to say the least, I'm looking for the A1 but I'd be lucky to scrape a B with that paper. Problem is the major book most people are using (Green book) is seriously outdated and they went with a modern test. I think they'll go with the green book based test this year for the last time as most classes will probably have changed over to Rainbowtrouts new book for next year.

New booooook? :eek:

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Ya, myself and another teacher (westsa on here) have written a new ag science book. We thought it was about time. Details over on the main ag science thread

Fair fecks to ye, I've been workin from my revisewise and Farmers Journal handouts for the past 2 years!

CokeyBear wrote: »

Any last minute hints or tips from a teachers point of view?

I would just say that ag science is impossible to predict. I never predict anything for my classes.

So when you get in there take your time and read the paper, it's not as long an exam to answer as other papers (in my opinion). Do not panic if you see something that you are not familiar with or don't quite understand or a question is asked in a way you weren't expecting. You may re-read it later on and in the meantime you may remember something that is relevant.

When I did my own LC, I did Biology. There was a genetics question on it every year and it ALWAYS included a cross. I liked genetic crosses, so in my wisdom neglected a lot of the genetic theory on the course at the time because I think the structure of the question tended to be a few definitions and a cross and it was like that since the dawn of time. Figured I'd have one full question with full or close to full marks just from the cross. Day of the exam came. I opened the paper and went straight to the genetics question thinking 'I'll get this one over with quickly and have one in the bag in a few minutes and then I can get on with the rest of the paper' Read the question. No genetics cross. Read it again just to make sure. Nope, still not there. Ended up not doing the question at all because I hadn't learned the rest of the theory properly. It definitely threw me for the rest of the paper because I now had to find one more question out of the remaining ones as my 'definite' one could no longer be counted. Moral of the story: don't count on anything to definitely be asked and don't get thrown off by anything that isn't asked how you expected it to be.

As has already been said, Q2 is always soil, Q7 is always genetics and Q4 is always experiments so it makes sense to go over those sections well.

Q1 is worth 60 marks and while there are 10 parts to do 6, I would always advise my own class to do all 10 parts if possible. Don't leave blanks. You cannot get marks for a blank space. If you write something, it may be correct. Everything you write will be corrected and you will be awarded your best 6 out of the 10.

For anyone choosing to do those four questions, that only leaves two more from the remaining ones, considering the remaining questions would normally cover livestock, plant and animal physiology, grassland and crops etc , you have a very good choice.

I've usually found in my own classes that some just do not like genetics or soil and tend to leave out one or the other, but I would advise against leaving out both (studywise) as it limits your choice on the paper. Particularly when they are both guaranteed questions. You may choose not to answer either on the day, but you could be left kicking yourself if you don't study either and a question comes up that you could have answered if you had done the revision.


When my own class did the mocks a couple of months back I warned them about leaving out those topics. So they went and they studied them, but a few said afterwards, 'I studied soil but I didn't like the question on the day, so I chose something else' but at least they had the choice to do that.



Make sure you don't answer both options in Question 3 as two of your six questions. If you answer both question 3s, both will be corrected but only one of them can be counted in your total.

You may choose to answer an extra question, nothing wrong with this but make sure you have answered your first six questions to the best of your ability first, rather than rushing through them to get an extra one done.

Ag is the last exam for many students (unless you are in the Italian, Applied Maths, Religion category ) and you may be tired and fed up of exams by the time you get to Thursday or you may feel that you should give one final push to get over the finishing line. Don't stay up half the night trying to cram those last facts in. Get a good night's rest so you will be fresh in the morning.

Good luck!

CokeyBear wrote: »

Cheers Rainbow, it really just seems to be about using your head at the end of the day. Right now my plan is do Q1, 2, 4, 7 and 9 no matter what's on them, might as well attempt them. After that, I'll do whatever I can out of 3, 5, 6 and 8. I have all of Wednesday off, so my plan is to do the last 5-6 years of Q1, 2, 7 and 9. Should be alright after that, I've done all I can do at this stage.

Grand thing is, the questions always seem to repeat in one way or another, so hopefully it's just not like last year.

Well you sound like you are well prepared, so I'm sure you'll be fine on the day!

CokeyBear wrote: »

Problem is the major book most people are using (Green book) is seriously outdated and they went with a modern test. I think they'll go with the green book based test this year for the last time as most classes will probably have changed over to Rainbowtrouts new book for next year.

The exam is NOT based on a book, the exam is based on a syllabus.

rainbowtrout wrote: »

I would just say that ag science is impossible to predict. I never predict anything for my classes.

So when you get in there take your time and read the paper, it's not as long an exam to answer as other papers (in my opinion). Do not panic if you see something that you are not familiar with or don't quite understand or a question is asked in a way you weren't expecting. You may re-read it later on and in the meantime you may remember something that is relevant.


Sound advice rainbow trout

DanielGibbons wrote: »

Sorry westsa, just realised it was both of you :P

No problem.

Best of luck in the exam

Westsa wrote: »

Keep going with it, as you will cover lots of material that is common with other productions, for example the care of a lamb or beef calf is the same as the care of a dairy calf. Dairy over laps with grassland and diseases of dairy and beef are the same.

Im doing it out of the rapid revision book. Is that ok? Green book is scaring me:(

Hi just wondering how important dental formulas are for the exam.
There in the rapid revision book but I cant find them mentioned anywhere in the syllabus. Does anyone know if there has ever been a question on them ?

K, slightly dreading Ag Science.

Brains? wrote: »

is it better for the likes of Q9, the 'scientific explanation', to write a paragraph(s) or just simple bullet points? or does it matter?

I would personally recommend bullet points. Just so you don't end up waffling and the examiner doesn't have to search for your main points.