Raise Word Limit in OCR (Salters) A-Level Chemistry Open-Book Paper

To: OCR
RE: Salters Chemistry Advanced GCE Open-Book Paper

Each year, Advanced Subsidiary Students taking the OCR Salters Advanced Chemistry course have to undertake the Open-Book paper. This is a paper which contains two articles on a chemical subject with a number of points which you have to answer in an 800 to 1000 word essay.

This puts enormous stress on students, who also have other AS Levels to study for. Not only is this essay very difficult because of the nature of the questions, but it is also extremely difficult to answer the points within 1000 words.

I understand that it would be difficult to abolish such an assessment, and that another examination or coursework would need to be put in place instead. This is why I propose to raise the word limit of this Open-Book to 1500 words. This is enough for students to accurately answer questions in a good level of detail, while still keeping a sensible limit that can be read by examiners.

As a current AS student undertaking the current 2007 Open-Book Paper, I, as well as many others, find it difficult to keep below the word limit, while answering the points in sufficient detail to gain the marks needed for a good grade.

I hope that you will seriously consider this an option, and keep in mind that amount of students taking this course. I know it would be a relief to many, and would most certainly help students gain higher marks with the added benefit of allowing more words to be written in the essay.